On Tuesday, the Big Ten conference announced that Illinois freshman guard Keaton Wagler was named the 2026 Big Ten Freshman of the Year. Wagler is the first Illini since Kofi Cockburn in 2020 to receive the honor and only the fifth Illinois player to win the award since it was introduced in 1986. The award made Wagler a shoo-in for the Big Ten All-Freshman Team – he was a unanimous selection.

Besides his two freshman-specific honors, Wagler was also named to the All-Big Ten First Team alongside Iowa senior guard Bennett Stirtz, Michigan graduate student forward Yaxel Lendeborg, Michigan State redshirt sophomore guard Jeremy Fears Jr., Nebraska junior forward Pryce Sandfort and Purdue senior guard Braden Smith.

Wagler has had a spectacular freshman season that was relatively unexpected, at least from those outside of the Illinois program. An unheralded recruit, Wagler only received two high-major offers coming out of high school, where he was a back-to-back state champion and knockdown shooter. Head coach Brad Underwood and his son, assistant coach Tyler Underwood, were ecstatic to sign him. They saw the poise, maturity and decision-making that was beyond what most 18-year-olds had, and those qualities shocked the college basketball world this season.

“The first time I ever talked to (Brad), I was on the way to a mid-major visit, and he called me,” Wagler said. “And the first time I talked to him, he gave me an offer. …He was just saying that he saw some film of me. His son, Tyler Underwood, really liked me. And, you know, he said he was going to offer me. And it was funny because right when he said that, I lost connection with him. So I was like, ‘Oh, my God, did this really happen?’”

Some early-season injuries allowed Wagler to begin the year in the starting lineup, and he quickly showed everyone that he was there to stay after an 18-point debut. Wagler started all 31 regular-season games this year and averaged 17.9 points on 44.7% shooting, including a blistering hot 41% from three. He also added 4.9 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game while only turning the ball over 1.7 times each outing, showcasing his ability to impact the game efficiently in multiple ways.

A historic 46-point performance at Mackey Arena thrust Wagler even more into the national spotlight. He couldn’t miss, hitting a school-record 9 of 11 3-pointers, which led Illinois, without senior guard Kylan Boswell, to an upset win over then-No. 4 Purdue. Wagler’s 46 points tied for second-most in Illini history, were the most points ever by a visiting player at Mackey Arena and set a new Illini freshman single-game scoring record, blowing the previous mark of 35 out of the water.

“I just remember Kylan Boswell was out that game, so I knew I had to just go in there with a different mindset of having more of a scores mentality,” Wagler said. “But then also just playing free, playing with no pressure that game.”

Despite the attention that one game commanded, Wagler was a force all year, scoring in double figures in 28 of 31 games. Wagler’s consistent output led him to break the freshman single-season scoring record, finishing the regular season with 554 points – and he still has a full postseason to go.

Besides Wagler, the other contender for the award was Washington freshman forward Hannes Steinbach, who averaged 18.6 points and 11.6 rebounds. However, Wagler’s unlikely emergence as the best player on a stacked Illinois roster, combined with the Illini’s stronger record and his six Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors to Steinbach’s four, made Wagler the clear frontrunner. Both players are projected first-round picks in this year’s NBA Draft, but Wagler is widely expected to go higher – very likely in the top-10.

“I knew how good of a player I was, and I knew that if I got put on any stage, I could go out there and perform to the best ability, and I think that’s what I did this year,” Wagler said. “Just showed everyone what I’m capable of.”

Wagler was not the only Illini honored in Tuesday’s Big Ten award announcement. Fellow freshman, forward David Mirković, was also named to the All-Big Ten Freshman team after putting up 13.2 points and 7.8 rebounds in his first year of college hoops. Additionally, Boswell was named to the All-Big Ten Defensive Team.

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