Keaton Wagler & Kylan Boswell Back on Campus, How Champaign Became "Home" | Illini Podcast

Something special appears to be happening around Illinois basketball — and what happened in Champaign over the weekend might be the perfect example.   Former Fighting Illini Keaton Wagler and Kylan Boswell returned to campus to work out with Illinois strength and conditioning coach Adam Fletcher. Later that evening, Wagler and Boswell joined Quentin Coleman and others for a 5-on-5 run at the ARC, where Illinois students packed the gym to watch.   On today's Locked On Illini, Sunny Verma explains why this seemingly small moment represents something much bigger about what Brad Underwood has built in Champaign.   Illinois has seen former players including Ayo Dosunmu, Terrence Shannon Jr., Marcus Domask and others continue returning to campus, maintaining relationships with coaches, staff, teammates and fans long after their Illinois careers ended.   And perhaps Keaton Wagler is the perfect example.   Wagler spent only one season at Illinois, yet he's already back in Champaign working with Adam Fletcher and playing basketball in front of Illinois students.   In an era dominated by NIL, the transfer portal and constant roster movement, Illinois is showing that players don't need to spend four years at a school to develop a genuine connection to it.   Brad Underwood has built a national contender. But perhaps just as importantly, he's built a place where players seem genuinely proud to call themselves Illini.   It's a great time to be an Illini.   Subscribe to Locked On Illini for daily coverage of Illinois football, basketball, recruiting and more.   ------------------------------- Welcome to Locked On Illini, your one-stop show for all things Illinois Fighting Illini football and basketball! Join host Sunny Verma as he brings you in-depth analysis, game previews, post-game breakdowns, and exclusive interviews with players, coaches, and insiders. Whether you're a die-hard Illini fan or just looking to stay updated on the latest in college sports, this is the podcast for you. Tune in on YouTube and your favorite audio platforms for fresh episodes and all the insights you need to stay ahead of the game. Get ready to be Locked On Illini! Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more in-depth coverage of Illini basketball and football!   Email us at: talkillini@gmail.com   FOLLOW OUR FACEBOOK PAGE! https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?...   TALK ILLINI DISCORD:   https://discord.gg/hx6kt3HSr   Follow Sunny's personal account: @theSunnyV   Follow us on Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/lockedonilli...   For your next listen, check out the Locked On College Football podcast! From NIL deals to never ending conference realignment rumors, Spencer McLaughlin gets you ready for an exciting season on the gridiron! Click HERE to listen now. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network. Your Team. Every Day.   Everydayer Club   If you never miss an episode, it’s time to make it official. Join the Locked On Everydayer Club and get ad-free audio, access to our members-only Discord, and more — all built for our most loyal fans.   Click here to learn more and join your team’s community: https://lockedonillini.supercast.com/ Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!   KALSHI For a limited time, Download the Kalshi app and use code [LOCKEDON] to get $10 when you trade $10. .   Indeed Listeners of this show get a $75 Sponsored Job Credit to help give your job the premium placement it deserves at http://Indeed.com/podcast.   Square Get up to $200 off Square hardware when you sign up at https://square.com/go/COLLEGE ! #squarepod   ULTRA POUCHES Don’t sleep on Ultra Pouches. New customers get 15% Off with code LOCKEDONCOLLEGEFOOTBALL at https://takeultra.com! #UltraPouches #ad   5-Hour ENERGY Bring on the sweetness with Cotton Candy 5-hour ENERGY®️ shots—available online now at https:/5hourENERGY.com or on Amazon.   Gametime Today's episode is brought to you by Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDON for $20 off your first purchase. Terms and conditions apply.   FanDuel College football Saturdays are already packed with reasons to get excited, and this season, FanDuel is giving fans even more ways to get in on every matchup. Join all the action at https://FANDUEL.COM   FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.