Friday, November 10, 2017
TIP OFF 2017
5B
dad, has a tendency to show
itself on the basketball court. He
pounded his chest and stuck out
his tongue after big plays. After
big scoring outputs in games
against Purdue and Wisconsin,
his fans were hooked.
“One of my former coaches
in Germany told me once that
he thinks I see the basketball
court as a stage,” Wagner said.
“That kind of sums it up pretty
nicely. I really enjoy that type
of spotlight. I think it’s just my
thing.”
That increased
tenfold
in
the
postseason.
After
a
miracle
run to the Big
Ten Tournament
Championship
and
a
shootout
victory
over
Oklahoma
State
in the first round
of
the
NCAA
Tournament,
the
Wolverines
ran into their toughest test: No.
2-seed Louisville. The Cardinals’
size figured to be a problem for
Wagner, who had struggled on
defense at times.
But Wagner exploded again.
He led his team with 26 points,
further cementing himself as a
force for Michigan.
Fans weren’t the only ones
who took notice. Suddenly, NBA
scouts were watching, and at the
end of the season, Wagner was
invited to the NBA Combine.
Thanks to new rules, he was
allowed to work out for NBA
teams and still be eligible to
return to school.
Right up until the decision
deadline, Wagner was on the
fence.
“Even the day he made his
decision, people had no idea, even
us close to him,” Hibbitts said.
“Unless he told us personally, we
had no idea.”
Added Wagner: “I talked to
a lot of people, but I kept the
inner circle as small as possible,
just because it’s my
decision.”
Ultimately,
Wagner
decided
to come back for
one
more
year.
The criticisms he
received from NBA
scouts were similar
to the ones he’d been
getting all season.
He
was
told
he
needed to improve
his rebounding, his defense, his
strength and explosiveness. Even
Wagner admits “it isn’t really big
news.”
So back to work he went. He
had been given advice on specific
skills to improve, but Wagner
didn’t let that faze him. He was
more focused on improving his
game in every facet.
“I hate when people come
and say, ‘I worked on this all
summer,’ ” Wagner said. “Like,
no you’re not, because you’re
going to shoot too. I always want
to improve in everything. So, yes,
I have those things in mind, but
I know about that type of stuff.
I just work out like I always do,
and I focus on certain things, but
it’s not a huge deal.”
Something
else
changed,
though. There was more attrition
coming,
and
the
spotlight’s
intensity was about to increase.
***
Wagner didn’t go to the NBA
Combine alone. Forward D.J.
Wilson went too. The difference
was
that
Wilson’s
feedback
was positive enough for him to
make the decision to enter the
NBA Draft. He was taken by the
Milwaukee Bucks with the 17th
pick. Add that to the graduation
of forward Zak Irvin and guard
Derrick Walton Jr., and Wagner
is one of the most experienced
returning
players
for
the
Wolverines.
Not
only
does
that
mean
heightened
expectations
from
people on the outside, but it
means he’s expected to take on a
leadership role on the team, too.
“Now I’ve seen a couple of
things,” Wagner said. “I’ve been
to two NCAA Tournaments, and
I’m one of the more experienced
guys on the team. I think people
listen to me and trust me too, just
as much as I trust them. I think
I’m one of the vocal guys that
has to step up his leadership.
Last year, I was a leader, too. But
when I made a mistake, it kind
of slipped under the table a little
bit. This year, if I make a mistake
I get held accountable for it,
because I am one of the leaders.”
Wagner
still
has
all
his
aspirations
in
front
of
him.
The NBA will still be there
next season, and his dream of
opening a Chipotle in Germany
is attainable from there. But for
now, he will focus on the little
things that will get him to that
point.
That means slightly shifting the
emotions that have made Wagner
so beloved — he says he wants
to cut down on complaining, not
just on the basketball court, but
in his entire life.
It
means
continuing
to
improve his body to make him
more successful and continuing
to develop the skills that have
gotten him this far.
But Wagner is no stranger to
adapting to change. He did it as
a freshman, taking the leap to a
foreign country to play college
basketball.
He did it as a sophomore,
thriving
in
a
role
no
one
anticipated he’d have.
Now, the man who calls the
court his stage is ready to begin
his third act.
The spotlight is brighter than
ever. That’s just the way Wagner
likes it.
SAM MOUSIGIAN/Daily
Junior forward Moritz Wagner has always thought of the basketball court as his stage, and now he has a bigger spotlight than ever to put on a performance for Michigan.
SAM MOUSIGIAN/Daily
Junior forward Moritz Wagner will become the focal point of the Wolverines’ offense after an offseason of attrition.
I really enjoy that
type of spotlight.
I think it’s just my
thing.