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.

