Wagler, Mirkovic Found Common Ground As Illini's Go-to Options

Sign up for our daily basketball newsletter here

HOUSTON — David Mirkovic moved practically 5,000 miles to begin his faculty basketball profession. Keaton Wagler’s journey was roughly 12 instances shorter from Shawnee, Kan., to Champaign.

But that is simply in hundreds traveled.

The similarities truly run deeper than you’d count on between the 6-foot-9 ahead out of Niksic, Montenegro, and the 6-6 guard out of Shawnee, Kan. Something Mirkovic and Wagler found this previous summer time as basketball introduced them collectively in Champaign.

A mix that has propelled Illinois (27-8) into the Elite Eight for the second time in three years.

Brad Underwood’s first journey to the Elite Eight in 2024 got here with a veteran staff constructed round a slew of fourth- and fifth-year gamers like Terrence Shannon Jr., Marcus Domask and Coleman Hawkins. The return this March has Wagler and Mirkovic entrance and heart — the Illini’s prime two scorers who’re simply as impactful as rebounders and facilitators.

“I found out we have some similarities in our personalities,” Mirkovic mentioned about assembly Wagler this previous summer time. “We’re both Gen-Z.”

“You guys are very much Gen-Z,” Illinois ahead Jake Davis interjected.

“The second thing, we had a lot of similarities basketball wise,” Mirkovic continued. “We are pretty similar players — just different positions. Our understanding and IQ of basketball and our unselfishness and skill level makes us unstoppable.”

That’s been the case for almost all of the 2025-26 season. Wagler wound up Big Ten Freshman of the Year and a consensus Second Team All-American and is averaging 17.7 factors, 5.1 rebounds and 4.3 assists heading into Saturday’s Elite Eight recreation in opposition to Iowa (24-12) set for a 5:09 pm tip on the Toyota Center in Houston.

Mirkovic additionally made the All-Big Ten Freshman Team and was an honorable-mention All-Big Ten choice. His NCAA match effort — averages of 16.7 factors, 10.7 rebounds and three assists — have solidified his place as Illinois’ finest secondary possibility.

Both Wagler and Mirkovic posted a double-double in Thursday’s Sweet 16 win in opposition to Houston. No pair of freshmen teammates had ever carried out that within the NCAA match. Take away the journey from that summer time get-to-know-you.

“I don’t even know what my first memory was, but definitely my first impression he was a goofy guy,” Wagler mentioned of Mirkovic. “He likes to mess around, but within practices he’s super competitive. He’s one of the most competitive people I’ve met. He hates losing drills no matter what it is, and I knew we were going to get along after that. I’m competitive. I don’t like to lose.

“I believe that we each realized you do not have to be probably the most athletic or quick individual on the courtroom. You can play at your individual tempo and nonetheless be as good as anybody. We each do the fitting issues, and we each wish to win. It does not matter if we rating nevertheless many factors. If we have got to go in and go, get assists and get rebounds, we’ll do this.”

While Wagler and Mirkovic ultimately became the second-half catalyst Illinois needed to pull away from Houston and send the Cougars packing 21/2 miles back home, they weren’t at their best in the first half. Mirkovic had five points and six rebounds at the break but also a pair of turnovers. Wagler had four points and five rebounds but was shooting just 1 of 7 from the field.

“I thought there were moments they were sped up and missed some reads that they normally do,” Illinois assistant coach Tyler Underwood said. “It thinks it speaks to their character with the ability to are available in at halftime and regroup and perceive what they should do higher. They can decide that up so rapidly. They study from their errors, they usually get well from their errors rapidly.

“You rarely see them make a mistake and let it lead to another mistake. They don’t compound those. They have a great ability to be in the present moment and let those things go. I think (Thursday) night was a great example of that because I thought both of them left some things out there in the first half they wish they could have back. In the second half, I thought they both played fantastically, in the flow, and just let it rip.”

That’s been the case for Mirkovic and Wagler all through their joint first season at Illinois. The second has not often been too huge. The Illini freshmen have, the truth is, embraced the most important ones, like Wagler’s 46-point recreation at Purdue and Mirkovic’s record-setting efficiency within the first spherical of the NCAA match with 29 factors and 17 rebounds in opposition to Penn.

“I think they’re two people that have done a great job of keeping the outside noise out of what they’re consuming, outside of what they’re thinking about,” Illinois ahead Ben Humrichious mentioned. “Never getting too high. Never getting too low. Two guys who have committed themselves to this program and the success of our program and this team. They’ve made selfless acts.

“It’s been enjoyable the best way they’ve grown, tailored and excelled. They deserve the success that they are having. It’s actually enjoyable to have fun that with them.”