No. 11 Illinois (17-3, 8-1) stunned No. 4 Purdue (17-3, 7-2) at Mackey Arena on Saturday, leaving the building with an 88-82 victory. The win was the Illini’s ninth straight and came thanks to a historic outing from freshman guard Keaton Wagler.
Wagler scored 46 points, including a school-record nine 3-pointers, to keep Illinois undefeated on the road in Big Ten play. Wagler’s outburst set several records, including the new Illini freshman single-game scoring mark and tying for the second-most points in a game in program history. He also scored the most points in a road win over a top-10 opponent in AP Poll history.
“I thought Keaton was like nothing I’ve seen in my 39 years (of being a coach),” said Illinois head coach Brad Underwood.
Mackey doesn’t faze Wagler on historic night
The deafening sound of the Mackey Arena crowd did not intimidate Wagler one bit on Saturday. Despite the freezing cold weather, Wagler was hot from outside, scoring 24 first-half points on 6-for-8 shooting from three.
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“When he got to 24 (points) in the first half, I was like, ‘S—, this motherf—– … he’s making everything,’” said junior wing Jake Davis. “We got to keep getting him the ball.”
Wagler did not slow down after halftime. He poured in 22 more points in the second half, including three more treys. He ended the night with 46 points on 9 for 11 shooting from three and 11 for 13 from the free-throw line, putting on one of the most impressive scoring performances ever in college basketball.
“It’s a crazy thing that I really never thought that I would do, but I just let the game come to me,” Wagler said. “It was my night tonight, and I think my teammates knew that too, so they were trying to find me the ball and let me just go to work.”
Purdue kept switching its bigs, mainly senior center Oscar Cluff, onto Wagler, and he took full advantage of the mismatches. The freshman was able to blow by those taller, slower defenders or put them on skates and hit step-back threes. It was a one-on-one show, and Wagler got into a rhythm that couldn’t be disrupted.
“The switches really opened a lot of space, especially with our bigs being able to shoot it as well as they can,” Wagler said. “It just allowed me to have a lot of space to try to create. First bucket just getting to the basket, and they started playing off, just knocking down shots. And that’s really what led to (3-point opportunities).”
Wagler’s night was one that will be immortalized in the record books. He tied Andy Kaufmann for the second-most points in a game by any Illini, and he blew Giorgi Bezhanishvili’s freshman single-game scoring record of 35 out of the water. Add in the fact that no other visiting player had ever scored that much at Mackey Arena, one of the toughest environments in college basketball, and it makes Wagler’s outing even more impressive.
“(Wagler) can create for himself and also create for others, and he’s probably a lottery pick,” said Purdue senior guard Braden Smith. “We went in the game knowing he’s capable of doing that. He had a good game and made a lot of shots. And obviously we didn’t do very good on him, and it got away from us.”
Offensive boards once again a difference maker
Because Purdue’s switches often left its big men on the perimeter, it gave Illinois an advantage when it came to cleaning up its own misses. There was a size mismatch down low, and the Illini capitalized on it.
“We told those guys, our centers our power forwards, ‘If you’re on the perimeter and the shot goes, you got to go get the basketball,’” said Purdue head coach Matt Painter. “Because if you stay and hold a box out at 18 feet, and (the ball) is around the rim, those guys are in a bad spot because those guys are in a bad spot because they’re playing post defense. It’s the downside of when you switch.”
The Illini grabbed 13 offensive rebounds, including three from freshman forward David Mirković and four from junior center Tomislav Ivišić. In comparison, the Boilermakers only had three, and the differential really paid off for the Illini. Those offensive boards turned into 18 second-chance points, which was key because it countered Purdue’s 20 points scored off 10 Illinois turnovers.
Offensive rebounding has been Underwood’s mantra all season long, and it has really paid off for the Illini in big games this season. Illinois has been the best offensive rebounding team in the Big Ten this year, and it’s given them an identity to rely upon and a way to win when their shots don’t fall. However, when the Illini are able to do both–make most of their shots and capitalize on the missed ones–they are extremely tough to stop.
