{"id":797377,"date":"2026-05-15T04:30:14","date_gmt":"2026-05-15T04:30:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/797377\/"},"modified":"2026-05-15T04:30:14","modified_gmt":"2026-05-15T04:30:14","slug":"keaton-wagler-reflects-on-illinois-career-at-nba-draft-combine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/797377\/","title":{"rendered":"Keaton Wagler reflects on Illinois career at NBA Draft Combine"},"content":{"rendered":"

A year ago, the name Keaton Wagler<\/a> wasn\u2019t on any radar<\/a> other than Illinois<\/a>\u2019, and even then, many didn\u2019t think the incoming freshman would have a spot in head coach Brad Underwood\u2019s<\/a> rotation. But now, Wagler\u2019s name is cemented in Illini basketball history, and it will likely be called at Barclays Center<\/a> in a little over a month as a top-five pick<\/a> in the 2026 NBA Draft<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Wagler\u2019s emergence as the driving force behind the Illini\u2019s effective offensive scheme not only led the program to a Final Four appearance but also put Wagler on the map as an intriguing NBA prospect.\u00a0<\/p>\n

At the NBA Draft Combine on Wednesday, Wagler spoke about how his freshman season at Illinois helped him grow into a player who is ready for the next level. Although Underwood and his coaching staff had a roster full of talent at their disposal, they put their trust in Wagler as the number one offensive option early in the year. The freshman didn\u2019t disappoint as he made his mark by thriving in the role.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s definitely the best decision I\u2019ve made in my basketball career so far,\u201d Wagler said about choosing to play at Illinois. \u201cIt\u2019s awesome to see how well it worked out, seeing that most people thought that, you know, my first year I probably wouldn\u2019t even play, but just going in there to prove myself.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Wagler played with the ball in his hands more times than not, but that didn\u2019t mean he was the Illini\u2019s only option. Illinois\u2019 roster depth provided the team with many proven scorers, ending the year with five players<\/a> averaging double figures, including Wagler.\u00a0<\/p>\n

While Wagler took over in scoring when necessary, he proved he could play within the framework of the Illini offense by getting other players involved as a facilitator. That\u2019s a skill that will benefit him as he takes his talent to the professional level.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI think I\u2019m just super versatile,\u201d Wagler said. \u201cBeing able to play multiple positions, not just point guard or just shooting guard, but being able to play on or off the ball. Then, also being able to play with other really good players is a skill that I think I have. Knowing when it\u2019s my time and when it\u2019s someone else\u2019s time.\u201d<\/p>\n

At Illinois, Wagler also got to experience firsthand what it would be like for him to play among the skill sets of European players. This allowed Illinois\u2019 offense to mirror an NBA-style offense, which, according to Wagler, is predicated on spacing the floor and using high ball screens. With the NBA\u2019s influx<\/a> of European talent, Wagler has a leg up on other prospects.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think definitely the European guys in the NBA (are) more overseas players than there have been ever,\u201d Wagler said. \u201cSo just already knowing kind of like different cultures and how different people act and things like that has really prepared me, and the style of play we played with at Illinois. \u2026 Just having everyone on the floor who can shoot is what it\u2019s going to be like on an NBA team.\u201d<\/p>\n

In a draft class full of talented guards, these are just a few ways that Wagler sets himself apart from his counterparts. Wagler\u2019s versatility as a scorer is also another positive to add to the list.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In ball screen action, he makes the right decisions because of his high IQ and is effective in multiple ways, either finishing at the rim or knocking down deep threes. While being on the ball at Illinois, Wagler proved his ability to do this and can bring that talent to an NBA roster.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The one criticism surrounding Wagler while moving through this draft process, though, is his lack of strength and athleticism compared to others in his draft class. It was a critique that followed Wagler throughout the season, even among all the accolades he collected. However, Wagler isn\u2019t letting the outside commentary faze him and is working to overcome his weaknesses.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve heard it my whole life that I\u2019m not the most athletic, not the fastest,\u201d Wagler said. \u201cI think all last year, I showed that you don\u2019t have to be the most athletic to score the ball or be a really good player. \u2026 I just find different ways to use my body, even though I\u2019m not the strongest. Being the aggressor, using my change of pace and getting into the lane.\u201d<\/p>\n

Through his pre-draft preparation, Wagler has focused not only on putting on more weight but also on finding ways to become a better scorer around the rim against size. As a part of what Wagler dubbed \u201cthe best draft class that there\u2019s ever been,\u201d finding ways to differentiate himself among the crowd is important, and he\u2019s using his experience at Illinois to do that.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

@evy_york2<\/p>\n

[email\u00a0protected]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A year ago, the name Keaton Wagler wasn\u2019t on any radar other than Illinois\u2019, and even then, many…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":797378,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[40],"tags":[1260,62,67,132,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-797377","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nba","8":"tag-nba","9":"tag-sports","10":"tag-united-states","11":"tag-unitedstates","12":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/116576716471243885","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/797377","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=797377"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/797377\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/797378"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=797377"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=797377"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=797377"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}