Freshman guard Keaton Wagler is already rewriting expectations for the Illinois Fighting Illini. His breakout night at Mackey Arena powered an impressive 88-82 road win over Purdue, a result few saw coming. Wagler poured in a staggering 46 points, the highest single-game total by any player this season. So when the youngster was asked to reminisce about his season by basketball analyst John Goodman, the player highlighted how it feels to be there.

‘This season for me, I think it has been a lot of fun just being able to grow my game and get better throughout the season. Just being able to come in and work every day, get better, and create a great bond with my teammates,” said Keaton Wagler on the Field of 68 podcast, while also sharing how much of a’gamer’ his team is, who do not shrivel under stern competition.

“It just shows our toughness and our grit as a team, and it just shows how good of a team we are, and it just shows that we can contend with any team in the country,” Keaton Wagler added, putting his team ahead of his individual achievement.

Modesty apart, it cannot be denied that Wagler has unlocked another level in his game ever since senior guard Kylan Boswell has been sidelined with a hand fracture for a month, since the Penn Stage game on January 4th.

Keaton Wagler has embraced responsibility in Kylan Boswell’s absence, leading Illinois with steady scoring and composure. He was excellent against teams like 17 against Rutgers, 19 versus Iowa, 22 against Northwestern, and a stunning 46 at Purdue. Rather than letting the gap widen, Wagler has kept the Illini connected. Through it all, head coach Brad Underwood has remained measured, refusing to let emotion outweigh structure or belief.

Brad Underwood misses Kylan Boswell despite team success

Keaton Wagler might be overcompensating in Kylan Boswell’s absence, but that doesn’t in any manner take away what the champion, Illinois native, means to the team.

Boswell was in the midst of a potential All-Big Ten season when he broke his shooting hand in practice on Monday. He was averaging 14.3 points on 47.5 percent shooting, getting to the line for 4.3 free-throw attempts per game and shooting 81.8 percent on those shots, all career highs.

Meanwhile, his valuable rebounding, assist numbers, and defensive contributions were all at or around his usual levels. But then the setback came, and Brad Underwood fell short of a dependable player. As the rest of the Illini fans went into despair, Underwood was resolute in his belief.

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“We’ll figure the basketball out. What do we want to become, and what are the minor tweaks that we’re going to make that don’t throw us into a complete overhaul type mode?” he said, which was evident in the way the team played and how well they adjusted since his departure. The momentum is still active, and the team is getting stronger every day; nevertheless, the coach misses not having Boswell around.

“But still, I get a knot in my stomach for Kylan,” he lamented about one of his key players.

As of now, Brad Underwood and the team have no choice other than to accept the terms and conditions of the curveball that has been thrown their way. Keaton Wagler’s form must be providing Underwood a lot of comfort at the moment, but even then, having the full squad at their best on any given day makes the coach’s task a lot easier, more so when a player of Boswell’s caliber has to miss out important games.