Kornacki: The Time Has Come for Moe to Go Pro
4/14/2018 10:45:00 AM | Men's Basketball, Features
By Steve Kornacki
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Moritz Wagner began his college journey by flying from Berlin, Germany, across an ocean and eventually landing in the place that quickly became "home" to him.
Wagner became known as Moe and put smiles on faces as surely as points on the scoreboard, and he brought a love for basketball and a love for the University of Michigan. And those passions carried both him and his team a long, long way.
The Wolverines were a .500 team the season before Wagner arrived. He ended up with two Big Ten Tournament championships (and one Most Outstanding Player trophy) as well as NCAA Sweet 16 and championship game appearances (and an All-Final Four team award).
But now the time has come for Moe to go pro.
Wagner, a 6-foot-11 junior who can win games with three-point shots as surely as clutch rebounds, made the announcement Saturday morning (April 14) and sat down the day before with MGoBlue.com for a lengthy conversation about where he's been and where he's headed.
"My decision is to take the next step in life," said Wagner. "It feels like this is a new step in my life that I have to take. It has nothing to do with money. It has nothing to do with what pick it is, whether it's the first round or second round. Obviously, it matters. But that's not why I'm taking this next step. It's more that as an individual, as a human being, I feel there's a new challenge. There's a certain hunger with everything I do, and I feel like the biggest hunger to improve is in taking that next step.
"So, I can go to bed and sleep well in taking that step. It has nothing to do with risking anything. It's just my next step in life."
Wagner explored jumping to the NBA after his sophomore season, when he became a focal player during a magical postseason run for the Wolverines, but decided there was still more to accomplish, more room to improve, and said he loved the college experience too much to leave.
He averaged 14.6 points and 7.1 rebounds this season, improving on the 12.1 and 4.2 from the year before, and was a tri-captain along with seniors Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman and Duncan Robinson.
I asked what he gained from the added experience.
"Just so much," said Wagner. "First of all, from a basketball standpoint, it was an entirely new experience for me to be one of only two starters who stayed. The three of us captains knew we were leaders, but that was an entirely new role. I had been a leader under the radar but wasn't held accountable for the mistakes.
"I was very ambitious to take on that challenge and be consistent. I hadn't proven that yet. So, that was big for me. In your third year here, you understand what our culture really means. And it all comes from Coach (John) Beilein. He has such a big impact on people in building that culture and living it. It will always impact my life. It is the mindset of doing things right. That sets you up for success. I'll always take that with me."
He improved as a leader and as a rebounder. He became more comfortable and consistent offensively.
"I just wanted to prove that I could rebound," said Wagner, who will turn 21 on April 26. "It was a mental thing that I taught and forced myself to do.
"When you trust yourself more offensively and defensively, there is time to improve and things you can focus on more. So, every time a shot goes up, you just go get it. I got so much more consistent, and that's something I'm very proud of. And something that you can't measure with a stat is just how the game moves for me now. The offense felt like math at first. But once that slows down, the game gets a lot easier."
Wagner had one double-double in his first two seasons but registered eight this season and was one rebound away from four more. He scored 24 points with a career-high 15 rebounds against Loyola Chicago in a Final Four semifinal and had 16 points and seven rebounds in the championship game loss to Villanova.
"I love the big stage," Wagner said with a smile. "Coach Beilein always knew this."
Wagner also scored a career-high 27 points in an emotional win at Michigan State this season and got 26 points against No. 2 seed Louisville as a sophomore to help the Wolverines reach the Sweet 16.
So, there are plenty of highlights to choose from. But what does he consider his finest moment at Michigan?
"That's a good question," said Wagner. "But for me, my favorite game was at Dayton, the play-in (NCAA First Four) game. It was my first game on the big stage, and I did things I hadn't done before. I thought, 'I can do this!' People actually struggled against me. That was the first time I felt that, and that was my favorite game here."
He had four points, eight rebounds, four blocked shots and a steal in 22 minutes during that victory over Tulsa in 2016.
