This kid is good.
The freshman is already a star.
We all heard the pre-season talk about Keaton Wagler. And, if you have followed the Illini basketball team the past 5-10 years, you know head coach Brad Underwood loves to hype his players — especially newcomers. And while it’s often nice to hear how certain players look in practice, he throws the word elite around too much to know when it’s a legitimate statement or not.
With that being said, he was not exaggerating one bit when he sang Keaton Wagler’s praises preseason. The fact that one of our upperclassmen leaders was speaking even more highly of Keaton Wagler than Brad Underwood was really seemed to be a solid sign all of this hype may be warranted.
Through 12 games, he has lived up to that hype and then some. He is the Illini’s leading scorer while shooting 46% from the field and a red-hot 43% from three-point land. Not only has the scoring been pretty efficient for a guard, he barely averages over 1 turnover per game. That is very impressive for a freshman that handles the ball as much as he does, and is a big reason Mihailo Petrovic has not been able to crack the rotation. If he keeps this up, there is almost no chance he will return for even a second season.
With all of that being said, conference season is a different animal compared to non conference. Especially in the Big Ten. He will be near the top of every opponent’s scouting list this season, and time will tell how he consistently handles that. But regardless of how conference play goes for him, he has exceeded just about everyone’s expectations through a dozen games.
Category: General Sports
