Michigan Basketball: 3 former Wolverines Franz Wagner resembles

Nik Stauskas

When it comes to great Michigan basketball players in recent memory, Nik Stauskas name certainly comes to mind and while that’s a lot for Wagner to live up to, if he stays two years as Nik did, it’s possible he could replicate his production.

Stauskas is a 6-foot-6 guard that came to the Wolverines as a deadly 3-point shooter. He shot 44 percent from downtown in both of his seasons in Ann Arbor and scored 11 points per game as a freshman for the 2013 team that made the Final Four.

In the 2013-14 season, Stauskas took on a bigger role as a sophomore and after averaging more than 17 a game, he was named Big Ten Player of the Year.

Like Wagner, his offensive arsenal is built around his jumper but in his second season, he used that threat to attack the basket more and earned 5.5 trips to the free-throw line per game. Over time, Wagner should be able to do that too and he showed that skill more than a few times in European competition.

Stauskas improved a lot on both ends of the floor and turned himself into a lottery pick. With Wagner, that same potential exists. He should make an immediate impact this season as Stauskas did when he was a freshman with the chance to become the featured player as Nik once was too.