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Win over Houston puts two Illinois basketball stars in rarified air

Illinois basketball had an incredible night, and two of our stars did something no other duo has accomplished
ByRees Woodcock|
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Feb 21, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Illinois players Keaton Wagler (23), Andrej Stojakovic (2), David Mirkovic (0), Zvonimir Ivisic (44) and IBen Humrichous (3) during the 2nd half against the UCLA Bruins at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images
Feb 21, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Illinois players Keaton Wagler (23), Andrej Stojakovic (2), David Mirkovic (0), Zvonimir Ivisic (44) and IBen Humrichous (3) during the 2nd half against the UCLA Bruins at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images | Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

The win over Houston isn’t going to wear off for a while, as the Illinois basketball team is back in the Elite 8.

It was a huge win on Thursday night, as the Illini held off a fight from a tough Houston program. While the Cougars put up a battle, it was Illinois who had the better players. This team is so resilient, and usually, the programs that get this deep in the NCAA tournament have veterans who are guiding the team.

That isn’t the case with Illinois. All season long, the talk has been about Keaton Wagler and his great play. That is why he is an All-American. But the star freshman needs to move over a little bit and let David Mirkovic get some of the shine.

Wagler ended up logging 13 points, 12 rebounds, three assists, two blocks, and one steal in 38 minutes of action against Houston. Mirkovic was going toe-to-toe with Wagler, finishing with 14 points, 10 rebounds, two assists, and one block in 34 minutes of action.

After the Illinois win, it was ESPN Insights posted on social media that this was a rare feat. Since 1972-73, when freshmen became eligible to play, it is the first time two freshmen on the same team had a double-double in the same NCAA tournament game.

Let that soak in for a second. Wagler and Mirkovic each had a double-double against Houston. First time ever. There have been so many stacked Kentucky, Duke, and North Carolina teams with freshmen up and down the rosters. Not one of those programs has had two freshmen go for a double-double in the same NCAA tournament game.

I think you have to start putting Keaton Wagler and David Mirkovic in the discussion for Illinois basketball all-time greats

What both Wagler and Mirkovic have done for the entire season has been special. Wagler has averaged 17.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 4.4 assists while shooting 40.8% from three-point range. Meanwhile, Mirkovic, as a 6-foot-9 forward, is averaging 13.6 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 2.7 assists while shooting 38.0% from three-point range.

Illinois has had plenty of injuries this season, too. Kylan Boswell was out for a month. Andrej Stojakovic missed time. Tomislav Ivisic missed a few games. On top of that, the big signing from overseas, Mihailo Petrovic, didn’t pan out.

Coming into the season, the game plan wasn’t to rely on two freshmen to lead Illinois deep into the NCAA tournament. Wagler and Mirkovic were both thrown to the wolves and responded incredibly well.

When the weight of a team is thrust onto the shoulders of veteran players, it is sometimes too much for them to handle. With Wagler and Mirkovic, the weight of the Illinois basketball program and fanbase was tossed on them. Instead of crumbling, they lifted us to heights we have rarely seen.

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