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The 2025-26 season for Illini men’s basketball was one of the most successful in program history.
All season long, Illinois boasted one of the most efficient offenses both in the entire country and in the history of KenPom.
A lot of that was thanks to freshman guard Keaton Wagler, who burst onto the scene midway through the season and never looked back.
Once he was handed the keys to the offense, things flowed through Wagler whenever he was on the floor, as he brought the ball up the floor and averaged 17.9 points and 4.2 assists per game.
Just a few weeks back, the former All-American guard was selected in the first round of the NBA Draft, leaving the Illini with a big-time question — how will the Illini replace Wagler’s playmaking in 2026-27?
Here are three of the candidates:
Sophomore forward David Mirkovic
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The one and only familiar face on the list is David Mirkovic, who’s entering his second season with the Illini.
In 2025-26, he only averaged 2.6 assists per game, but those numbers do not tell the whole story.
Despite being a 6’9” forward, Mirkovic has natural playmaking ability and does well with the ball in his hands.
Oftentimes, Illinois head coach Brad Underwood trusted him with the responsibility of initiating the team’s offense in the half-court, something that led to unique offensive sets and more spacing beyond the three-point line.
While Mirkovic isn’t going to take over as the team’s point guard on every single possession, Underwood has pointed to the fact that he’s still going to get his fair share of playmaking opportunities.
Sophomore guard Stefan Vaaks
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One of the biggest qualities that the Illinois coaching staff values is positional size, something that describes Stefan Vaaks to a T.
A 6’7” shooting guard, Vaaks uses his height to his advantage on both sides of the ball, but his offense is certainly what stands out.
As a freshman at Providence, he averaged 15.8 points and 3.2 assists per game, all the while showing flashes of even more untapped potential.
While his time with the Friars was characterized by a lot of moving off the ball, the door is certainly open for Vaaks to have a high volume of playmaking opportunities with his new team — and considering the amount of national attention he’s been getting, it certainly seems like the sky may be the limit.
Freshman guard Quentin Coleman
By the start of the season, one of the biggest question marks surrounding the Illini might just be how much of an impact Quentin Coleman will have.
He certainly showcased some high offensive pedigree during his time playing in high school, international play and the EYBL circuit, enough to make him a five-star prospect (247Sports) and top-20 prospect (Rivals).
And there’s no question as to whether or not Underwood will unleash freshmen guards and give them a fair shot to be his team’s floor general; see Exhibit A: Wagler, and Exhibit B: Kasparas Jakucionis in 2024.
It certainly seems like the hype is building around Coleman, as he looks to bring his silky smooth play-style and craftiness to the next level, and time will tell if he’ll be able to run the Illini offense.
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