Michigan Basketball: Could Franz Wagner be a top-10 pick?

Franz Wagner checked in as a lottery pick in a recent 2021 NBA mock draft and the Michigan basketball recruits also received final rankings. 

It was tough to say goodbye to Franz Wagner after two years with the Michigan basketball program. Wagner was an exceptional player and if the latest NBA mock draft from The Athletic (subscription required) is correct, Wagner is going to be a lottery pick.

Wagner is projected as the No. 11 overall pick in the mock draft (via The Wolverine). Wagner seems like a lock to be a first-round pick and now, it seems possible that he goes in the top 10 when the 2021 NBA draft rolls around.

The 6-foot-9 Wagner really took a step forward in his development this past season, scoring more than 12 points a game and turning into a dominant defender.

His 3-point shot needs some work. His shot looks good, he just needs to find consistency. But he can create for others, get his own shot and also play a complementary role.

On top of all that, he’s one of the best defenders in the NBA draft. Wagner is quick, long, and instinctive. He was Second-Team All-Big Ten in 2020-21, but he should have been the league’s Defensive Player of the Year.

NBA teams will recognize what Wagner can do — on both ends of the floor — so expect to hear his name early on draft night. It seems like the sweet spot is somewhere between 10-20.

Final rankings for 2021 newcomers

Nowadays there is a ranking for everything. Recruiting rankings are obvious, but transfers are ranked now too and if you believe the ranking put out by CBS Sports, Michigan basketball landed one of the top transfers in the country.

DeVante Jones, who announced his commitment to Michigan last Saturday, is ranked as the No. 9 transfer for 2021. He’s expected to be the Wolverines starting point guard, filling the role of Mike Smith, who transferred last offseason to U-M from Columbia.

Here’s what David Cobb wrote about Jones for CBS:

"“Jones earned Sun Belt Player of the Year honors in the 2020-21 season while averaging 19.3 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.8 steals for a team that finished 18-8. Though his prolific scoring stands out, Jones should be able to adopt more of a distributor role for a Wolverines squad that will again be loaded with talent.”"

Jones will be joining Michigan along with the No. 1 recruiting class in the country according to the 247 sports composite rankings, even after the latest update.

On a positive note, some Wolverines received a bump and now four signees are ranked in the top 50: Caleb Houstan (No.6), Moussa Diabate (No. 16), Kobe Bufkin (No. 41), and Frankie Collins (No. 47).

The biggest jump in the final ranking came from Collins, who moved up four spots from 51 to 47, giving Michigan basketball its fourth top-50 recruit in the final composite rankings. Four-star Isaiah Barnes finished 110th overall, while Will Tschetter came in 143rd overall.