Franz Wagner Projected As Early Second-Round Pick In 2021 NBA Draft
Michigan Wolverines basketball received big news in the spring when rising sophomore guard Franz Wagner decided not to enter his name into the NBA Draft and chose to return for at least one more season in Ann Arbor. In late July, head coach Juwan Howard got significant news once again, as senior forward Isaiah Livers joined Wagner in returning to school, withdrawing his name from the draft.
Going into the process this summer, Livers said he was looking for a guarantee he would be selected by an NBA club, something he did not receive. It appears it won't be a guarantee he gets nabbed in the 2021 draft, either, with ESPN's Jonathan Givony not listing him on his latest mock draft.
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It's worth noting that Livers missed 10 games last season with various injuries and was not able to showcase his skillset when at full strength for the entire campaign. He was tied for the team's lead in points per game, averaging 12.9, and also added 4.0 rebounds and 1.1 assists per outing. He will have ample opportunity to impress scouts and front offices this upcoming season, assuming it gets played.
Wagner, on the other hand, was pegged as an early second-round pick by Givony at No. 39 overall (out of 60 total picks). As a freshman, the German averaged 11.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game, but was surging as the year went on, scoring 15.8 points per over the club's final seven outings.
Wagner was known as a high-level shooter when he entered college from overseas, but suffered a right wrist (shooting hand) fracture ahead of the season, forcing him to miss weeks of preseason practices and the team's first four contests. He shot the deep ball at just 31.1 percent during his freshman season, but some of those struggles can most likely be attributed to his injury and having to recover from it.
There were four other Big Ten standouts on Givony's mock draft, including Michigan State guard Aaron Henry (No. 38), Indiana forward Trayce Jackson-Davis (No. 45), Iowa center Luka Garza (No. 58) and Illinois guard Ayo Dosunmu (No. 59). Former Michigan commit Isaiah Todd, who spurned the Maize and Blue for the G-League, is projected to go No. 48 overall.
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