Keaton Wagler didn’t just make a statement on Saturday - he etched his name into Big Ten lore.
The Illinois freshman guard torched fourth-ranked Purdue for a jaw-dropping 46 points in an 88-82 upset win at Mackey Arena, delivering one of the most electric performances college basketball has seen this season - and certainly the most ever by a visiting player in West Lafayette. Wagler was nearly automatic, going 13-of-17 from the field and a scorching 9-of-11 from beyond the arc. That’s 76.5% shooting in one of the most hostile environments in the country, against one of the top teams in the nation.
This wasn’t just a hot hand - it was a full-blown takeover. Every time Purdue looked like it might claw back into the game, Wagler had an answer.
Step-backs, catch-and-shoots, deep pull-ups - you name it, he hit it. And with each bucket, the confidence grew, both in him and in an Illinois team that walked into Mackey Arena with something to prove.
To put it plainly: this was an all-time performance.
Wagler’s 46 points are now the most ever scored by an opponent at Purdue - a program with decades of elite competition and plenty of visiting scorers who’ve tried (and failed) to light it up in that building. But on this night, it was the freshman who stole the show and silenced the home crowd.
The win also snapped a six-year drought for the Illini at Mackey Arena, with their last victory there dating back to January 21, 2020. And while that stat might read like a footnote, it underscores just how tough it is to win in that building - let alone with a freshman leading the charge.
Purdue, to its credit, didn’t go quietly. Braden Smith led the Boilermakers with 27 points and hit two clutch free throws with 10 seconds left to cut the Illinois lead to just two.
But that would be the last gasp for Matt Painter’s squad. Illinois calmly closed the door at the line, with Wagler and David Mirkovic each sinking a pair of free throws in the final seconds to ice the game.
For Illinois, the win pushes them to 17-3 overall and 8-1 in Big Ten play, a statement that they’re not just a feel-good story - they’re a legitimate contender in the conference. For Purdue, the loss marks their second straight defeat following a narrow loss at UCLA earlier in the week. At 17-3, they’re still firmly in the national conversation, but the back-to-back losses raise some questions about consistency and late-game execution.
But make no mistake: Saturday night was all about Keaton Wagler. Performances like this don’t come around often - especially from freshmen. And when they do, they tend to live on long after the final buzzer.