Login
Mirkovic, Wagler make NCAA Tournament history in win vs Houston
HOUSTON, Texas (WCIA) β Illinois menβs basketball is dancing on, beating Houston 65-55 in the Sweet 16 to advance to the Elite 8.
In the win, Illinois got a big boost from its two starting freshman.
David Mirkovic and Keaton Wagler both notched a double-double with points and rebounds. Mirkovic paired 14 points with 10 rebounds, while Wagler posted 13 points and 12 rebounds.
The duo becomes the first pair of freshman teammates to both have a double-double in the same NCAA tournament game since freshmen became fully eligible in 1972-73, according to Illini Athletics and ESPN.
βHeβs a great listener,β Illinois head coach Brad Underwood said, adding Illinois talked all week about guard rebounding. βKeaton just takes everything to heartβ¦ To do this, in this moment β You guys got to understand what a joy it is to coach himβ
#Illini head coach Brad Underwood can't help but smile when asked about Keaton Wagler's rebounding effort against Houston.
β Glenn Kinley (@glenn_kinley) March 27, 2026
"He's a great listener," saying Illinois talked all week about guard rebounding. "Keaton just takes everything to heartβ¦ To do this, in this moment β Youβ¦ pic.twitter.com/9DyjEEgH34
Additionally, Mirkovicβs effort on the glass helped him surpass Kofi Cockburn for the Illinois freshman record for rebounds in a season.
βIβm really proud of us,β Mirkovic said after Illinois put together a defensive clinic against the Cougars. βWe were mentally locked in for 40 minutes.β
Illinois will play Iowa in the Elite 8 on Saturday, set for a 5:09 CT tip-off on TBS/truTV.
Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com.
