ESPN’s Jay Bilas Credits Illinois Staff for Keaton Wagler, Makes Bold NBA Comparison

As Brad Underwood and the Fighting Illini continue their remarkable run to the Final Four following Saturday’s (3/28) 71-59 Elite Eight win over Ben McCollum’s Iowa Hawkeyes, there has been growing reflection on how this group has, for the first time since March of 2005, positioned itself for a legitimate national title push in Indianapolis. The 3-seed Illini enters Indianapolis with momentum, currently as 2.5-point favorites over UConn, thanks in large part to the most unexpected breakout star in the country in freshman guard Keaton Wagler.

The athletic 6-foot-6 playmaker has been an unexpected surprise for Illinois. As Underwood’s crew began to settle into their identity, Wagler emerged as a key producer and playmaker on this deep, talented, Illini roster – all as a massively underrecruited true freshman. In fact, Wagler only held two high-major offers, being Illinois and Minnesota. Regardless, the Shawnee, Kansas native has burst onto the scene as a star in Champaign (IL).

Wagler is currently averaging 17.9 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game while shooting 44.5% from the field and 40.7% from deep. To date, he’s shooting 79.6% from the free-throw line, and has piled up 643 total points, highlighted by a record-breaking 46-point stunner in West Lafayette against Matt Painter and the eventual Big Ten Tournament Champion Purdue Boilermakers.

During tournament coverage, ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Bilas dove into Wagler’s rapid emergence while also crediting Tyler Underwood and the Illinois staff for identifying and developing this star, before the rest of the country caught on. What did Bilas have to say as the Illini enter the weekend of the Final Four?

ESPN’s Jay Bilas on Keaton Wagler

“Keaton Wagler has been the revelation of the season,” Bilas stated on the Rich Eisen Show. “Like, I had never heard of him in high school. He grew up in Shawnee Mission, Kansas… and actually, Brad’s son Tyler (Underwood) – who’s on his staff – is the one who found him. If I know the story right, I think Tyler was scouting another player and saw him and thought, man… this guy’s really good.”

Bilas continued by crediting the staff’s role in Wagler’s discovery and emergence. “So the MVP of the staff is not Brad Underwood, it’s Tyler.  Because Keaton Wagler… I think he’s Tyrese Haliburton. I think that’s how good he is.”

The comparison to the Indiana Pacers’ All-NBA guard is a massive testament to Keaton’s elite vision (especially for a true freshman), high-level playmaking, and consistent efficiency. For coach Brad Underwood’s staff (Particularly Tyler), it’s a huge credit to not only their ability to identify talent, but also the depth of talent within his coaching staff.

Illinois Basketball. Keaton Wagler. No. 23. Photo Credit: Brent Zickmann. University of Illinois. Armchair Illini. (@brentyvfx).

Can Wagler Lead the Illini to the National Championship?

Illinois now turns its attention to a 5:09 p.m. (CST) rematch with Dan Hurley’s No. 2-seeded UConn Huskies in Indy. The Huskies won the first meeting back in November at the United Center in Chicago, a 74–61 loss, which came during a very different stretch of the season for both programs. Illinois, like any team in the first month of the season, was still settling into its identity, with Keaton Wagler logging just 14 minutes as the rotation took shape. Players like Mihailo Petrovic (18 minutes) and Brandon Lee (11 minutes) saw extended early-season runs as roles across the roster took shape.

Now, none of that carries over. Both teams have transformed since November, and it feels like a clean slate, with a Final Four berth hanging in the balance. Can Keaton Wagler, the underrecruited baller from Eastern Kansas, lead the Illini to their first national title game in over two decades? Will Illinois be the first Big Ten team in 26 seasons to be crowned champion? (Last: Michigan State, 2000).

.@JayBilas compares Illinois’ Keaton Wagler to Tyrese Haliburton 🔥

(via @RichEisenShow) pic.twitter.com/ZWYX6rtzyJ

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 30, 2026

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