Illinois basketball added a big piece to the family on Wednesday night with the addition of Keaton Wagler.
Wagler had plenty of scholarship offers and even visited multiple campuses, but the Illini were able to win him over with a great recruitment and closing ability.
With the addition of Wagler, the Illini backcourt just got much stronger for the 2025-26 season. Even though the transfer portal can send rosters into chaos, I wanted to look at what we could see hit the floor two seasons from now. Side note, I left two players off the projected lineup due to them being projected picks in the 2025 NBA Draft.
Starter: Ty Rodgers (SR)
If Ty Rodgers is still around for the 2025-26 campaign, I think he is going to start at the No. 1 guard spot based on the roster construct. Illinois won’t have a ton of guard depth, so an experienced player like Rodgers would be perfect.
While he doesn’t have the traditional point guard abilities fully mastered, I think Rodgers could take a step forward this upcoming season. His development in this role will go a long way in not only winning games in the future but also his future professional prospects. Having Rodgers at the No. 1 guard spot in 2025-26 would be best for the program.
Backup: Keaton Wagler (FR)
Brad Underwood was able to land a big commitment on Wednesday when Keaton Wagler pledged to the program. He is someone who can do a little bit of everything for the Illini in the backcourt.
This past season with his Shawnee Mission Northwest High School program, Wagler averaged 12.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. Those are good numbers, but they aren’t what sticks out the most. The fact he hit 49.5% from three-point range really stands out. Wagler can handle the ball and shoot well. He is going to be a menace against opposing teams.
