Why Kylan Boswell will be an All-Big Ten Player in 2026

Kylan Boswell played two seasons at Arizona before transferring to Illinois for his junior year. Returning home to Champaign, Boswell sought a larger role than he had with the Wildcats and has supplanted himself as the leader of the team. Boswell posted career highs across the board, averaging 12.3 points and 4.8 rebounds per game while playing a career-high 31 minutes per contest. His numbers significantly improved from his time at Arizona, as he started every game but one last season. Heading into his senior year, Boswell has a lot on his plate, however, he should be one of the best guards in the Big Ten. He should put himself in a position to earn All-Big Ten honors.

Building on a strong end to the season

Through the last seven games of the 2024-2025 season, Boswell averaged 17.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game.  Additionally, he shot an efficient 56.0 percent from the field while averaging only 2 turnovers per game. He poured in 24 points against Iowa in the Big Ten Tournament and matched that with another 24-point performance against Kentucky in the NCAA Tournament. An area of improvement would be getting to the foul line. Kylan shot 25 total free throws in that game span, equating to just three free throw attempts per game.

Also, he shot a career-low 24.5% from beyond the arc, a notable drop from the 37.9% and 39% he posted during his first two seasons. That shooting slump may have cost him a spot on an All-Big Ten team.

Boswell clearly found his rhythm at the end of the season and is expected to build on that momentum. With improved three-point shooting, he has the potential to be one of the top guards in the entire Big Ten. The promise he showed as a five-star recruit in high school may fully materialize in his senior campaign.  Defensively, he will continue to be an anchor on the perimeter. He and Ty Rodgers bring a lot of intangibles, including toughness and leadership, to the table. 

It will be interesting to see Boswell alongside other older players such as Rodgers and Cal transfer, Andrej Stojakovic.

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