Michigan Basketball: Moe Wagner, D.J. Wilson Invited To NBA Draft Combine
Michigan big men Moe Wagner and D.J. Wilson declared for the NBA Draft without agents, and both are expected to be second round picks as of now. They'll both get an opportunity to improve their draft stock in the coming weeks, however.
ESPN's Jeff Goodman reports both have been invited to the Draft Combine.
Senior guard Derrick Walton Jr. is listed as an alternate.
Head coach John Beilein said in mid-April he planned to be there for a short time, and then would turn it over to his assistants. One of them, Billy Donlon, is almost a sure thing.
"I’ll be the combine at least a day. I have other commitments I'll have to switch around if I can," he said. "My assistant coaches will probably go ... I know Billy Donlon loves Chicago pizza, so he will probably want to go there at least a day."
The Michigan coaches have to be there for their players, Beilein added.
"The only conduit between NBA teams and players ... the only ones are coaching staff and families," he said. "It cannot be others. So we’re very involved in this. This is only two years old, and we didn’t do this last year. We’re learning as well, making sure we try to put them in the best situation."
It would help the team if they decided sooner than later, Beilein said, but he insisted making the right choice came first.
"I recommended that they follow their heart right now, if they wanted to try out," Beilein said. "It will give them [a sense] of rankings, where similar guys were and where they got drafted. Some of it’s relative ... some of it’s not."
Both have until May 24 to decide whether to stay in the draft or return to Michigan. Wilson is currently home working out in Sacramento, while Wagner is back home in Germany.
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