Keaton Wagler has achieved consensus Second Team All-American status after being named to all four voting organizations’ Second Team lists: the Sporting News, Associated Press, US Basketball Writers Association and National Association of Basketball Coaches.
Wagler will have his jersey raised to the rafters of State Farm Center after achieving this feat, becoming the fourth player in the Underwood-era to enter Illinois’ honored jerseys program. He will be the 37th ever men’s player to leave his legacy hanging over the Illini’s home court.
“It means the world to me,” Wagler said. “Growing up, you always dream of these things like having your jersey hung up in rafters. It’s really awesome to have it done as a freshman too. It’s a big shout-out to my teammates and coaches for letting me go out there, trusting me to play my game and have fun.”
Wagler will join consensus First Team All-American Ayo Dosunmu, consensus Second Team All-American Kofi Cockburn and Illinois single-season scoring record holder Terrence Shannon Jr. as the only players in the last 20 years to be immortalized in the rafters. After committing to Illinois as an unheralded recruit, Wagler went on to have one of the best freshman seasons in Illinois history. He’s averaged 17.9 points, 4.4 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game while shooting 40.2% from three.
“I think it’s really special,” said head coach Brad Underwood. “I think it just shows how little scouting services know, but I think it’s also a tribute to him and his poise … I watched Kofi play in a high school game where he had 2 points, and I watched Keaton play in a high school game where he had 2 points, and they became All-Americans in college. It’s not all about scoring points. It’s all the intangible things they become and the hard work.”
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Wagler was thrust into the starting lineup in the first game of the year after some preseason injuries, and he never looked back. After a few weeks playing off the ball, Wagler became Illinois’ primary ball handler and has turned himself into a top-10 projected pick in this June’s NBA Draft. Wagler scored in double figures in 29 of 32 games this season. All three of those single-digit performances occurred back in November.
The consistency Wagler has played with has almost created a numbness to how good he is night-to-night. A historic and record-setting 46-point outing at Mackey Arena has made some of his 20-point games seem like not a big deal, even when they are still extremely impressive. Wagler’s rise to prominence resulted in him receiving the 2026 Big Ten Freshman of the Year award and All-Big Ten First Team honors earlier this month. Now, he’s a consensus All-American.
“Keaton’s worked very, very hard, and it’s fun when teams have success, some individual success can happen along with that,” Underwood said. “As his coach, I’m proud of him. I know how he’s raised and what he stands for as a competitor, and I have great appreciation for that.”
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