Illinois Year in Review Male Athlete of the Year Keaton Wagler
- Story byThe News-Gazette, Champaign-Urbana, Ill.
- Illinois Year in Review Male Athlete of the Year Keaton Wagler
Jul. 18—CHAMPAIGN — Keaton Wagler arrived on campus at Illinois 13 months ago with modest expectations.
Wagler knew he was doubted. Knew plenty outside the program expected him to redshirt his freshman season. Carving out a role, finding a way onto the court, on an otherwise veteran team was the goal.
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Those modest expectations evaporated not long after Illinois' summer workouts began. The way the 6-foot-6 guard handled himself in those first two months changed the entire tenor of his freshman season.
Ten months after showing up in Champaign a skinny 18-year-old, Wagler put the finishing touches on the best single season for an Illinois freshman in program history. Two months after that he heard his name called as the fifth overall pick in the 2026 NBA draft. Soon he'll find his way back to Champaign to see his No. 23 jersey raised to the State Farm Center rafters.
That's quite the journey from under-the-radar recruit to one-and-done star and the 2026 News-Gazette Illinois Male Athlete of the Year.
"I think the biggest thing that got me here was just the hard work that I put in, getting the trust from my teammates and coaches, proving myself throughout the whole year and showing everyone just how good of a player I am," Wagler said. "Being able to go in there and do what I did is remarkable, and having my jersey hung in the rafters is going to be super crazy.
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"I've dreamed of having my jersey hung in an arena before, and it actually happening is awesome. I think I left a good mark there, not just on the basketball, but as a person."
Wagler is the fourth Illinois men's basketball player to claim athlete of the year honors during Brad Underwood's tenure as coach. Ayo Dosunmu went back-to-back in 2020 and 2021, Kofi Cockburn made it three in a row as the 2022 winner and Terrence Shannon Jr. won in 2024.
Wagler has kept the trend going in several ways. Dosunmu, Cockburn and Shannon were also All-Americans. Their jersey numbers — No. 0 for Shannon, No. 11 for Dosunmu and No. 21 for Cockburn — already hang in the State Farm Center rafters. Wagler is also following Dosunmu and Shannon to the NBA where they're Minnesota Timberwolves teammates.
"There's nothing better than watching a young person reach his dreams and goals," Underwood said after Wagler was selected by the Los Angeles Clippers. "Obviously, Keaton's story has been well documented. Here's a young man that comes out of nowhere and is the fifth pick in the draft.
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"Just to be a part of that was pretty special as a coach and very fulfilling. It's almost a surreal experience for everybody, and yet you know how good he is. This young man is in for an incredible NBA career if he can stay healthy."
Wagler's list of accomplishments during Illinois' 28-9 Final Four season is lengthy.Big Ten Freshman of the Year. All-Big Ten First Team. Jerry West Award winner (even though he was actually the Illini point guard). Consensus Second Team All-American. NCAA tournament South Region Most Outstanding Player.
That's a career's worth of honors packed into a single season. Accomplishments Wagler and his family thought were possible. Maybe just not so quickly.
"We know how hard it is to have a team come together like that and gel and have success," said Logan Wagler, Keaton's dad. "Those don't come along all that often — those situations. We're so thankful Keaton was able to go there and be a part of it."
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"It was just such a special and magical year for us," added Jennifer Wagler, Keaton's mom. "We just love that team, their connectivity. Those are the things that mean a lot to me as a mom to see he's around a great group of kids and coaches and how he was just able to thrive because of the support there. It was just so fun, their whole journey."
