Keaton Wagler leads win over Houston with defense and rebounding

Keaton Wagler is a sure-fire lottery pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. The freshman from Shawnee, Kansas, earned second-team All-American honors at just 19 years old and is in the lottery of every reputable NBA Mock draft. However, ever since a historic performance in Mackey Arena in which he dropped 46 points, many have tried to find the weaknesses in Wagler’s game. Though it has been tough to find holes in Keaton’s game, many question his below-the-rim game and how it translates to the physicality of the NBA. Also, at 180 pounds, how can Wagler defend at an adequate level and contribute in other ways beyond shooting the basketball?

On Thursday night, against the Houston Cougars, Keaton Wagler answered all of those questions with an emphatic and dominant performance.

It wasn’t by scoring the basketball…

Keaton Wagler had an off-night shooting the basketball. He shot 4-14 from the field and 2-5 from the free-throw line, a shooting performance we rarely see from the freshman phenom. However, his dominant performance came in every other aspect of the game. At 180 lbs, Wagler had 12 rebounds, the most out of anyone who played in the game. Against one of the most physical teams in the country, it was Keaton Wagler who crashed the glass the entire game and went after defensive rebounds.

On top of that, Wagler was elite in individual defense and team defense. With Kylan Boswell battling foul trouble, Wagler played aggressively yet smartly against Kingston Flemings, who only had 11 points on 10 shots.

Every time Wagler is doubted, he steps up to the plate and knocks it out of the park. With that performance vs Houston, there should be no doubt that Keaton will be a star in the NBA sooner rather than later.

Not Keaton Wagler’s night shooting but boy he has been elite defensively and rebounding the basketball.

— Armchair Illinois (@ArmchairIllini) March 27, 2026

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