I have no idea what to expect and probably have no business commenting. The clips of German basketball are very strange – the defence seems to occasionally devolve into street-ball style (everybody trap the guy with the ball) and they seem to learn how to shoot, dribble, and make layups differently. Shot mechanics in particular are wonky, but some guys can make it work. Maybe it will translate, maybe it won’t. At least the new Teske footage looks solid.
I like Wagner over Towns, mostly because he brings something much different to the table. Over time, I suspect Wagner will be a superior defensive player, better rebounder and play with a higher motor than Towns, and at the same time will be someone D’s have to respect on the other end of the court.
Lotsa intensity on display with young Wagner.
Wagner will quickly become despised in East Lansing and other BIG cities. He’s a yapper.
I have told you plenty of times what I think Wagner is capable of, but I also use others opinions too in case I’m off on some rare occasion…
I think he will be able to create penetration on MOST nights at the 4 spot at Michigan, if need be. He will be able to hit the open corner three consistently. It’s also obviously going to depend on what type/style of program we are going up against. Is he going up against a Swanigan/Haas front court of Purdue? He might be flattened defensively yet flourish offensively. I certainly believe he could deal with, say a front court of Costello/Schilling. Costello couldn’t stay with him on the outside imo, but maybe a Clark could if Izzo went small.
I guess it depends on your definition of consistent is - is it 30%?
Do you think he will be able to CREATE penetration for himself in an isolation situation or get out on the break/take advantage of a poor close out.
Im much more nuanced on these type of things, but there are significant differences between a creator (think Burke) and a guy that takes advantage of the creation of others (think GR3)
I think there’s a big difference between saying that a guy who is going to play the four has a good handle and that you’re going to run an offense through him. A jumbo wing that can attack close outs usually qualifies as a pretty good handle for a big guy.
Now Wagner has the mentality to do that, but I’m not sure his handle would really qualify as refined. Just hard to tell given competition and limited sample size.
I think there's a big difference between saying that a guy who is going to play the four has a good handle and that you're going to run an offense through him. A jumbo wing that can attack close outs usually qualifies as a pretty good handle for a big guy.Now Wagner has the mentality to do that, but I’m not sure his handle would really qualify as refined. Just hard to tell given competition and limited sample size.
Agreed - his quote above says Wagner will be able to create penetration on most nights…which is VERY unlikely to me. Attacking close outs does not equate to creating, the defender is essentially creating for you by over committing.
Yeah, not sure why MattD continues to make the point of Wagner not being a guy the O is initiated through. I doubt he will ever be asked to do so.
Yeah, not sure why MattD continues to make the point of Wagner not being a guy the O is initiated through. I doubt he will ever be asked to do so.
You are simply incorrect - I made the point that Wagner isn’t a creator, whereas Wolve3 explicitly said he will be a creator on most nights.
Yeah, not sure why MattD continues to make the point of Wagner not being a guy the O is initiated through. I doubt he will ever be asked to do so.You are simply incorrect - I made the point that Wagner isn’t a creator, whereas Wolve3 explicitly said he will be a creator on most nights.
Oh, my bad then. I have trouble staying engaged in some of the nauseating side arguments that derail topics.
Here’s my Wagner comp, and I’d say it’s striking how similar this high school film is to Wagner’s film:
Creating penetration can be as simple as getting by your man. It’s that simple. In no way will the offense be run through a guy like Wagner when you have weapons like we do on the outside.
Let’s hope he’s closer to Layman than to Smotrycz.
(In terms of quality. Obviously he’s more like Layman - or A. White - in style of play.)
One thing we know is Wagner has a far higher motor than Smot ever did; is that going to make him a star? Not a sure thing but his desire and perceived toughness have to be a positive.
MLive story on when Wagner says he will arrive on campus
Wagner declined to answer the question on the TOEFL test.
I took a sample TOEFL test. They ain’t easy.
Study hard young Wagner!
Good luck
I second that - good luck Moe! Your reported swagger should rub off on the team next year, even if in a limited playing role. Missed that last year after having guys like Stauskas, THJ and D-Mo bring it on previous teams.
A lot of the Asian countries actually prep the students for these tests in order to get them educated in the US. Each school has different standards in regards to the TOEFL just like the SAT or ACT. Some schools don’t even require it.
I know there was an issue with one of the recruits at Minnesota this past year. Kid speaks five languages but the university didn’t accept his score (it was high enough for most school’s standards but not high enough for UMN) even though he did well on the SAT. He took a bunch of prep courses during the fall and then was admitted for the spring semester. The coaches were not happy with the admissions department after that.
I wonder if he was going to UNC who would take this test for him…
I kid, I kid!
Henrik Rödl Or Jordan himself!
I wonder if he was going to UNC who would take this test for him…I kid, I kid!
Moritz must have passed the TOEFL as Michigan just announced his signing. Glad he is able to make it. Will be interesting to see if he is ready to crack the rotation this year.