Michigan Basketball: What It Means To Have Moritz Wagner Back

Michigan basketball got great news on Wednesday as Moritz Wagner decided to pull his name from the NBA draft and return to school for another year.

You can breathe now! (Well, almost, because D.J. Wilson is still making us wait.) But Moritz Wagner gave Michigan basketball great news on Wednesday when he announced that he’s coming back to the Wolverines for another season.

Wagner waited until the final day to back out of the NBA draft. The deadline is 11:59 p.m. EST.

This is the second consecutive day Michigan has gotten good news regarding players testing the NBA waters. Yesterday, the program introduced Ohio transfer Jaaron Simmons after he also withdrew his name from the draft.

Though some mock drafts did have Wagner going relatively high (as high as No. 30 overall), there were others that didn’t include him in the two-round draft. Wagner said at times throughout the process that being a first-round pick was important.

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Wagner’s return to Michigan means the Wolverines won’t be losing one of their most versatile players from a season ago. Wagner was able to do it all for Michigan. He had games like the one against Purdue where he was on fire from behind the arc, then he turns around in the NCAA tournament and works almost exclusively inside against Louisville.

Wagner averaged 12.1 points and 4.2 rebounds last season, and he became especially effective late.

According to the UMhoops.com scholarship chart, this doesn’t put Michigan in a bind with its scholarship count. In fact, Wilson could also announce his return and the Wolverines would be at their NCAA-alotted limit of 13.

Wagner’s offensive abilities are well documented: he has a pure shot, can handle the ball well enough to drive to the rim, and he can also work in the post (though getting stronger will definitely help that).

Michigan’s offense will probably be a lot of fun to watch again this coming season.

Wagner wasn’t as reliable on defense (adding strength would also be beneficial here), but the Wolverines are probably excited about a potential rim protector.

In terms of what this means for Michigan’s outlook next season, the Wolverines are likely looking at a top-25 ranking in the preseason. If Wilson were to return too, perhaps this could be a top-10 team.

That doesn’t look likely, though, as a Draft Express report says Wilson will keep his name in the draft. The report was also confirmed by Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports.

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But at least for now, there’s a lot to be excited about with the return of Wagner for another year.

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