Illinois Has Produced Successful NBA Guards. Keaton Wagler Could Be Next

The University of Illinois has produced many talented basketball players throughout its history, but two guards in particular have shown what it means to take success in Champaign and carry it into the NBA.

Deron Williams and Ayo Dosunmu took completely different paths to the league, but both established themselves after leaving Illinois. Now, Keaton Wagler has an opportunity to follow in their footsteps.

Williams remains one of the most successful guards to come out of Illinois. He was one of the leaders of the legendary 2004-05 team that finished 37-2 and reached the national championship game. After earning consensus second-team All-American honors, Williams was selected No. 3 overall in the 2005 NBA Draft.

Williams developed into one of the best point guards in basketball, becoming a three-time NBA All-Star and earning All-NBA Second Team honors twice. He also won two Olympic gold medals with Team USA and finished his 12-year NBA career averaging 16.3 points and 8.1 assists per game.

More than 15 years later, another Illinois guard began his own NBA journey.

Ayo Dosunmu arrived at Illinois as a hometown kid from Chicago and eventually became one of the best players in college basketball. During his junior season, Dosunmu averaged 20.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 5.3 assists while winning the Bob Cousy Award and earning consensus first-team All-American honors.

Unlike Williams, Dosunmu did not hear his name called near the top of the draft. The Chicago Bulls selected him with the No. 38 overall pick in 2021, meaning Dosunmu had to prove that teams made a mistake by allowing him to fall into the second round.

Dosunmu worked his way into the Bulls’ rotation and continued developing into a productive NBA guard before eventually being traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves. His journey was different from Williams', but both showed that there is more than one path from Champaign to making an impact in the NBA.

That is where Keaton Wagler enters the conversation.

Wagler put together one of the most impressive freshman seasons in Illinois history. He averaged 17.9 points per game, became the first freshman in program history to earn consensus All-American honors, and helped lead Illinois to its first Final Four appearance in 21 years.

His performance was enough for the Los Angeles Clippers to select him No. 5 overall in the 2026 NBA Draft, making him the highest-drafted Illinois player since Williams went third overall in 2005.

Now comes the difficult part. Getting drafted that high comes with expectations, especially for a Clippers franchise looking for young players who can become part of its future. Wagler does not need to become the next Deron Williams or follow the exact path Dosunmu took. All three entered the NBA under different circumstances.

Williams entered as a top-three pick and became an All-Star. Dosunmu fell to the second round and had to earn everything that came afterward. Wagler enters somewhere between those stories with the expectation of being a top-five selection while still having plenty to prove at the NBA level.

Wagler has already created his own legacy in Champaign. Becoming the first freshman All-American in program history, leading Illinois back to the Final Four, and becoming the No. 5 pick made sure of that. Now, he has an opportunity to begin building another legacy.