Michigan Wolverines basketball sophomore wing Franz Wagner decided not to go through the NBA Draft process in the offseason like senior forward Isaiah Livers did, but he had plenty of hype entering his second season in Ann Arbor.
Through six games, however, Wagner's offensive numbers have been lower than expected, with the German averaging 9.5 points per game and shooting 25 percent from beyond the arc. He is, however, averaging seven rebounds and 2.8 assists per game while playing outstanding perimeter defense, and that's why he and head coach Juwan Howard believe he's off to a fine start through six games this season.
"I think I played good defense — I think you can see I’m stronger, a little bit quicker than last year," Wagner said of his first six games of the year. "I feel comfortable out there on defense. Obviously, there’s little things, like mental mistakes, that you can take care of, but I was pleased with the way I played on that side of the ball.
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"Offensively, I want to be more aggressive. That’s the main thing," Wagner said. "That doesn’t mean I should take more shots or stuff like that … that’s one thing I talked with the coaches about — I feel like I’m a little bit better when I’m aggressive, looking to score and looking to make plays. I think that’s one of the things that I worked on now during this little break. But yeah, overall, I feel like I played pretty decent, to be honest."
Though Wagner improved over the offseason — both as a player and an athlete, working with his brother Moe in the nation's capital and U-M strength and conditioning coach Jon Sanderson — he's had to adjust, not playing with point guard Zavier Simpson, who had the most assists in college basketball last season.
Shots have been harder to come by, and defenses have had to collapse less on other players, giving Wagner and others less space to work with. Simpson helped each and every one of his teammates get better shots than they otherwise would've.
"It’s a different role now for me than last year," Wagner explained. "Last year, I got the ball in the perfect spot where I always wanted it, from ‘X’ [Simpson] most of the time. All I had to do was really finish.
"I think this year is going to be a lot more creating my own shot and creating more for others. That’s one thing I gotta get used to on this level, and that’s part of getting better, is you struggle sometimes and have to figure some things out."
The Wolverines will have not played for 12 days before they take on Nebraska in Lincoln on Christmas Day. Wagner said a break like this can get players or a team out of rhythm, but he believes they're also more rested and know the game plan better.
For Wagner, a player looking to retool some aspects of his offensive game, the days off may be a positive, allowing him to hit the reset button. And of course, not having to worry about classes and final exams can help clear the head as well.
"I work a lot. I work out before practice, after practice, that kind of stuff," Wagner said. "But even more important, for me, is just kinda having a little mental break from playing the games and having school and all that. It was, at least for me, very good to have this little break now.
"But I’m very excited to start playing, and that’s when we have the most fun."
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