Keaton Wagler Makes History with 46-Point Performance Against Purdue

Saturday's college basketball slate reinforced just how special the 2025-26 freshman class is.

For the first time in at least 30 years, three freshman scored 40 or more points on the same day, as AJ Dybantsa, Kingston Flemings and Keaton Wagler each had massive performances for their teams.

In addition to the aforementioned stars, Cameron Boozer, Darius Acuff Jr., JT Toppin all topped 30 points, while Nate Ament and Milan Momcilovic notched 29 points apiece.

While each of the aforementioned performances were impressive, Wagler was tallied the highest point total, and made history in the process. The Illinois freshman's 46 points are the most ever by an opposing player at Purdue's Mackey Arena.

Wagler shot 13-of-17 from the field, 9-of-11 from the 3-point line and 11-of-13 from the free throw line to help the Fighting Illini to an 88-82 road win against No. 4 Purdue. The Illinois standout also chipped in 4 assists.

Coming out of high school, Wagler was rated the No. 150 overall prospect and No. 26 shooting guard in the 2025 recruiting class by 247Sports. At Illinois, though, the 6-foot-6, 185-pound wing has exceeded expectations and skyrocketed up draft boards halfway through the season.

Through 19 contests entering Saturday's game against Purdue, Wagler was averaging 15.9 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4 assists while shooting 45.2% from the field and 39.4% from 3-point range on 5.5 attempts per game.

With good size, a solid handle and impressive perimeter shooting skill, underscored by his performance against the Boilermakers, Wagler could be a preimer selection in the 2026 NBA Draft.

In Derek Parker's most recent mock draft for NBA Draft on SI, Parker paired Wagler with the Portland Trail Blazers at No. 14 overall. Wagler could pair well alongside Deni Avdija, Shaedon Sharpe and Portland's other pieces, helping round out a team with solid potential.

If Wagler continues to shine over the back half of the regular season and performs well in the NCAA Tournament, he could cement himself as a lottery pick this summer.

For Purdue, veteran point guard and likely 2026 draft pick Braden Smith also had a strong showing, finishing with 27 points, 12 assists, 3 rebounds, a steal and just one turnover, while shooting 11-of-16 from the field, 2-of-3 from beyond the arc and 3-of-4 from the free throw line.

Smith's outing wasn't enough to stop Purdue from dropping its second consecutive contest, though, as Wagler propelled Illinois to a win.

Want to join the discussion? Like Draft Digest on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest NBA Draft news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.