Two Illinois basketball stars appear in latest 2026 NBA Mock Draft

The Illinois basketball season has three regular season games and a handful of postseason games left. This sounds depressing, but in all reality, the Illini season could be over in just a few weeks. The 2026 NBA Draft is roughly four months away, which means at this point, Mock drafts are typically becoming more accurate of what will likely happen on draft night.

Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman released his February 25th Mock draft for the 2026 NBA draft and interestingly enough had two Illinois basketball players. Keaton Wagler and Kylan Boswell. One interesting note is that forwards David Mirkovic, Tomislav Ivisic, and Andrej Stojakovic were not included in this mock draft.

Keaton Wagler: 5th to the Washington Wizards

There is no secret that Keaton Wagler has likely guaranteed his spot in the 2026 draft lottery. Wagler averages 18.2 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.3 assists on 42% from the three point line. His efficiency, shot creation and feel for the game at just 19 years old makes him one of the most intriguing prospects in this year’s draft. Though teams have started to bother Wagler with physicality and have shined a light on Keaton’s below-average athleticism and explosiveness, Wagler is still putting up impressive numbers.

Unless he really starts to get some poor feedback from NBA executives, expect Keaton Wagler to be the Illini’s next “one-and-done” prospect.

Kylan Boswell: 46th to the San Antonio Spurs

Kylan Boswell is an intriguing prospect as a senior in college basketball who is actually younger than most of his counterparts at 20 years old. Wasserman noted that Boswell is not a strong shooter, but has shown impressive paint efficiency and decision making. Boswell is underrated as a passer and playmaker so he could get some looks from some teams ready to compete now.

With some marquee games coming up, including a showdown vs top-ranked Michigan, Boswell has the opportunity to really solidify his draft stock.

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