All articles tagged with #keaton wagler
Summer League showcased the 2026 rookie class with Dybantsa and Peterson flashing star-level upside, Boozer presenting NBA-ready versatility and a path to Rookie of the Year, Wilson showing major three-point improvement, Wagler delivering strong decision-making under pressure, and Burries delivering efficient two-way play, highlighting a high-ceiling class while reminding that summer league results are not definitive predictors.
The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie and John Hollinger grade and analyze the 2026 NBA Draft’s first five picks, highlighting AJ Dybantsa’s top-pick upside for Washington and evaluating the fits, strengths, and development questions for Darryn Peterson (Utah), Cameron Boozer (Memphis), Caleb Wilson (Chicago) and Keaton Wagler (LA).
NBA draft chatter centers on Caleb Wilson, whose elite athleticism and UNC season have him viewed as a potential No. 1–2 pick and a future star, with Wilson saying he'd be thrilled to join the Bulls at No. 4; Alabama guard Labaron Philon will work out for Minnesota (No. 28) as the Wolves consider moving up for a ball-handler; Keaton Wagler and Mikel Brown Jr. have canceled their visits with the Kings (No. 7) though Wagler may still visit Brooklyn (No. 6), which has already hosted Brown; and the Pelicans are rumored to be trying to leap into the lottery to address rebounding, rim protection, and three-point shooting, with Nate Ament among their targets.
With the 2026 NBA Draft a week away, CBS Sports' latest mock has Nate Ament slipping into Brooklyn at No. 6 while Keaton Wagler falls to No. 9 for Dallas; the top of the board remains unsettled between No. 1 contenders (Dybantsa vs. Darryn Peterson) in a loaded, drama-filled top 10.
ESPN analyst Seth Greenberg revealed his top five players for the 2026 Men’s March Madness, highlighting Cameron Boozer (Duke), Darius Acuff Jr. (Arkansas), AJ Dybantsa (BYU), Keaton Wagler (Illinois), and Darryn Peterson (Kansas) as potential game-changers with elite scoring, versatility and NBA upside, while noting questions about fit, health, and how well they’ll carry their teams through the tournament.
Keaton Wagler, a formerly underrecruited freshman for Illinois, exploded for 46 points to power No. 11 Illinois past No. 4 Purdue 88-82, delivering one of the most memorable freshman performances in recent college basketball.
Freshman Keaton Wagler scored a career-high 46 points (nine 3-pointers) to lift No. 11 Illinois to an 88-82 road win over No. 4 Purdue at Mackey Arena. Illinois hit 18-of-38 from 3 while Purdue was 7-of-19, and Wagler sealed the win with a late jumper and two free throws after Braden Smith trimmed the margin. Illinois improves to 17-3 (8-1 Big Ten); Purdue falls to 17-3 (7-2). Illinois played without reserve center Jason Jakstys, and guard Kyle Boswell was out for at least a month.
Illinois Fighting Illini earned a 75-69 road win over Iowa, with Keaton Wagler scoring 19 and Andrej Stojakovic and Kylan Boswell adding 17 each to fuel a 35-24 halftime lead that the Illini would ride to the finish. Iowa mounted a late rally, trimming a double-digit deficit but couldn’t overtake Illinois, which improves to 13-3 (4-1 Big Ten) while Iowa drops to 12-4 (2-3).