CHAMPAIGN — The way Kylan Boswell describes Keaton Wagler is vivid.
Not particularly safe to print in a family newspaper, but clearly the result of the impression the freshman Illinois men’s basketball guard left on his veteran teammate this summer.
Boswell got to experience Wagler’s ability on the court for the first time with a blank slate.
The Illinois senior didn’t know what to expect from the former Shawnee Mission Northwest (Kan.) standout.
Hadn’t watched any film on the 6-foot-6, 180-pound guard before he arrived on campus this summer. Was only somewhat aware of what the Gatorade and MaxPreps Player of the Year out of the Sunflower State had accomplished during his senior season with the Cougars.
“I didn’t expect anything of the freshmen,” Boswell said. “I always had this perception like, ‘Freshmen this, freshmen that,’ but they’re all really, really good. Keaton’s cold. He’s going to be one of our best players on this team. There’s not even a doubt in my mind.”
Not many doubts for Brad Underwood either.
While the Illinois coach said he had to be careful discussing Wagler since he still hasn’t suited up for a college basketball game, he immediately drew comparisons to three of the last four guards the Illini sent to the NBA.
That Wagler’s demeanor reminds him of Ayo Dosunmu. That his potential is just as high as Kasparas Jakucionis or Will Riley, with that duo notably becoming the first and second one-and-done first-round picks in program history in the 2025 NBA draft.
“Keaton’s in that class,” Underwood said. “He’s a great playmaker, but he’s a better decision maker. When you get below the free-throw line and you have to make decisions in tight quarters around a lot of size, that’s been very impressive to me.
“He’s an elite competitor. He’s very unassuming — very quiet and stoic and reminds me a little bit of Ayo when he was a freshman — but he’ll fight you. He’s been a great listener and a great learner, and, really, has been pretty impressive from that side of things day to day.”
Illinois didn’t have the luxury of easing Wagler into the program during summer workouts.
Mihailo Petrovic’s late August arrival from Serbia meant putting the ball in Wagler’s hands from day one in June and pitting him against Boswell every single moment the two were on the court.
Underwood called it a summer where Boswell made Wagler better. The Illinois freshman guard would tend to agree.
“I think him guarding me every day really helped me,” Wagler said. “His physicality is out of this world. Taking bumps from him every time you’re bringing the ball up and having to guard him, it’s really good for me to keep on getting better.”
It didn’t take long for Wagler to impress Boswell either.
“Straight off the rip when I saw him in the summer I knew he’d be an immediate impact for us,” Boswell said. “He’s really, really good. He puts a lot of time into the gym, as well, continuously working on his game. I think the biggest thing I’ve been appreciative of him is just trying to learn daily from us, from coach.”
Wagler said he feels like he’s proved he can play with anyone since he joined Illinois this summer.
He’s aware there are levels to the college game — and the Big Ten exists at the top of that scale — but he’s confident in his ability to hang with whomever’s in front of him.
Confidence that’s received a boost before Sunday’s exhibition game against Illinois State at State Farm Center because he’s felt more of the same from the coaching staff and his teammates.
“I think it’s just really good for my confidence just knowing that these coaches, they trust me, and my teammates, they trust me to come in here every day and do what I do, showcase my skill set and just help us keep on building a winning program,” Wagler said. “Honestly, for everyone, there’s always pressure when you’re playing at the college level. There’s going to be days you don’t play as well, but there will be days you play really well. It’s keeping a level head and knowing the people around you trust you to do what you do and they know what you can do. Trust the work you put in, and everything will be good.”
Wagler put himself in position to impress at Illinois during his final two seasons at Shawnee Mission Northwest. The Cougars’ undefeated 25-0 state championship season during the 2023-24 season was the first in school history, with Wagler leading the way by putting up 12.5 points, 5.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game. They added another state title last season with Wagner out front averaging 18.5 points as a 59/45/83 shooter to go with 6.7 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game.
It was a launching pad for the four-star guard ranked as the No. 150 overall prospect in the Class of 2025 by 247Sports. A ranking about to be blown apart if Wagler’s play on the court matches the exceedingly lofty expectations for his freshman season.
“It was always about finding his comfort zone — whether that was going to be on the ball, off the ball,” Underwood said. “We knew he’d played on it a decent amount. Surprised in his ability to handle some of that going against Kylan every single day. His decision making, it just continued to grow. … He gives us that luxury to still play on and off of it, but he’s pretty doggone good on it.”