When star freshman Keaton Wagler declared for the NBA Draft, it felt like Illinois was losing some of its spark, especially offensively. Pair that with losing Kylan Boswell, who at the time wasn't able to return to the Illini before the five-in-five rule was approved. However, just because Wagler and Boswell are gone doesn't mean Illinois doesn't have firepower anymore.
Five-star freshman Quentin Coleman is a few months away from beginning his college career in Champaign, and while fans would have loved to see him balling out with Wagler, now he will be looked at to fill his role. Well, maybe even more than his role.
Wagler was the floor general for Illinois, playing on the ball the majority of the time, but defensively, he struggled to get stops. Boswell, on the other hand, averaged over 30 minutes on the court for Illinois, played a huge part in Illinois' offense, and was known as the Illini's best defender, typically taking on the opposing team's No. 1 player.
Coleman is going to take on a huge role at Illinois, and it could be more of a mix of what Wagler and Boswell did for Illinois, which is huge for head coach Brad Underwood.
Five-star Quentin Coleman will probably be Illinois' fourth one-and-done freshman under Brad Underwood
For years, Brad Underwood didn't have any one-and-done freshmen, which isn't a bad thing. It was great to see good talent stick around, but one-and-done players can be seen as some of the best talent in the country, like BYU's AJ Dybantsa, who was the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, or Duke's Cooper Flagg, who went No. 1 overall in the 2025 NBA Draft.
In the last two seasons, Illinois has sent three one-and-done freshmen to the NBA. In 2025, it was Kasparas Jakucionis (No. 20 overall to the Miami Heat) and Will Riley (No. 21 overall to the Utah Jazz), and in 2026 it was Keaton Wagler, who went No. 5 overall to the L.A. Clippers.
Now, Underwood could be staring at his fourth talented freshman to go one-and-done in Quentin Coleman. Coming in as a five-star prospect in the Class of 2026, Coleman brings the look and size of Wagler but the talent of the former Illinois point guard and Kyle Boswell.
Coleman brings the scoring ability of Wagler, but the defensive prowess of Boswell on the other end of the court. With the speed he possesses, he can keep up with opponents as a defender in transition and will possibly be trusted to take on some of the top talent he faces defensively.
Losing both Wagler and Boswell was big for Illinois, but Coleman can help fill both roles, which could be why Underwood didn't spend much time bringing guys in through the transfer portal. With six incoming freshmen, including Coleman, Stefan Vaaks was the only pickup for Underwood.
Coleman is expected to play a lot of minutes for Illinois this season, and don't be surprised if he chooses to call it a career at the college level shortly after the season ends.
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