After going off in his freshman season, something that was not on anyone's bingo card in the 2025-2026 college basketball season, it was no surprise that Illinois' Keaton Wagler declared for the 2026 NBA Draft. Fans would have loved seeing what Wagler could have done in another season at Illinois, but now he gets to carve up NBA defenses with the Clippers.
The painful "what could have been" thoughts, though, still arise when it comes to Wagler, especially when seeing clips of him and five-star freshman Quentin Coleman on the court together.
Over the weekend, Illinois basketball alums Wagler and Kylan Boswell found their way back on campus, working out with the team, and even getting some scrimmaging in. Illinois strength and conditioning coach Adam Fletcher posted about the two stars' return, and in some other videos posted on social media, it looks like Wagler and Coleman teamed up on the court.
Wagler reverted to his Illinois days by handling the ball, handing out assists like candy, and getting Coleman the ball on what ended up being a huge drive and dunk. The power and movement from the freshman was a sight to see, but it was also a great read from Wagler.
#Illini freshman Quentin Coleman throws it down at the ARC pic.twitter.com/1useIFiPPJ
— Sahil Mittal (@sahil_mittal24) August 30, 2026
Quenton Coleman and Keaton Wagler would have been a cheat code at Illinois
While Wagler can't be blamed for heading to the NBA when his stock was so high after winning Big Ten Freshman of the Year and leading the Illini to the Final Four, it's hard not to think about how good this Illinois team could have been with Wagler and Coleman on the court together.
While Coleman is viewed as the Wagler replacement for Illinois this season, coming in as a five-star freshman, the two of them on the court together could have made this team unstoppable. Coleman could have been the guy to open things up for Wagler instead of drawing constant attention himself.
Then you go and think about how it would help vets like Andrej Stojakovic and David Mirkovic, and Stefan Vaaks, whom head coach Brad Underwood picked up in the transfer portal. Illinois could have been the biggest contender to win it all next season, but instead Wagler is in the NBA, and Coleman now has to find a way to help relieve the scoring deficit he left behind.
Coleman isn't working alone, though; Stojakovic was a huge retention for Illinois, along with Mirkovic. While Mirkovic is still recovering from foot surgery that took place at the end of July, he is expected to be back before the season begins and to break out after a stellar freshman season. Then, adding Vaaks into the mix, and we can't forget about Tomislav Ivisic, this team still looks scary.
Wagler was a big loss for Illinois, but with Coleman coming in and the retention Underwood had, this Illinois team is still a big contender and expected to make a return to the Final Four in back-to-back seasons.
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