Illinois star Keaton Wagler declares for NBA draft

Illinois guard Keaton Wagler has declared for the NBA Draft, ProMondo Sports told Shams Charania and ESPN’s Jeremy Woo. The freshman standout leaves after leading the Illini to a 28–9 record and their first Final Four since 2005. In thirty‑seven games, he averaged 17.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.2 assists, shooting 44.5 percent overall and 39.7 percent from deep.

The Shawnee, Kansas native swept major honors: he won the Jerry West Award as the nation’s top shooting guard, earned Second Team All‑American recognition, and was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year while making the conference’s First Team. His signature performance came on 24 January, when he scored forty‑six points against Purdue — an Illinois freshman record and the highest total ever by a visiting player at Mackey Arena.