It has been an incredible season for the Illinois basketball program after going through a ton of changes in the offseason.
I didn’t know what to expect for the 2025-26 campaign. The Illini lost some key players to the transfer portal and the NBA Draft, and the additions to the program were some pretty big question marks.
Illinois needed someone to step up this season. It’s a bird. It’s a plane. No, it’s Keaton Wagler.
A three-star recruit by Rivals, Wagler wasn’t supposed to do anything this season. He was a rotational piece who may get single-digit minutes. Instead of being a reserve, Wagler took full advantage of the early playing time thanks to injuries. He used this platform to launch into stardom.
Wagler ended up starting for Illinois, and he never looked back. Finishing the regular season averaging 17.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.0 steals per game, Wagler is now getting recognized more on a national level.
On Tuesday, the Big Ten announced its awards for the 2025-26 season. Wagler ended up winning the Big Ten Freshman of the Year award. He was also the only unanimous selection for the All-Freshman Team.
From @IlliniMBB, Keaton Wagler is your @bigten Freshman of the Year 🙌 pic.twitter.com/pMnzvqVPYj
— Big Ten Men's Basketball (@B1GMBBall) March 10, 2026
Those awards are incredibly impressive, but the one award that Wagler earned that blows me away is that he was also named to the All-Big Ten First Team. That is an extremely tough achievement considering there are so many great players in the conference.
The job isn’t done for Illinois basketball superstar Keaton Wagler
These awards are a great honor for Wagler. He is still a teenager, but is racking up accolades like a seasoned veteran.
Wagler can continue adding hardware to the trophy case in the coming weeks, too. Illinois awaits either USC, Washington, or Wisconsin in the fourth round of the Big Ten Tournament. Win three games in a row, and we take home the Big Ten Tournament crown.
The legacy could continue building for Wagler, depending on the NCAA tournament run as well. Illinois has only made the Elite 8 one time since the national title run in 2005. Get to an Elite 8 or even a Final 4, and your legacy is cemented as one of the greatest players to ever come through the program.
There are still a ton of accolades Wagler can rack up. While he is getting some high praise, the job isn’t done yet.