“Even though (Wagler) gets 46 points, (offensive rebounding)’s the game,” Painter said. “If you look at our stats, you shoot 57% from the field, you shoot 37% from three, you shoot 82% from the line, you turn the ball over three times. That’s a win. But all of a sudden you go and say you got outrebounded by 14, and there lies the difference. I still believe their ability to rebound was the difference in the game.”
Purdue makes things tough for 40 minutes
While the Boilermakers could not contain Wagler on the perimeter, the Illini had their own struggles on the defensive end, especially early. Purdue had 26 first-half points in the paint, and they shot 14 for 19 inside the 3-point line. The Boilermakers got to their spots and were efficient, mainly because of their variety of offensive threats.
Smith and Trey Kaufman-Renn each had 8 points in the first half and only missed one shot altogether. Freshman center Daniel Jacobsen was also tough to stop for Illinois early. With his 7-foot-4 frame, he was a force in the paint on his own, but the Illini would also often have a second defender sagging to help deny Jacobsen. That help defense created opportunities for the Boilermakers’ to find the open man for easier shots.
When Illinois came out hot after halftime, Smith took it upon himself to try and match Wagler’s energy. Smith put Purdue on his back, scoring 19 points on 7 for 12 shooting in the final 20 minutes. He also made plays for his teammates, dishing out five assists.
After a breakout defensive performance earlier in the week, junior wing Andrej Stojaković had a lot of trouble containing Smith. The All-American showed exactly why he’s one of the most feared guards in the country, but Wagler and the Illini stayed poised.
Big-time shots in big-time moments
Wagler played 39 minutes and looked a bit tired in the last few minutes of the game. Although he still made important plays in crunch time, the Illini’s supporting cast stepped up and hit some daggers at the perfect time.
With under four minutes to go, the Illini could not miss from beyond the arc. Ivišić hit one, followed by a Davis triple a minute later off a Wagler assist. Moments later, Davis found Mirković for a three, which Ivišic followed up with a second trey soon after.
“It just shows how willing they are to let me go off really but then being able to step up and knock down shots, shoot it with confidence still late in the game,” Wagler said. “Just making big-time shots in big-time moments.”
Illinois finished the game on a 19-9 run and did not miss a shot in the last four minutes. The Boilermakers didn’t go away on their own, but the Illini strong-armed the home team, knocking them down in front of a sold-out crowd.
“We have a lot of threats, weapons on our team, and we just waited for the moment to get those shots,” Mirković said.
Wagler had 4 points of his own in the final four-minute stretch of the game, but his two assists stood out more. Wagler is not a guy who shows much emotion at all, and it translates to his play on the court. He’s not worried about being flashy or getting his moment. He wants to win, and that maturity at such a young age is something that you don’t see very often in college basketball.
“The great thing about Keaton for somebody 18 or 19 years old is his decision making,” Underwood said. “He has the ability to always make the right one. It speaks volumes. He had 46, could’ve been a selfish pig and said, ‘I want 50.’ Whatever. He doesn’t. The game just flows to him, and he’s going to make the right basketball play almost every time.”
National championship aspirations
Saturday’s win showed just how good the Illini can be, even with one of their top players being injured.
“The ceiling is national championship,” Wagler said. “That’s our goal, that’s been our goal since the beginning. This just proves that we’re a contender for that.”
With a defense that has looked better and better over the last month, as well as the best offense in the nation, things are looking bright for the Illini. The closest Illinois has gotten in the Underwood era to a national title is the Elite Eight in 2024. If this team keeps its current pace, there is a good chance that it will make a deep run in March once again.
“We’re good, and we have been,” Underwood said. “We haven’t got there yet. Just got to keep knocking on the door. (National championship) is always the goal.”
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