Evaluating Keaton Wagler and Braden Smith in the Illinois-Purdue Game

January 24th, 2026

Today, I took the time to watch Keaton Wagler and Illinois square off against Braden Smith and Purdue in a highly anticipated Big Ten college basketball match. This game did not disappoint, as both stars played really well, as Braden Smith had 27 points and 12 assists, and Keaton Wagler scored 46 points and made 9 three-pointers to lead Illinois to a stunning road win over Purdue. Here are my thoughts on how Wagler, Smith, and other various prospects fared in this game.

Illinois’ 6-6 freshman guard, Keaton Wagler scored 46 points on 13 of 17 shooting, made 9 of 11 three-pointers, and dished out 4 assists in his team’s 88-82 win over Purdue on the road. (Photo: Michael Conroy/Associated Press, via Newsday)

Keaton Wagler had an excellent showing in his team’s win over Purdue. He was tremendous in this game, especially on offense, as his sharpshooting prowess, as well as terrific scoring skills and feel for the game helped his team get the victory.

Wagler did an outstanding job of making threes, particularly off the dribble. He has uncanny range, along with superb footwork and shooting touch, which allowed him to make a plethora of threes from beyond the arc. He also is a shifty, big point guard that would score on smooth runners and layups, and he showed the knack to use a variety of crafty moves to frequently get to the free throw line.

He also showcased satisfactory playmaking skills. Wagler is a crafty guard that can make an array of passes, and he is a patient player that can make passes off the dribble, pass on the move, as well as throw timely passes to open shooters to set up scores for his teammates. Sometimes though, he would make careless mistakes, which led to several turnovers.

Overall, Keaton Wagler had a terrific game to help Illinois get the road win over Purdue. He showed off exceptional shooting and scoring skills as well as a great feel for the game. He is a very skilled and talented player that showed off Tyrese Haliburton-vibes. Wagler could be a top 5 pick in the 2026 draft, and he could end up being a superstar in the NBA.

Purdue’s 6-0 senior guard, Braden Smith had 27 points on 11 of 16 shooting, made 2 threes, and dished out 12 assists in his team’s 88-82 loss to Illinois. (Photo: Michael Conroy/Associated Press, via Idaho State Journal)

Braden Smith also had a tremendous game for Purdue in his team’s tough loss to Illinois. He did a great job of making shots and passing the basketball. Smith was excellent in making shots in this game. He showed a knack for making tough, pull-up jumpers from the mid-range range, as he has a great shooting touch, as well as a pump fake that can frequently get his defenders in the air. He was great at scoring quickly off the dribble, and he also was able to knock down a couple of pull-up threes from beyond the arc.

He also did a great job of passing and handling the basketball. Smith was tremendous at making drive and kick passes to find open shooters, and he really excelled at finding teammates on the move. He threw a great lob pass, and he was able to rack up assists on the court.

Also, he was able to chip in to get a few boards, and he even quickly tracked a ball down to get a speedy defensive rebound early on. He also was able to jump a pass to get a steal to showcase his defensive skills.

In summary, Smith played very well in this game, and he made a variety of tough shots and passes to really help his team on the court. He is a smart, skilled point guard that is much quicker than he looks, and he could be a great value pick in the first round of the 2026 draft.

David Mirkovic also played well to help Illinois get the win. He was solid offensively, as he made spot-up threes, scored on a fadeaway mid-range jumper, and also scored on a put back to showcase his versatile scoring skills. He was tremendous on the boards, as he would box out, and he showed a knack for pulling down rebounds.

Plus, he also did a decent job as a playmaker, as he passed the ball well and was able to make a behind-the-back dribble move once, but he also would sometimes struggle to create separation when driving to the hoop, which led him to commit offensive fouls and turnovers.

In general, Mirkovic had a solid showing in his team’s win over Purdue. He is a skilled, mobile forward that has a good feel for the game, and he could end up being an effective role player in the NBA.

Trey Kaufman-Renn also had a solid showing in his team’s tough loss to Illinois. He is a strong, athletic forward that excelled at making plays out of the post. He showed good footwork and shooting touch to consistently score, and he also passed the ball well out of the post.

He also would set screens to get his teammates open driving lanes to get their shots off. He also managed to stay in front of an opposing ball handler to force a traveling violation defensively, in which he would’ve blocked the shot if the play continued.

On the other hand, he didn’t grab many rebounds. He also tended to commit over the back fouls when going for boards, which led him to be foul prone. His lack of size was probably what led him to not grabbing many rebounds and to committing plenty of fouls, as Illinois had the size and rebounding advantage on the glass.

Overall, Kaufman-Renn played fairly well, but he could’ve played better. He’ll need to improve his rebounder, and he will need to be more disciplined in games to avoid committing as many fouls. He’ll also need to extend his shooting range in order to improve his odds to succeed at the NBA level. Still, he’s been a very productive player at the collegiate level, and he could project to be a reliable backup big man in the NBA.

Omer Mayer also played very well in his team’s loss to Illinois. He is a smart, skilled playmaker that did a great job of making smooth three-pointers to showcase his sharpshooting prowess, and he also used a swift crossover to make a nice, pull-up mid-range jumper over a taller player.

He also passed the ball well, and he is a high IQ basketball player that can make a variety of passes to set up scoring chances for his teammates. Overall, Mayer had a strong showing by making shots and very good passes off the bench, and he could end up being an effective role player at the NBA level.

Tomislav Ivisic had a decent showing in his team’s win over Purdue. After a slow start, he made an impact late in the game, as he was able to make a pair of open threes patiently off of pick and pop plays, and he also was able to make a pass back to create a scoring chance for a teammate.

Plus, he also rebounded the ball very well. On the other hand, he struggled defensively, as he tended to bite on pump fakes and commit fouls on that side of the ball. Overall, Ivisic is a skilled center that could be a solid value pick in the second round of the 2026 draft, and he could end up being a solid backup center at the NBA level.

Daniel Jacobsen also played fairly well in his team’s loss to Illinois. He played well early on, as he would run the floor and catch lobs to score around the basket, and he even threw down a powerful alley-oop dunk early on.

He also would use his size, length, and timing to contest shots to force misses. However, he also tended to get his shots blocked when posting up, and he didn’t take enough shots. Overall, he is a very tall, athletic center that showed plenty of promise, and he could end up being a solid backup center in the NBA someday.

Oscar Cluff had a decent showing in his team’s loss to Illinois. He is a skilled big man that excelled at scoring out of the post, and he is a crafty player that would use moves and a deft shooting touch to score inside. He also ran the floor and used a pump fake to score in traffic while getting fouled another time. Cluff’s ability to score out of the post, on the move, and on mid-range jumpers allowed him to be a very effective scoring option in this game. Plus, he would set screens to help his teammates get open driving lanes to get their shots off.

Defensively, Cluff wasn’t quite as good as he was on offense. On one good play early on, he was able to pressure an opposing ball handler to help force a turnover. However, he struggled to defend in space or to guard shooters, and his team allowed Illinois to rally back late in the game.

Overall, Cluff is a strong, skilled big man that can score and set screens, but will need to improve his rebounding and defense, but his high basketball IQ and skill set could enable him to carve out a solid playing career in international basketball.

Ben Humrichous, Jake Davis, and Zvonimir Ivisic didn’t stand out as much in this game, but they were able to make crucial, timely threes down the stretch to help Illinois, and Zvonimir was very effective as a shot blocker in this game. Andrej Stojakovic would score on tough, strong drives, but he didn’t shoot well from beyond the arc.

All in all, those are my thoughts on how Keaton Wagler, Braden Smith, and other various prospects fared in this game. Thanks for reading.