The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/956415
APRIL 2018 THE WOLVERINE 17 INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS Moritz Wagner Is The MVP This Season By Brandon Brown Michigan's energetic, German-born big man Moe Wagner has been the catalyst for the team all season. The 6-11 junior is a matchup nightmare for every team he faces, and leads Michigan in scoring and rebounding. He was averaging 14.2 points and 7.1 rebounds per game heading into the Sweet 16, and has shown up on the biggest stages like when he poured in 27 during a win over Michigan State in East Lansing. When he doesn't play well or is dealing with foul trouble, like when he scored just two points against Nebraska, the team struggles — as evidenced on that night by a 20-point loss in Lincoln. Beyond the stats, Wagner is also U-M's emotional leader. He's al- ways good for some floor burns, tongue wagging and smiles to his teammates on the bench, fam- ily in the crowd or even the op- position after a big shot or dunk. He's earned the team MVP award this season, and he should be re- warded with it at the banquet in April. Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman Is The Greatest By Chris Balas Halfway through this season, head coach John Beilein and his staff noticed something — that they hadn't realized how good their senior shooting guard could be. They let him become more of a No. 1 option than a role player, and he responded by becoming the team's most versatile and important player. Abdur-Rahkman led the Wol- verines in minutes heading into the Sweet 16 (1,291), well ahead of second place Charles Matthews (1,100). He shot 37.8 percent from three-point range, ranking third in scoring (12.6 per game), had 121 assists to only 27 turnovers and was even third on the team in re- bounding (3.9 per game). He was also Mr. Clutch, making two last- second free throws to beat Mary- land and a key triple that iced a win over Michigan State in the Big Ten Tournament. On top of that, he was also one of the Wolverines' best defensive players, right there with sopho- more point guard Zavier Simpson. Wagner was outstanding, but Abdur-Rahkman is this team's MVP. POINT ❙ COUNTERPOINT WHO IS THE MVP OF THE MICHIGAN BASKETBALL TEAM? Michigan sophomore defensive tackle Aubrey Solomon came to Michigan as a five-star recruit from Leesburg, Ga., and was one of the most coveted prospects in the entire country. His recruitment saw him commit and eventually decommit from the Wolver- ines, before reaffirming his pledge (to the surprise of many) to Michigan on National Signing Day, 2017. The 6-3, 297-pounder did not disap- point as a freshman in Ann Arbor — he appeared in all 13 games and notched 18 stops, including two tackles behind the line of scrimmage. Here are a few other interesting facts you may not have known about him: Nickname: "They call me Pig Brain." Favorite restaurant in Ann Arbor: "Mr. Spots, for sure." Best meal he can cook by himself: "I'd say some pasta or chicken alfredo." Sports he plays besides football: "Badminton." Hobbies: "Eating Doritos and watch- ing Netflix." Favorite T V show: "It's between 'The Flash' and 'Forensics Files' — I'll say 'The Flash.'" Favorite movie: "'Transformers.' It doesn't even matter which one — they're all my favorite." D re a m v a c at i o n : " I ' ve a l w ay s wanted to go to Hawai'i." Favorite venue he's been to: "The A r i zo n a D i a m o n d b a c k s s t a d i u m [Chase Field]." Favorite professional athlete: "[Carolina Panthers defensive end] Ju- lius Peppers." Role model: "I'd probably have to go with [former Baltimore Ravens line- backer] Ray Lewis." Why he chose Michigan: "I knew that academically, I'd be set for life." What he hopes to do after football: "I'd like to be an athletic director, but I'll more likely wind up coaching." His overall experience at Michigan: "It's going pretty good. It was tough at first, but has been great ever since." — Austin Fox Getting To Know Sophomore Defensive Tackle Aubrey Solomon Coming out of high school, Solomon was rated a five-star recruit by Rivals.com, and he backed up the lofty ranking as a true freshman, playing in all 13 games and even starting four times. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN ATHLETICS Wagner and Abdur-Rahkman ranked first (14.2 points per game) and third (12.6) on U-M in scoring, respectively, heading into the Sweet 16 matchup with Texas A&M. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL