REACTION: UConn vs. Illinois | Thoughts on Braylon Mullins, Tarris Reed, Andrej Stojakovic, David Mirkovic, Keaton Wagler, + More
Corey Tulaba gives his in-person scouting takeaways from the matinee duel between UConn and Illinois at Madison Square Garden.
There’s a reason UConn fans call Madison Square Garden “Storrs South.” The energy, the sea of blue and white, the palpable sense of inevitability—it’s a home away from home for a program that treats the World’s Most Famous Arena like its own personal playground. In a matinee matchup against a tough Illinois squad, we got a chance to see a pair of deep rosters of potential 2026 NBA Draft prospects in a high-level environment.
I came away with a notebook full of real-time reactions, so here are my raw and unfiltered thoughts on the most intriguing prospects from both sides.
Keaton Wagler, Illinois (W)
Wagler felt like the definition of a freshman with training wheels still on. Though only in spurts, we did see some bright flashes. He knocked down a picturesque jumper on a catch-and-shoot three and made a ridiculous left-handed pass on a rope to the weakside corner after attacking a closeout that made me audibly gasp. He can string together some nice dribble combos and has good feel to boot. It is a really intriguing package of tools at his height. Right now, though, Wagler doesn’t possess the strength to be consistently impactful in an NBA context. Defensively, he lacks the strength to impede downhill drivers who can go through his chest, and offensively, he can be prone to shying away from contact in the paint, unable to counter through contact when help rotates over. This was clear on both ends, as he had a really nice defensive possession in isolation the first half, shadowing his man stride for stride, but being unable to absorb contact and impede the drive to make an impactful contest, even if he did a good job staying vertical. The flashes are really intriguing, and he’s someone who is definitely worth monitoring this year as a potential one-and-done, but he feels more like a potential breakout sophomore at the moment.