Wagner recalled exiting the team charter plane after the runway crash prior to winning the 2017 Big Ten Tournament and winning it again in 2018 before reaching the Final Four in San Antonio.
"I look at the ring with that little airplane on it every day," said Wagner, "That's something I'll hold forever, and now I can't wait to get the Final Four ring. We were a team everyone slept on, and Jordan (Poole) hit that shot to beat Houston, and we kept winning."
Wagner, in the School of Kinesiology, also got a year closer to his degree, which he plans to achieve with online classes in the next year.
"That's important for me and my family," said Wagner, whose parents, Beate and Axel, attended the Final Four. "Education was a big part of why I came here. My parents are doing well financially. So, it was nothing to do with money. They're very happy to realize I am mature enough to realize this is the next step in my life. They support me and are honestly very happy that I'm able to chase my dream."
Wagner's next focus is readying himself for the scrutiny that will come before the June 21 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. In fact, he was scheduled to fly to New York on Saturday with agent Joe Branch, who also represents Caris LeVert, Wagner's former Michigan teammate now playing for the Brooklyn Nets.
Where is Wagner being projected to be taken?
"So far," said Wagner, "it's the end of the first round or the second round. Those are projections. But, honestly, I don't really care. Obviously, I want to be a first-round pick. That's the little kid's dream.
"But, at this point, it's more about a life decision. No matter where I'm picked, if at the end of the day if I'm able to make a living off what I love to do, regardless of the money, on a team that believes in me, that's so much more valuable."
And there's the opportunity to play against his boyhood idol, Dallas Mavericks German superstar Dirk Nowitzki, who this week announced that he'll play his 21st season in 2018-19.
"It would mean a lot and be very personal for me," said Wagner, who spoke at length with Nowitzki at a Detroit Pistons game in 2017. "For me growing up, he was my M.J. (Michael Jordan). It's very crazy."
Wagner's farewell event for the Wolverines was the team banquet this week. He was named co-MVP along with Abdur-Rahkman, and a photo of the two of them receiving their awards with Beilein tells a story. Their joyous smiles reflect their journey together from nowhere to somewhere special.
"There are similarities between those three guys," said Wagner. "Muhammad came in as a two-star recruit. Coach Beilein worked his way all the way up (beginning as a high school coach). Those were three workers out there who had come a long way and made it to the national championship game.
"I have to thank so many people for what I've experienced here. I'm just doing my job, but there were so many people who helped me out. It's incredible. I loved it here and was so comfortable because of all the support I got.
"People thank me, but I love this. I love the sport so much that this passion is for myself. I have to thank you guys, the fans, for supporting me. I might have put my tongue out and done some crazy stuff, but there are so many things I appreciate that can't be put into words. I came from so far away, and now this literally is my home. I'll always come back here and feel at home, feel comfortable. I'm very grateful for the time I had here."
He said parents tell him that their children are practicing his behind-the-back dribble or fadeaway shot.
"Inspiring people," said Wagner. "That's what it's all about. To hear those things means the most."
Moe Wagner left his mark as a player and as a person fans could relate to, and now he leaves to pursue the next step in his basketball dream.
• Read: Moe's Essay (Player's Tribune)
Coach John Beilein on Wagner
"Moe has been a very special young man in his three years at Michigan. Coming to the United States at 18 years old and thriving the way he has is an amazing story. He truly embodies what Michigan basketball is all about. He is an excellent student-athlete who has embraced his education, life on campus and his athletic opportunity since the first day he came to Ann Arbor.
"His grit, selflessness, energy and fun-loving side was contagious and a significant reason behind our success. That part of his personality will always be a part of Michigan basketball lore. Moe was committed to proving he could play at a high level every day. His daily desire for excellence, his skill set at that size, bodes well for him as he enters the world of professional basketball. I am confident he has a brilliant future awaiting him. We are excited to see what is in store for Moe in the months and years ahead. We wish him nothing but the very best in every way."
