Keaton Wagler isn't letting the lights get too bright in Summer League

The NBA is a different level of pressure than college basketball, and Keaton Wagler needs to remember that. Right now, the former Illinois star is getting used to the next level, or at least a version of it at the NBA Summer League.

The Summer League is a time for newly drafted rookies and young players on two-way contracts or still working to find playing time in the NBA to show off their skills. It isn't the best of the best, as players like LeBron James, Steph Curry, Cooper Flagg, and other big names aren't playing. However, it is a great experience for these young guys as they prepare to start their new professional careers.

For Wagler, he isn't letting the pressure get to him, though. Actually, Wagler believes the pressure isn't too different from what he felt in college, which makes sense for a freshman who was tasked with leading his team to the Final Four.

"I think it's [pressure] kind of just the same, especially towards the end of the season last year, there was a lot of pressure on me just to perform well and do kind of what I did all last year," Wagler said. "I usually don't let the pressure get to me. I just try to...play freely and just do what I do."

Pressure isn't something Keaton Wagler is a stranger to on the basketball court

Some may wonder how Wagler is good at dealing with pressure. He was a three-star recruit out of high school and didn't have the expectations of a five-star recruit. That seems like the least pressured situation to be in, right? Wrong.

Sure, when he first started playing at Illinois, there wasn't any pressure, but then Wagler started to pick up steam. He was suddenly a top player in a freshman class that was littered with talent. Then Wagler won Big Ten Freshman of the Year and led a quietly deadly Illinois team. The Illini had a bid to the NCAA Tournament, and the lights were on Wagler.

Wagler ended up leading his team to the Final Four, and in that matchup against UConn, it felt like all eyes were on what Wagler would do to get his team ot the title game. Ultimately, Illinois fell nine points short of the Huskies, ending Wagler's career with the Illini.

Now, in the NBA, Wagler comes to the Clippers as a No. 5 overall pick, and the pressure will grow, but it is clear that he isn't going to let it affect him. While the pressure may not seem greater now in the NBA Summer League, it will grow when the regular season hits, and even more if he can help lead the Clippers to the postseason.

Wagler hasn't shown signs of letting the pressure get to him yet in his young career, and he isn't planning on letting it happen anytime soon. The lights don't ever feel too bright for Wagler, and here's hoping it stays that way.

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