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On September 18th, 2024, Illinois landed a commitment from a scrawny kid out of Shawnee, Kansas. Keaton Wagler was ranked 261st in the 2025 composite recruiting rankings. Illinois was the only major school involved in his recruitment. Plenty of good mid major programs and Minnesota heavily recruited Wagler, but when Illinois extended an offer, every other coaching staff across the country knew it was over. Nearly two years later, that commitment has become one of the most imp

The 2026 NBA Draft is nearly upon us, and the reality that Illinois is starting to send prospects every year is finally setting in. Since Meyers Leonard was selected in 2012 by the Portland Trailblazers, the NBA waited 9 extensive years to come knocking back on our doors. Ayo Dosunmu broke this drought when his hometown team, the Chicago Bulls, selected him with the 38th pick in the 2021 draft. However, it wasn't entirely a fairytale evening, as Ayo deserved to be picked in t

Since the addition of NIL into college basketball, the offseason has never been the same. The transfer portal has run rampant, and coaches across America are left scrambling around for roster acquisitions. Coaching staffs no longer have time to fixate and relax directly after the postseason. It is often the most stressful time in the sport. All things considered, the 2026 offseason for Illinois was calming. While there still may be a depth piece add from Europe later this sum

Before Bret Bielema's arrival, it was a rare sight to see Illinois players being chosen in the NFL Draft. Between 2014 and 2020, Illinois had very few players with the talent to be drafted by an NFL team, with only 5 Illini selected in those 6 drafts. Since then, Illinois has consistently developed NFL talent as they have had at least one player picked within the first 100 selections each year. Gabe Jacas was the first Illini selected on Friday night in round 2. The defending