Michigan Basketball: 5 things we learned from Wolverines Elite 8 run

Franz deserves credit, not blame

If people try to blame Michigan’s loss on Franz Wagner, I guess that’s understandable, but it’s ridiculous. The Wolverines would never have been to the Elite 8 if it wasn’t for Wagner.

Without the five-minute stretch where he scored nine points and dominated on both ends of the floor, Michigan might have been knocked out in the round of 32.

And without a doubt, he was the best player on the floor against Florida State. He was flat-out dominant and without him that day, even that game could have been much closer.

The fact that people want to come at Franz after one poor game is really sad. He had a rough game. Sometimes you just don’t shoot well and Franz has always been streaky. He can shoot 40 percent from 3-point range one week and 20 something the next.

He was incredible this season and should have been the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. He will be a lottery pick in June and while everyone, Franz included is disappointed in the outcome, Franz had as big a role as anyone in Michigan winning the Big Ten and reaching the Elite 8 in the first place, as Juwan rightly said after the game.