With the NBA season getting going and Illinois’ 2026-27 campaign only days from its own tip, a cluster of former Illini already has the league buzzing. Opening week delivered minutes, production and one especially loud debut from rookie Keaton Wagler.
The Minnesota Timberwolves rolled past the Miami Heat on Wednesday, winning 131-106, and two familiar names were part of that run. A backcourt built around Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball leaves Ayo Dosunmu and Terrence Shannon Jr. fighting for bench time, but through one game the hierarchy looked pretty clear: those two were the only Minnesota reserves to reach 20 minutes.
Dosunmu scored 16 points on 6-for-13 shooting, grabbed five rebounds and handed out three assists. Shannon finished with 10 points on 3-for-9 shooting, plus one rebound and an assist. The pair gives Minnesota a second unit with real punch, and the early signs point to that duo being a major part of the Timberwolves’ depth.
Kasparas Jakucionis also made an immediate case for a larger role, logging the most reserve minutes for the Milwaukee Bucks and making them count. He posted 15 points on 4-for-7 shooting, added three rebounds and three assists, and turned it over just once. The one blemish: five fouls.
On a reshaped Bucks roster, Jakucionis entered the year with no real clarity about where he’d land. One game in, the answer looks simple enough. He can score, he can create, and if he keeps protecting the ball, he’ll have a hard time being kept off the floor.
The Washington Wizards, meanwhile, beat the Bucks 128-116 with no help from Will Riley, who was a healthy scratch on Wednesday. That was a surprise, especially considering the way Riley finished last season. Three of his final six outings were monster showings: 31 points and five steals; 30 points and six assists; and 23 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, three steals and three blocks.
Washington’s wing group is crowded, and the note that AJ Dybantsa is still to return only adds to that logjam. But Riley sitting for zero minutes still stood out. He may have to find his next opening somewhere beyond the DMV, though nothing in this one game suggests his NBA future is in doubt.
Then came the debut that led the entire opening-week rundown. After a bumpy Summer League and preseason, Keaton Wagler answered with a polished first NBA game for the Los Angeles Clippers, who beat the Sacramento Kings 121-96.
Wagler finished with 15 points on 4-for-8 shooting, including 3-for-6 from deep, along with five rebounds, five assists, two steals and just one turnover in 29 minutes off the bench. He attacked closeouts, got to the rim, made the simple pass when it was there and never tried to do too much. In other words, he looked comfortable.
That mattered because he did it in an off-ball role, the kind that gave him trouble in Champaign until he shifted to point guard. He also held up on the other end, keeping the ball in front, getting active with his hands and generally holding his own.
For a rookie whose preseason path was uneven, Wagler’s first night was as clean as it gets.
In Other News...
Illinois Freshman May Already Be Forcing Brad Underwoods Hand
Before the season even gets rolling, Ethan Brown is making it hard for Illinois to treat him like a future piece instead of a present one. The Rolla High School guard, listed on the Illinis 2026-27 roster, showed off the traits that made him intriguing in the first place against Cincinnati, scoring 15 points with five rebounds and two steals in 25 minutes while starting alongside Quentin Coleman.
What stood out was not just the production, but the way Brown fit into the game with his shooting, passing and basketball IQ, then added the kind of emerging athleticism that gives a staff more reason to trust him. Brad Underwood praised the performance and already sounds like a coach trying to sort out where Brown belongs in the backcourt rotation, a pretty good problem to have this early. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Just Added More Intrigue To Illinois Biggest Home Test
Oregons trip to Gies Memorial Stadium on October 24 was already one of the most interesting dates on Illinois schedule, and the Ducks just added another layer of anticipation by unveiling a new majority-white uniform combination for the matchup. The look is part of Oregons long-running tradition of turning fall games into a showcase, with design elements meant to honor former players and the programs history.
For Illinois, the uniform reveal is just a side note, but it underscores the stage this game has become. The Ducks latest collaboration with Nike and their design team, shaped with input from athletes and staff, adds more pageantry to a home test that now has a little more buzz around it before either team even takes the field. [Read more 🡒]
Illinois Could Be Closing In On A Guard Who'd Matter Fast
Brad Underwood has already added one top recruit in Quentin Coleman, and now Illinois is trying to keep the momentum going with a visit from one of the more intriguing guards on its board. Four-star point guard Gassim Toure is in line for an unofficial trip to Champaign for the exhibition game against Baylor, giving the Illini a chance to show him how he might fit into the programs style and pace.
Toure, who plays at The Principia School in Missouri, is viewed as a strong match for what Illinois wants to do, and the timing matters with the roster still in flux. Potential departures could leave room for newcomers to make an immediate impression, and a guard with Toures profile would have a real path to minutes if the fit translates the way the staff hopes it will. [Read more 🡒]