KEATON WAGLER
Let’s put some historical perspective beyond the ABSOLUTE CLINIT we all got to watch yesterday
FRESHMAN SINGLE-GAME SCORING RECORDS
Top 10 Freshman Single-Game Scoring Performances
46 - Keaton Wagler at Purdue (1/25/2026) ← NEW RECORD
35 - Giorgi Bezhanishvili vs. Rutgers (2/5/2019)
34 - Deon Thomas* vs. Wisconsin-Milwaukee (12/3/1990)
33 - Kiwane Garris vs. Iowa (1/19/1994)
32 - Trent Frazier vs. Wisconsin (2/8/2018)
32 - Mark Smith at Michigan (2/23/1978)
31 - Will Riley vs. Eastern Illinois (11/4/2024)
31 - Demetri McCamey vs. Indiana (2/7/2008)
31 - Kiwane Garris at Ohio State (1/15/1994)
31 - Kiwane Garris vs. Missouri (12/22/1993)
*Note: * indicates redshirt freshman
1. FRESHMAN RECORD - BY 11 POINTS
Wagler obliterated Giorgi Bezhanishvili’s freshman record (35 vs. Rutgers, 2/5/2019) by 11 points. This is the highest-scoring game by an Illinois freshman in program history.
2. ROAD PERFORMANCE
Only TWO of the top 10 freshman scoring performances came on the road:
46 - Keaton Wagler at Purdue (1/25/2026)
32 - Mark Smith at Michigan (2/23/1978)
31 - Kiwane Garris at Ohio State (1/15/1994)
3. AGAINST RANKED OPPONENT
Purdue’s status as one of the nation’s top teams makes Wagler’s performance even more remarkable - a freshman scoring 46 points in a true road environment against a top-10 caliber team.
4. MOST IMPRESSIVELY:
Keaton Wagler's 46 points is the most an individual has EVER scored in a road win over a top-10 opponent in AP Poll history, per ESPN Research.
ADDITIONAL CONTEXT
Freshman Season Leaders
Kasparas Jakucionis (2024-25): 494 points, 15.0 PPG
Cory Bradford* (1998-99): 494 points, 15.4 PPG
Kiwane Garris (1993-94): 446 points, 15.9 PPG
Keaton Wagler currently has 303 with 10 more guaranteed regular season games and plenty of post-season play
20+ Point Games (Freshman Season)
Kasparas Jakucionis (2024-25): 10 games
Cory Bradford* (1998-99): 8 games
Keaton Wagler currently has 5 (with a handful of 19 point games)
THIS DAY IN ILLINI HISTORY
January 25, 2005: #1 Illinois 75, #18 Wisconsin 65
The Illini were down 8 points with nine minutes left, and the number one team in the nation looked mortal for the first time during the 2004-2005 season. Then they ripped off a 14-1 run that silenced the Kohl Center and ended Wisconsin’s 38-game home winning streak.
Luther Head led the charge with 18 points, but James Augustine delivered the knockout punch. Buried in foul trouble with just 4 first-half minutes, Augustine erupted for 12 of his 14 points after halftime. Jack Ingram, the unsung hero of that 37-2 squad, buried clutch free throws down the stretch to seal the statement win.
This wasn’t just another road victory. This was the top-ranked team in America walking into one of college basketball’s most hostile environments and breaking a nearly two-year home winning streak. Wisconsin hadn’t lost at home since 2003. The Illini machine rolled on.
January 25, 2022: #24 Illinois 56, #10 Michigan State 55
A defensive slugfest at State Farm Center, with Illinois grinding out a one-point win despite playing without All-American center Kofi Cockburn. Trent Frazier carried the load with 16 points and 5 assists across 36 minutes of floor-general work.
Freshman (and future traitor) Luke Goode stepped up with 9 points on 3-of-4 shooting from deep, providing exactly the spacing the Illini desperately needed without Kofi anchoring the paint. Alfonso Plummer chipped in 11 points, including three triples that kept Michigan State from ever pulling away.
January 25, 2020: #21 Illinois 64, #12 Michigan 62
Ayo Dosunmu’s legacy moment. With 0.5 seconds left and the game tied, the sophomore guard rose over Zavier Simpson and buried a contested jumper that sent the Illini bench into pandemonium. Career-high 27 points on 11-of-18 shooting—clinical efficiency in a game with 12 lead changes and 9 ties.
Andres Feliz was the perfect complement, posting 15 points and 7 rebounds to keep Illinois afloat through a quiet night from Kofi Cockburn (5 points). This win launched a five-game road winning streak that carried through the rest of the season.
WHAT TO WATCH TODAY
1. USC (NET: 56) @ Wisconsin (NET: 37)
Watch Score: 55 | 3:00 PM CST | NBCSN, Peacock
✅ Quad 1 opportunity for USC
Bubble team travels to Madison in a game with serious implications for both squads. USC at NET 56 is firmly on the bubble and desperately needs road Quad 1 wins to build their tournament case. Wisconsin sits at NET 37, needs wins to improve their seed line—though this won’t count as a Quad 1 opportunity for the Badgers.
2. Oregon (NET: 104) @ Washington (NET: 62)
Watch Score: 165 | 2:00 PM CST | Peacock
✅ Quad 1 opportunity for Oregon
Desperation time for the Ducks. At NET 104 and sitting 8-11 overall with an 0-6 Quad 1 record, Oregon’s season is in desperate need of a big win. Washington at NET 62 is building its own at-large case for the big dance (1-6 in Quad 1) and can’t afford home losses to teams scrapping for survival.