Michigan Basketball: How to watch, three predictions for Michigan State

Wagner has his first big moment

Franz Wagner hasn’t quite lived up to expectations so far in his first season in Ann Arbor, although a wrist injury has certainly had an impact on that.

But there have been glimpses of greatness such as the 21-point performance in a loss to Oregon. If Michigan is going to beat its rival Sunday, that’s the Wagner that needs to show up.

So far, he’s averaging 8.2 points a game and he’s been a solid presence on both ends of the floor. Yet, he’s making only 29 percent of his shots from beyond the arc and with Livers sidelined, that has to change.

Wagner will get some looks against the Spartans and he simply has to make them count. Without Livers spacing the floor, if someone doesn’t step up, it’s going to make it tougher to score and force Michigan to use smaller lineups with David DeJulius, Eli Brooks and Simpson for shooting.

Wagner is too talented a player to slump for much longer. His brother Moritz Wagner had a defining game in the Breslin Center and it’d be great to see Franz do something similar.

Carrying Michigan to victory like his brother is a little too bold of a prediction, but I do think he has a breakout game of sorts.