Friday, November 10, 2017
TIP OFF 2017
4B
In the spotlight: Moritz Wagner
Things are different now for
Moritz Wagner.
As
he
walks
through
the
University of Michigan’s campus,
students pass. Some call him
“Mo,” and wish him luck in his
upcoming games for the Michigan
men’s basketball team.
This
phenomenon
came
as
a surprise to Wagner’s father,
Axel Schulz, when he came from
Germany to visit a few weeks ago.
Sure, he was aware of his son’s
success; he just didn’t realize
quite how popular he’d gotten.
Wagner admits it even surprises
him sometimes. At 6-foot-11, he’s
always stood out. But since last
season, since going to the NBA
Combine, things have changed
for the junior forward.
When he makes one of his
frequent trips to Chipotle, people
approach him. It’s taught Wagner
to always be conscious of what
he’s saying and doing. Make no
mistake, though, he enjoys the
attention.
“I want to tell them, I just
play basketball,” Wagner said. “I
played basketball my freshman
year, too.”
But the present is a far cry
from his arrival in Ann Arbor.
Back
then,
the
recognition,
the confidence and the success
Wagner now enjoys were absent.
Wagner
was
a
raw,
foreign
product still trying to find his
place. The spotlight had yet to
shine on him.
In the matter of
a few seasons, that
would all change.
***
When
Wagner
came to Michigan,
he was adapting
to an entirely new
culture. He could
speak English, but
it was clearly his
second
language.
He’d tell people he was going to
“brush his tooth,” and certain
basketball terminology needed to
be explained to him.
“This is probably bad for me
to say, but I was always just
frustrated to be around him,
because it was just so aggravating
just to talk to him, really,” said
former Michigan guard Andrew
Dakich. “And it’s not his fault at
all, it’s more of me being patient
with him.”
And no one needed to be more
patient than Brent Hibbitts.
Wagner’s
freshman
year
roommate, Hibbitts committed
after Wagner, and since they
were the only two players in their
class, it was immediately clear
that the two would be living
together.
Hibbitts said he was
nervous
about
that
prospect. He didn’t
know
what
to
expect of somebody
from
a
different
culture, so when
the pair moved in
the summer before
their
freshman
year,
he
was
surprised by some
things.
For
one,
he
said, Germans are
firm
believers
in
conserving
energy, and many
of them don’t use
air
conditioning
or
fans.
Wagner
was used to silence
when he slept. So
despite
Hibbitts’
preference for a cool
bedroom, they turned
off their air conditioning
at night so Wagner could
sleep.
Wagner
adapted
quickly,
though.
Throughout the summer,
his lexicon
expanded,
picking up
basketball
terms and
even some
slang.
Yet, for
all
the
progress
Wagner
had
made
off
the
court, there was still
plenty of work to do
on it. He had played
a lot of basketball in
Germany, but this was
a new level and style.
Wagner
was
skinny,
and because his body
wasn’t
college-ready,
he
didn’t
have
the
confidence to excel. It
showed
on
the
court.
“A
lot
of it was
because
of
his
body,”
Hibbitts
said.
“I
wouldn’t
say
he
was
physically ready
to
play
college
basketball, so he
couldn’t
really
show
his
talents,
because
his
body
was so far behind.
That kind of discouraged him and
made him question himself.”
Added Wagner: “At the end
of the day, if you trust your
body, that’s really all it comes
down to. … That’s what a lot of
freshmen
don’t
have at a young
age,
especially
me,
being
210
or whatever I
was.”
With
Ricky
Doyle and
Mark
Donnal
in front
of
him
on the depth chart,
Wagner’s
minutes
were fleeting — he
averaged
8.6
per
game
with
2.9
points
and
1.8
rebounds.
Nonetheless,
the Wolverines
snuck into the
2016
NCAA
Tournament as
one of the last
four
teams,
drawing
Tulsa
in
the
first
round.
Early
in
the
game,
Doyle
and
Donnal got in foul
trouble.
Wagner’s
number
was
called,
and
he
took
advantage,
finishing
with
four points, eight
rebounds
and
four blocks over
22 minutes in a
67-62
win.
He
followed that up
by
scoring
six
points in eight
minutes against
Notre Dame in
the next round.
They
were
small
numbers, but important
improvements.
“He started playing
really well for us at the
end of his freshman
year,” Dakich said. “If
you look at the game
against
Tulsa
and
Notre Dame when he
was playing a lot more
minutes, just because
of that energy and how he was
finishing around the rim. … And
his confidence just kind of grew.”
It was a strong finish to the
season, but more importantly,
Wagner now knew what he had to
improve on. And that
spotlight on him was
about to get much,
much brighter.
***
When
Wagner
signed on to play
at Michigan, there
were
no
available
scholarships.
It
wasn’t until then-
senior Max Bielfeldt
transferred
to
Indiana that a roster spot opened
up.
But
the
Wolverines
were
without a senior for the 2015-
16 season, and Wagner was still
looking up at Doyle and Donnal.
That, too, changed quickly.
Doyle transferred to Florida
Gulf Coast, opening up valuable
minutes in a depleted Michigan
frontcourt. And on the heels of
his strong finish, Wagner saw an
opportunity to seize playing time.
So he went to work. He gained
15 pounds working with strength
and
conditioning
coach
Jon
Sanderson, and with that came a
renewed mindset.
“I love these guys. Seeing Ricky
leave like that, I hope he has a
great season in Florida,” Wagner
said. “… After my freshman year,
there was, like, kind of a time
where I saw, ‘Okay, this is my
time. Now I’m ready physically,
and especially mentally.’ And I
kind of embraced it.”
From there, Wagner had to
prove himself on the court. He
cracked the starting lineup in
the first game, but things weren’t
always great for him at the start
of the season. Wagner showed
flashes, though. He had his first
20-point game against Kennesaw
State on Dec. 3 and his first
double-double in a blowout over
Indiana on Jan. 26.
What Wagner struggled with
was consistency. Interspersed in
his double-digit scoring nights
were losses against Illinois and
Ohio State, when he had just six
and five points, respectively.
Yet, through the ups and downs,
Wagner was becoming a fan
favorite. His natural charisma,
which he says comes from his
MIKE PERSAK
Daily Sports Editor
He started playing
really well for us
at the end of his
freshman year.
I think I’m one
of the vocal guys
that has to step up
his leadership.