88-2: Zavier Zens Doesn't Know How to Lose, and He Learned It From Family

Here's a number to remember: 88-2. That's what Wisconsin Lutheran went over Zavier Zens' last three high school seasons. Three seasons, three state championships, two losses. The kid wearing No. 22 for Illinois this year has basically forgotten what losing feels like.

Last fall he wasn't even headed to the Big Ten. He was a Northern Iowa signee with mostly mid-major offers. Then his college coach left, Zens had the best season of his life, and in less than three weeks he went from reopening his recruitment to committing to the Illini.

Oh, and his cousin is Kon Knueppel. More on that in a second.

For entry No. 3 in our Meet the Illini series, here's the freshman Brad Underwood describes in one word: winner.

Growing Up in the Knueppel Gym

If you follow basketball, you know the name. Kon Knueppel was Wisconsin's Mr. Basketball, starred at Duke, helped the Blue Devils reach the Final Four, and went No. 4 overall to the Charlotte Hornets. He's also Zavier Zens' first cousin. So are Kager, Kinston, and Kash Knueppel, who all played at Wisconsin Lutheran too.

In 2023-24, Zens was a sophomore role player on Kon's senior team. Kon was the star, and the Vikings went 30-0 and won the Division 2 state title. Zens put up about 10 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists, and college coaches weren't paying much attention to him yet. But he was paying attention to Kon. He told Illini Inquirer that he wanted to follow his cousin's path and try to reach that level himself.

Once Kon left for Duke, the team became Zens' team. And it kept winning.

Taking Over the Family Business

As a junior, Zens averaged 22.2 points and 6.1 rebounds, shot a ridiculous 51% from three according to the News-Gazette, and led Wisconsin Lutheran to a 28-2 record and the Division 1 state title. He was named WBCA All-State and conference Player of the Year.

Then his senior year was even better. Playing alongside his younger cousins Kager, Kinston, and Kash, Zens averaged 23.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.4 assists. He shot 62% from the field, 42% from three, and 74% from the line. The Vikings went 30-0 again and won a third straight state title. In the championship game, Zens led everybody with 20 points and missed only one shot in a 77-57 win.

The awards rolled in. He was named 2026 Wisconsin Mr. Basketball, the same award Kon won two years earlier. He was the Gatorade Wisconsin Player of the Year and a MaxPreps third-team All-American. Greendale coach Ryan Johnsen, whose team got beaten by Zens, told the Daily Illini that Zavier was incredible and called him a true leader who scores at all three levels.

The Recruitment That Flipped in 18 Days

This is where it gets wild. Back in August 2025, before his senior season, Zens committed to Northern Iowa. He signed in November. At the time he only had mid-major offers, and 247Sports' composite rankings still had him outside the top 200 nationally.

Then UNI head coach Ben Jacobson left to take the Utah State job. Zens asked for his release, and on March 30, 2026 (right as Illinois was on its way to the Final Four), he reopened his recruitment as the reigning Mr. Basketball coming off a 30-0 season.

Three programs got official visits: Utah State, Illinois, and Wisconsin. He saw Utah State first, then Champaign on April 12, then Madison. On April 17, he picked Illinois. That's 18 days from open recruitment to commitment.

That means the home-state Badgers lost their own Mr. Basketball to a Big Ten rival. But Zens wanted the biggest stage available. He told Armchair Illini that the goal is to win at the highest level, and a program fresh off its first Final Four in 21 years made a pretty strong pitch.

His dad, Greg, raved about the Illinois staff, calling out Zach Hamer and Underwood by name. He said Zavier wants to get to the NBA and that Illinois has the best player development in the country. Tough to argue after Keaton Wagler went from barely recruited to the NBA lottery in one year.

What Kind of Player Is He?

Underwood called him a 6-7 versatile wing who scores at all three levels and processes the game, which is exactly the mold Illinois recruits to. His high school coach, Ryan Walz, told Illini Inquirer that Zens is an all-out competitor who's never afraid of the big moment, with a high basketball IQ and a better passing feel than people realize. Walz also said he's more athletic than he gets credit for.

Zens has said his own game has grown a lot. When he was younger he was mostly a spot-up shooter. Now he attacks the rim and has a mid-post game with fadeaways. 247Sports' scouting report backs that up. He shot nearly 70% inside the arc as a senior, finishes through contact, and has good footwork and feel as a passer out of the post.

The scouting report is also honest about what's missing. He needs more strength and lateral quickness, a tighter handle, and a scoring game that holds up against bigger, faster wings. His competition in Milwaukee wasn't the Big Ten, and right now he's a long way from being a plus defender against high-major athletes. That's what this year with Adam Fletcher is for.

The Wagler Comparison

The News-Gazette's Scott Richey picked Zens as his freshman breakout candidate back in June and said Zens gives off some Keaton Wagler vibes. That's not a style comparison, it's a path comparison. Wagler was a lightly recruited Midwest kid who shot it, kept improving, and became a lottery pick. Richey's view is that Zens could fill the rotation spot Ben Humrichous left behind.

The minutes picture is crowded, though. Stojakovic, Jake Davis, and Mirkovic all play his positions. In August, SI ranked him third among the candidates for the eighth spot, behind Lucas Morillo and Ethan Brown. RotoWire's preseason preview lists him as one of Illinois' key reserves.

The Bottom Line

Zens might not be the flashiest freshman in this class. Coleman has the ranking, and Lincoln Williams has the bounce. But Zens has something you can't really teach. He has spent his whole life around a future NBA star, studied how he worked, and then won as the guy everyone else was trying to stop.

Underwood loves winners, shooters, and smart players. Zens is all three. He might spend November learning, but don't be surprised if by March he's the guy coming off the bench to knock down a big three. Winning is kind of a family habit.

I-L-L. 🧡

Reporting compiled from 247Sports (Illini Inquirer), The News-Gazette, FightingIllini.com, Armchair Illini, The Daily Illini, Sports Illustrated (Illinois on SI), RotoWire, and Bucky's 5th Quarter.