ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Michigan basketball’s Franz Wagner was selected by the Orlando Magic with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft.
Wagner is the first Michigan player to be drafted in the first round since Jordan Poole, who was taken 28th overall by the Golden State Warriors in 2019.
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Wagner’s brother, Moe, was taken 25th overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2018. He plays for -- you guessed it -- the Magic, though he’s a restricted free agent this offseason.
Wagner spent two seasons at Michigan, averaging 12 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2 assists, 1.3 steals and 0.8 blocks per game. As a sophomore in 2020-21, he scored 12.5 points per game and shot 47.7% from the floor.
Though he dealt with some offensive inconsistencies at Michigan, Wagner’s length and athleticism made him an elite and disruptive defender. He can stay in front of smaller ball handlers and also contest at the rim.
As a 17-year-old, Wagner decided to come to Michigan instead of playing professional ball in Europe despite an unexpected coaching change. That decision paid off, as Juwan Howard helped him become a consensus top 10 NBA prospect.
The NCAA Tournament was canceled at the end of Wagner’s freshman season, but this year, he helped lead Michigan to a regular season Big Ten championship and the Elite Eight.