Illinois Freshman Keaton Wagler Stacking Up National Accolades

Following the Fighting Illini’s eye-opening upset of the 4th-ranked (now 11th) Purdue Boilermakers, star freshman Keaton Wagler continues to pile up notable national recognition coming off a historic, record-breaking performance.

Wagler’s 46-point masterclass smashed the Illinois freshman single-game scoring record, previously held by Giorgi Bezhanishvili with 35 points vs Rutgers back in 2019, and boosted the Illini to arguably their best single win of the Brad Underwood era thus far. Without his absolute heater, it’s highly doubtful that Illinois would have been able to keep this one close, let alone sneak out of West Lafayette (IN) with a program victory – especially with Kylan Boswell and Ty Rodgers on the bench.

That said, this eye-opening performance has caught the attention of the national college basketball scene. Additionally, Wagler continues to fly up NBA mock draft boards, well into the first round. To noones surprise, Wagler has earned himself a strong handful of national accolades, following the big win.

Some Notable Accolades for Keaton Wagler

Big Ten Player of the Week & Freshman of the Week.

Naismith Trophy Player of the Week.

Associated Press National Player of the Week.

March Madness Player of the Week.

Field of 68 Player of the Week,

Dick Vitale’s “Diaper Dandy of the Week.”

Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week.

Lute Olson Award National Player of the Week.

Keaton W46ler

After his historic performance against No. 4 Purdue, Keaton tallied 8 national accolades. pic.twitter.com/lkGlfFHdfb

— Illinois Men’s Basketball (@IlliniMBB) January 28, 2026