The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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18 THE WOLVERINE JUNE/JULY 2020 2 0 2 0 B A S K E T B A L L R E C R U I T I N G I S S U E His 34 steals ranked as the most on the team, while his 41 three-pointers tied for second among the Wolver- ines. Wagner sounded appreciative for a year under Howard, and is looking forward to another. "It's important for me to thank Coach Howard and the staff for not only giving me the time to think about this decision, but also helping me gather as much information as I could," Wagner noted. "Returning to Michigan is the right step for me not only as a basketball player, but as a person, too. This first season was a transition, competitive, fun and one of growth. I am very much looking forward to getting back to Ann Arbor and living that again." Howard, obviously, embraced that decision. "Franz and I have had many won- derful conversations since the end of the season," the coach said. "He really took the opportunity to look into everything he could before mak- ing his final decision — a decision we are elated for. His leadership, work ethic and desire to make not only himself but his teammates better is incredible. "I have said Franz is an emerging basketball talent. However, it is his demeanor, integrity and character that I love even more. Beate and Axel have raised two wonderful young men." Wagner's return also ensures that Michigan will feature another vet- eran for its lineup. He could pair with rising senior guard Eli Brooks to form the starting backcourt for the Wolverines. DeJulius played in all 31 Michigan games, drawing one start and be- coming the Wolverines' first off the bench. He averaged 7.0 points per game and appeared ready to chal- lenge for the starting point guard spot with the departure of senior captain Zavier Simpson. But DeJulius opted to enter the transfer portal, and didn't last long on the open market. He is now at the University of Cincinnati. Similarly, Castleton looked to be in the mix among the big men, with se- nior center Jon Teske departing. But he chose to transfer as well, wind- ing up at the University of Florida. Forward Austin Davis (6-10, 250) be- came a more prominent figure down low for the Wolverines late in the season, and was granted a fifth year on the roster for 2020-21. Bajema became the most recent transfer decision (ultimately ending up at the University of Washington), all of which will leave the Wolverines with a vastly different look, espe- cially on the bench. Livers and rising junior Brandon Johns Jr. (6.0 points per game and 11 starts last year) could provide a pair of key veterans at the forward spots. Meanwhile, the next wave is ready to challenge. NEWCOMERS SEEK SPOTS The Wolverines experienced a cou- ple of significant near misses on sign- ing week, seeing Rivals.com five-star shooting guard Josh Christopher — rumored to be a longtime Michigan lean — opt for Arizona State, while committed big man Isaiah Todd opted to skip college altogether. But as Boesch points out, anyone bemoaning what is because of what isn't, should not. "Listen, Juwan Howard is going to shoot for the stars with this," Boesch said. "He's made that abundantly clear with how he's approached the class of 2020, and looking forward to the class of '21 and '22. That's great. That's really exciting. "What he did well was, he made sure that he had a floor to this re- cruiting class. Based on what hap- pened in the late, late stages, the floor was realized." However, that floor, Boesch was quick to note, still resulted in one of the best classes in the Big Ten and a crew listed among the nation's top 20 by all accounts. ESPN graded it the league's best haul and the No. 9 incoming group in the country. In getting the players he did, How- ard struck a familiar chord for Michi- gan basketball recruiting in recent years, Boesch suggested. "You've got guys in Hunter Dick- inson, Zeb Jackson, Terrance Wil- liams, guys who are multi-year, ton- of-room-to-grow types of players," he said. "Let's face it — it's fun to be involved in these races for five-star recruits, and if you get one, man, it's a great feeling. "But if you look at the history of this program, especially in recent years, this has been built by the types of players who are coming in now, the types of building blocks who are going to be there for a long time." Michigan fans look forward to watching the building, provided the present pandemic scourge allows it. They'll welcome Livers back if he comes, focus on the development of Wagner, Brooks, Johns and Davis, while watching for how Smith fits into the picture during his sole sea- son in Ann Arbor. And as always, they'll be watch- ing the rookies — including the head coach, who made a splash his first season both as a coach and a recruiter. "This was Juwan Howard's first go-around with recruiting," Boesch noted. "He was playing from be- hind with a lot of these guys. Zeb, obviously, kept his commitment; he flipped Terrance Williams [from Georgetown]; and Hunter Dickinson was a guy he had to go out and get. "That's not even talking about Jace, his son, and what that can bring to the table. That's obviously a huge help, and going the grad transfer route to get Mike Smith. There are a lot of pieces here that show, hey, he's got the principles of recruiting down. "Now, if he can sprinkle in a five- star here and there, whoa. Watch out." ❑ P l a y e r s l i ke i n c o m i n g f r e s h m e n Z e b Jackson, Hunter Dickinson and Terrance Williams (above) were all consensus four- star recruits, and should provide multi-year building blocks for the future of the program. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM