Michigan Basketball: What to make of the visit by Franz Wagner

Michigan basketball got a visit Tuesday from Franz Wagner, which begs the question, can the Wolverines still potentially land the German star?

It has been an unpredictable week for Michigan basketball fans with the shocking news of John Beilein to the Cavs stunning everyone Monday morning.

Since that time, most of the thought has been about who will replace Beilein at the helm of Michigan basketball and it has been widely assumed that guys like Franz Wagner were no longer a possibility.

Wagner, the younger brother of Moritz Wagner, seemed like a long shot after Beilein announced his intention to join Cleveland. Beilein visited the forward in Germany recently but he was still choosing between his professional team and playing college basketball.

While Wagner did express interest in some other schools, most experts believed if he was going to come to the United States, he would play for Michigan basketball. Obviously, Beilein, who had a great relationship with Moe Wagner, was seen as a big reason why UM had a shot.

Well, despite Beilein leaving for the Cavs Monday, Wagner still visited Michigan on Tuesday according to a report by the Michigan Insider.

Of course, there is a lot at play here and I want to take a look at what this means or could mean for the Wolverines.

For one, Wagner probably wants to get a really good look at Michigan. It’s a great school and Beilein built a great program. Even if he’s not going to be around, many of the players will be, some of the assistants could be and many of the great things about playing at Michigan will still be there.

It’s a great school and if the Wolverines hire the right coach, it will still be an elite college basketball program. Who knows when Wagner scheduled this visit and maybe it was just poor timing. He probably didn’t know about Beilein going to the Cavs when he planned it, but him following through with the visit could be a sign that he is still interested.

Obviously, no one is going to commit to a team without a coach. But if the Wolverines are able to land a new head coach within a couple of weeks, if he and Wagner hit it off, a commitment could still be possible.

I wouldn’t bet on it but don’t overlook the fact that Moritz had a great time at Michigan. It’s possible the interest is real and that if the coaching fit is right, UM could still be a valid option.

On the other hand, Wagner could be trying to make his team think he still has a strong interest in Michigan in order to entice a better contract offer. He is going to get paid if he plays over there instead of going the college route, so it’s not unheard of to try and leverage one offer against another.

Certainly, Michigan can’t offer a contract, but it can offer another path to the NBA, one that his brother used to become a first-round pick.

We’ll see what happens in the coming days, but from my perspective, little or no news on Wagner during the coaching search is good news. Hopefully, he’s still open to Michigan but in the grand scheme of things, it’s secondary to finding the right guy to replace coach Beilein.