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.
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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?
The one and only familiar face on the list is David Mirkovic, who’s entering his second season with the Illini.
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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.
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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.
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