The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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56 THE WOLVERINE MAY 2019 BASKETBALL RECRUITING take the GMAT (test for graduate students), but that's thought to be a formality. He would like a shot at the NBA, but has a backup plan in corpo- rate business development when he is done. As for Wagner, big brother Moe, now with the Los Angeles Lakers, told us this about his brother and Michigan last year before he left for West Coast. "He's definitely thinking about it," Moe said a year ago. "He's a little different than me, but he's in a very similar situation. He's introverted, thinks a little more before he speaks, so he's not as expressive … though on the court, he is. "I think he really has both options in mind. It's a tough time for a young guy, 16 years old. He's graduating school right now and he's going to have a whole year to think about it. It's a tough year. I had the same year, because we had so much going on. When it's your life, you're decid- ing what to do … it's kind of cool, though." Wagner 's a 6-7 wing and shooter who will probably end up playing small forward or shooting guard in college. He's just starting to pick up significant minutes for the Alba Ber- lin pro team, and his 36-minute aver- age this season produced 10.6 points per game. "He's a really good shooter, way better than I was at that age," Moe Wagner said. "He's more like a ball handler, less of a big man." Wagner's Alba Berlin team lost in the Eurocup final to Valencia, mean- ing they did not qualify for next year's Euroleague. That would have meant competing against the top teams in Europe every week, another attractive reason for the younger Wagner to stay in Germany and turn pro. Alba is trying hard to keep him and using a nice salary, being home close to family and friends, and their track record for sending players to the NBA as selling points. F i n a l l y, Wi l m i n g t o n ( D e l . ) St. George's Tech shooting guard Nah'Shon Hyland received a visit from Michigan assistants April 23. Maryland, Connecticut (offer) and VCU (offer) were also expected to make the trip, but it was clear the U-M coaches made an impression on him. Signees Shine In Postseason All-Star Games Michigan's two-man 2019 class is likely going to expand in numbers, but the Cole Bajema/Jalen Wilson duo was already a winner. Bajema scored 35 points and notched eight three-pointers in the 1A versus 2A annual WIBCA All-State game at Curtis High School March 23, putting on a show from long range. During the high school season, the Lynden (Wash.) Christian product earned Northwest Conference MVP honors for the second straight year, after averaging 24.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game. He led the Lyncs to a 26-1 record and a fourth-place finish at the state tournament, where he was a first- team all-tourney pick. Further south, Wilson made seven triples of his own in the Big Baller Brand All- Star Game March 31 in Las Vegas. He finished with 31 points against some of the most talented prep players in the country. "It was just a good time," Wilson said. "I was out there with a lot of guys I have been playing with the past few summers. It was just really fun to showcase my game in front of a lot of important guys and represent Michigan." Wilson's seven triples were the most of any player in the game. He credited confidence and showed the ability to put himself in a good position to shoot the ball with his outstanding showing, noting he's ready to come in as a freshman and help make a difference on a team that shot 34.2 percent from long range last year (177th nationally), Michigan's worst such percentage since 2010. "That's one of the best things about my game," Wilson said. "Being able to bring that to Michigan is very important to me. I want to impact the team as much as I can. If I'm bringing that, I'm very sure that I can help the team out a lot." Wilson averaged 18.1 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists for Denton (Texas) Guyer. He earned co-MVP honors in District 5-6A and was a Texas Association of Basketball Coaches All-Region and All-State selection. He also earned The Denton Record-Chronicle 2019 All-Area Basketball Team MVP award. In just a few months, the Michigan signee will make his way to campus to begin his career as a Wolverine. "I'm very excited," Wilson said. "I've always loved Coach Beilein and ever since, we've built this relationship. Coach Yak [Luke Yaklich], Coach [DeAndre] Haynes and Coach Saddi [Washington], all the coaches, I'm very excited to be coached by all of them. To get to play in Ann Arbor, it's a beautiful city and I love the people." Jalen Wilson, a 2019 signee, lit up the Big Baller Brand All-Star Game March 31 in Las Vegas with 31 points against some of the country's most talented prep players. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM