Michigan Basketball: Franz Wagner should make a decision soon

Michigan basketball target Franz Wagner is playing in the German Playoffs and once that is over, he will likely decide soon on playing for the Wolverines.

Now that the 2019 NBA draft is over, the focus for Michigan basketball shifts to Franz Wagner and trying to convince the German-born star to play in Ann Arbor next season.

On Thursday, Evans Daniels of 247 sports reported that Wagner was deciding between Michigan basketball and his German team Alba Berlin, which is currently playing the finals of the German playoffs right now.

While most people thought this was the case, it was good to get confirmation from Daniels, a college basketball insider, that Michigan was still in the hunt for the younger brother of Moritz Wagner.

While Franz is a talented player, he’s different than Moe. The 6-foot-7 Wagner is a stellar 3-point shooter and might be closer to Duncan Robinson, at least as far as comparisons go.

The younger Wagner is highly regarded, probably more so than his brother, which could be due in large part to the success Moritz enjoyed at UM. Franz is a wing but if he was part of the 2019 class, many have guessed that he would be a four-star prospect.

There are questions about how quickly he can transition to the college game, especially on defense, but he plays on one of the top German teams and scored 14 points in the second game of the German finals. His team is down 2-0 and the next game is scheduled for June 23.

If Wagner’s team loses that game, it will end the season of Alba Berlin. Once that happens, Wagner is expected to make his decision. Alba Berlin has offered him a contract for next season and some talks have taken place, yet it’s a murky situation.

Wagner visited campus shortly after John Beilein announced his departure to Cleveland. He has spoken with Juwan Howard and there has been some contact there but it’s really hard to get a read on the situation.

You have to wonder if Wagner would put his basketball future in the hands of a coach he doesn’t know, especially when you consider that his coach in Germany just got an extension and is well known for developing talent.

At the same time, Michigan basketball has turned out eight first-round picks since 2013, the third-most in college basketball during that time and that could be a selling point.

Howard knows the NBA and he will know what it takes to get there. So that could help the Wolverines woo Wagner, who likely sees the NBA as his final destination.

Playing time should be another selling point. Right now, Wagner plays minutes but his time can be inconsistent. He played 21 minutes and started one of the games and opposed to getting just over six minutes off the bench in the other.

At Michigan, he would be a clear favorite to fill the opening at shooting guard left by Jordan Poole, who was picked 28th overall by the Warriors Thursday night. Wagner would log heavy minutes and potentially as Ignas Brazdeikis did, he could use a strong freshman season to go right into the NBA. Iggy went 47th to the Knicks.

Wagner might be as interested in the college experience as his brother was, however, it feels like he is on a faster path to the NBA. Either way, we should know his status for next season soon.