The Wolverine

December 2020

The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports

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DECEMBER 2020 THE WOLVERINE 37 BY CHRIS BALAS S ophomore sensations have been prevalent in Ann Arbor over the last several years, with two — point guard Trey Burke and shooting guard Nik Staus- kas — even winning Big Ten Player of the Year in their second seasons, Burke adding National Player of the Year honors to his trophy case. Some, like Big Ten Freshman of the Year Ignas Brazdeikis, didn't make it that far, opting for the pros after only one season and teasing Michigan fans with 'what might have been.' The fan base was preparing itself for that when Franz Wagner flirted with the same possibility in the off- season. Both Wagner — brother of former U-M standout and current Washington Wizards big man Moritz 'Moe' Wagner — and senior forward Isaiah Livers considered a jump to the league before returning for another season in maize and blue, and both seem primed for big seasons. Those who have seen each of them up close every day marvel at what they're seeing. Wagner, especially, has added to his offensive arsenal, domi- nating at times in practice in proving he's much more than just 'Moe's little brother.' "Franz is elite," freshman Zeb Jack- son said with a chuckle and a shake of the head in early November after hav- ing spent a few months with his team- mate. "That's the one word I would use to explain Franz. "He's just an elite player overall. He's a pro, for sure." The only question is, when? Wagner will still have the option to come back for his junior year, but the way he's playing, many believe he'll skyrocket up NBA Draft lists with a big season. Head coach Juwan Howard reported recently his star German was up 20 pounds and looking great, now a 6-9- plus, 220-pound wing with unbeliev- able upside. Wagner admits the NBA was defi- nitely on his mind at the end of a first year in which he averaged 11.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game — all clips that ranked among U-M's top three. But he never made it beyond first base in his flirtation, nor was that ever really the intention. He made it clear the NBA was on his radar, but not high on his list of immediate priorities. "You get that sheet of paper that you're supposed to send in to the NBA and you get some feedback, where they rank you right now," Wagner said. "That's really all I wanted — I knew I wasn't a lottery pick or any- thing like that, so once I got that back, it was motivation." At the same time, he added, he was grateful to be in the conversation and "going in the right direction," espe- cially after a slow start. He was play- ing well in preseason practice last year before falling on his right (shooting) wrist, suffering a fracture. While it didn't require surgery, it set him back both in his conditioning and his devel- opment. When he returned after missing the first four games, he still had a lot of catching up to do in both areas. He made an impact, especially on defense, in the early going and nailed two three-pointers in his Nov. 27 return at the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament in an 83-76 win over Iowa State, but he'd make only three of his next 20 triples over the next five games. He finally broke out of it Dec. 14., going 4 for 7 from deep and scoring 21 points in a one-point overtime loss to Oregon. There would be ups and downs in the weeks following, but he had shown his upside, and it was tre- mendous. Wagner remained a good teammate when things weren't going this way. Internally, though, it bothered him. "I think I had just kind of gotten out of my rhythm that I had going in those practices and in those scrimmages," Wagner recalled. "Always, when you come back from an injury, you have to readjust and get back to that rhythm that you had when you played [before getting hurt]. "You can work out individually all you want, but playing five-on-five is always a lot different. And then add- ing to that … I had never played a college game before. I think those two things together caused me a little bit to struggle at the start." A STAR IN THE MAKING But the lanky frosh continued to progress. By the end of the season, when he'd finally gotten in game shape and had more than a taste of the Big Ten's physical play, Wagner started to compete with an edge. Though more reserved personality- wise than his brother — something the outgoing Moritz was all too happy to point out when his little brother pledged to the Wolverines — he's ev- ery bit as animated on the court. That was true, both in good times and bad. The tongue (and the swag- ger) would come out after a couple made threes in a row, but so would the scowl when things didn't go his way offensively. Even then, he showed the signs of a winner, proving valuable to his team when his offense wasn't there. He led the team with 34 steals and played outstanding defense while his offense caught up, and he gained confidence doing it. "Coming into the college season, I kind of knew there were a lot of differ- ent things I had to adjust to," Wagner admitted. "I was willing to have some games where I wouldn't have the best game individually but was still trying to figure out some ways I could help the team win. "For the first couple games, that was really the most important thing. When my shot wasn't falling or when I [wasn't] having the best game of- fensively — which normally isn't my game — I could still help the team win. I think I found a couple ways to do that, and I'm really proud that I did that." Wagner averaged 11.6 points (tied for third on the team), 5.6 rebounds (second) and 1.3 steals (first) per game in his first season with the Wolverines. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL THE NEXT STEP Sophomore Franz Wagner Seems Primed for A Breakout Season

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