The past week has been a whirlwind 
for Michigan Athletics. From elite 
talent leaving the campus in Ann Arbor 
to promising young stars entering it, 
there has been a lot to smile about for 
the Wolverine faithful.
It seems fitting that an academic 
year 
filled 
with 
excitement 
for 
Michigan teams would feature a 
similar level of off-season drama. This 
past year, Wolverine squads performed 
miraculous postseason runs, strung 
together awe-inspiring win streaks and 
even boasted a national champion.
There’s no doubt that this level of 
sustained success has inspired current 
and future generations of Michigan 
fans and student-athletes. And that 
inspiration has played out in a flurry 
of off-season news. The Daily breaks 
down the five events in five days 
that defined the upcoming season of 
Wolverine Athletics.
June 21st: Moe Wagner drafted 
25th overall
Further filling the Michigan-to-
NBA pipeline is now-former Wolverine 
guard Moe Wagner. The 6’11” German-
native was selected by the Los Angeles 
Lakers with the 25th pick in the draft.
Wagner has had a dream career 
with Michigan, leading his teams to 
back-to-back Big Ten titles in 2017 and 

2018 and an appearance in the national 
title game.
Wagner led the team with 14.6 
points and 7.1 rebounds per game in his 
final year with the Wolverines. His elite 
blend of post moves and three-point 
ability made him a unique talent that 
the Lakers just couldn’t pass up.
Wagner’s 
first-round 
selection 
makes him the seventh first-round 
selection in the last six years from 
Michigan under head coach John 
Beilein, further cementing the elite 
status of the men’s basketball program 
in collegiate circles.
As Wagner now looks to undertake 
bigger and better things, the new 
wave of talent entered Crisler Center 
this week as well. A highly-touted 
recruiting class will now play under 
Beilein featuring top-tier in-state 
talents Brendan Johns and David 
DeJulius who hope to hear their names 
called at the draft some day.
June 
22nd: 
Quinn 
Hughes 
selected 7th overall
Not to be shown up, Quinn Hughes 
wanted to represent Michigan well at 
the NHL Draft where he was selected 
7th overall by the Vancouver Canucks.
Hughes was the second defenseman 
taken off the board, coming in behind 
the No. 1 overall pick Rasmus Dahlin 
who is largely touted as a once-in-a-
generation defenseman.
Projected to be selected in the No. 

4 - No. 8 range in the draft, Hughes fell 
a few spots before the Canucks stole 
Hughes at No. 7.
As a freshman and the youngest 
hockey player in the NCAA, Hughes 
anchored an elite Michigan defensive 
line with his unrivaled speed and vision 
for the game. Using his famed skating 
ability, Hughes thrives in transition and 
will look to quarterback Vancouver’s 
defensive line of the future.
Scoring five goals and 24 assists in 
his first season with the Wolverines, 
the only downside to Hughes’ game 
appears to be his size. Coming in at 5’10” 
and 175-lbs. Hughes will undoubtedly 
need to bulk up before he’s ready for 
the bruising size of the average NHL 
player.
From here, Hughes’ future is 
uncertain. His next step will either 
be to play another year at Michigan 
to develop his game or see if he’s truly 
ready for the next level.
June 22nd: Chris Webber accepts 
invitation to return to Michigan
On 
Friday, 
former 
Wolverine 
basketball 
legend 
Chris 
Webber 
agreed to return to Ann Arbor to be 
an honorary captain for the Michigan 
football team next season.
Since his time on the Fab Five in 
the early 1990’s, Webber has yet to set 
foot on campus or reunite with his 
old teammates since he was banished 
from Michigan for 10 years. The exile 

came after Webber committed NCAA 
violations during his time in college and 
an illicit involvement with booster Ed 
Martin — a scandal that saw Webber 
plead guilty for criminal contempt in 
2002.
After the ban was lifted in 2013, 
Webber’s return marks the beginning 
of healing for a period of Wolverine 
history mired in regret.
“I want every player that ever 
played here to feel like he’s a part of the 
building, including Chris and anyone 
else,” Beilein said. “And we’re a part 
of your program, and that’s the never 
ending quest with every player, not just 
Chris and the Fab Five. We’re really 
looking forward to the day we get him 
back here.”
June 24th: Michigan football 
lands three big recruits
For a team struggling to find NCAA 
success and desperately trying to will 
itself into the playoffs, it all starts with 
recruiting. Particularly, getting high-
level recruits to choose your program 
over the likes of your biggest rivals.
And that’s exactly what Michigan 
accomplished on Sunday.
The Wolverines hauled in three 
recruits highlighted by four-stars Mazi 
Smith and Zach Charbonnet playing 
defensive tackle and running back, 
respectively.
Both 
coming 
from 
in-state 
programs, Smith and Charbonnet add 

to an already stacked 2019 recruiting 
class and bring Michigan coach Jim 
Harbaugh’s in-state recruit total to 
seven.
Now, according to 247sports.com, 
the Wolverines have the fifth-ranked 
2019 recruiting class and the highest-
ranked class in the Big Ten.
Joining Smith and Charbonnet in 
committing to Michigan on Sunday 
is three-star tight end Erick All Jr. 
who will add even more depth in the 
Wolverines’ locker room.
Prior to the surge of commits, the 
recruiting tone was set early that 
weekend with three-star safety Joey 
Velazquez committing to Michigan to 
play football and baseball, bringing the 
weekend commitment total to four.
June 25th: Wolverines add yet 
another recruit
But Harbaugh wasn’t done there.
The very next day, three-star 
cornerback D.J. Turner III announced 
his intent to play with Michigan via 
Instagram. The commitment brought 
the Wolverines’ recruiting rampage 
total to five on the weekend and 
elevated their ranking to fifth overall.
From 
Thursday 
to 
Monday, 
Michigan was gifted with good news 
after good news from the old to the 
new. From watching its stars go to the 
pros or watching new ones come in, this 
weekend will certainly be referred to as 
a turning point for Michigan Athletics.

12

Thursday, June 28, 2018
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
SPORTS

JACOB KOPNICK
Summer Managing Sports Editor

DESIGN BY JACK SILBERMAN

