The 2026 NBA Draft Combine tipped off Monday evening in Chicago, bringing 27 hopefuls to Wintrust Arena for the first round of strength, agility, and shooting evaluations. For Illinois fans, it's a prime opportunity to track three familiar faces as they chase their professional dreams.
The combine's rigorous testing goes beyond just basketball skills. Players are measured for height (without shoes), weight, hand length and width, standing reach, and wingspan. Then comes the athletic gauntlet: lane agility drills, shuttle runs, three-quarter court sprints, and both standing and max vertical jumps. Shooting drills test off-dribble accuracy, spot-up efficiency, and three-point shooting from various spots, plus free throws.
Illinois guard Andrej Stojakovic was among the second group of nine players on the court Monday night. Fellow Illini Keaton Wagler and Kylan Boswell will undergo their testing and drills today. Wagler's measurements came in at an impressive 6-foot-5 (without shoes) with a 6-foot-6.25 wingspan and an 8-foot-4 standing reach—numbers that reinforce his status as a projected lottery pick.
For Boswell, this week includes a repeat of some strength and agility tests he already aced last month at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament. The 6-foot-2 guard posted the sixth-best vertical among 64 players in Portsmouth, Virginia, leaping 32.5 inches, while his 6-foot-8 wingspan (a plus-5.5 differential) turned heads.
Wednesday brings a split schedule: media day interviews followed by 5-on-5 game action. All three Illinois guards will be available for interviews, but only Boswell is slated to play in the scrimmages. Wagler's exclusion from game play is expected given his lottery-pick projection, while Stojakovic sitting out is notable—especially since he's already announced his return to the Illini for the 2026-27 season, despite officially keeping his name in the draft as a likely late second-round prospect.
Boswell's 5-on-5 team features a familiar face: former Wisconsin guard Nick Boyd. The two shared a memorable—and competitive—moment at the Big Ten tournament two months ago, adding an extra storyline to Wednesday's action. For Illini Nation, it's a week to watch closely as these three guards take their shot at the next level.