Illinois freshmen Keaton Wagler, David Mirković garner national attention in unique ways on road to Final Four
HOUSTON — David Mirković could feel himself on the edge of tears as Illinois began to inch away from Iowa in the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight on Saturday night. He fought it until the final moments, when Keaton Wagler dribbled slowly down the court, raising his right arm up and down to the cheers of the orange-clad fans at the Toyota Center. Mirković took a straight line toward Wagler, slapping his hand and then bringing him in for a long hug — two freshmen raised 5,000 miles apart who came together to help the Illini reach their first Final Four since 2005.
And then, in the revelry that followed, the flood of tears came. “It’s an unbelievable feeling when the whole year you believe in something,” Mirković said. “After some bad games, anyone doubts you and thinks you’re not good.
But you just know you’re good. You believe in each other. But you just have to wait and be patient to prove all that.
“When that moment came, it was such a beautiful feeling. ” Wagler and Mirković have been the beautiful revelations that have cemented this team as one of the best in Illinois history ahead of the national semifinal against Connecticut at 5:09 p. m.
Saturday in Indianapolis. The Illini have made their tournament run on the versatility and depth of talent among their players, most of whom had college basketball experience entering this season. Senior guard Kylan Boswell returned to Champaign to bring back his leadership and defensive grit.
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