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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan freshman Franz Wagner now has six games under his belt, and it’s been something of a hit-or-miss affair.
With his freshman debut slightly delayed due to a fractured wrist he suffered in training camp, Wagner has shown flashes of the greatness that’s been expected of him — highlighted in an 18-point performance against Iowa last Friday — but his play has been somewhat uneven to start.
It’s to be expected of new college players, and though Wagner has experience playing in the professional ranks overseas, for his native Alba Berlin, it’s still been an adjustment.
His head coach, Juwan Howard, says that Wagner can be really hard on himself, but he’s working to ensure that he remains patient and doesn’t press too hard.
“He is his worst critic – that’s what makes him great,” Howard said. “I just want to make sure he doesn’t beat himself too much. Because it’s gonna happen. The last game, he wasn’t the only one that had a game that felt like he could have had a better game. Some shots did not fall for him. 2 threes in a row – I love those threes that he took. It’s gonna go down, and I trust it.
“Does he beat himself up? Yes, he does. But, no, he’s not pressing.”
Through six games, Wagner is averaging 7.6 points-per-game, shooting an average of 34.9% in 27.8 minutes-per-game. In his breakout performance against the Hawkeyes, Wagner went 4-of-10 from the floor, including one three-pointer, and made 9-of-10 free throws.
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