Wagner Selected Eighth Overall by Magic in NBA Draft; Livers Goes to Pistons
7/29/2021 8:47:00 PM | Men's Basketball
BROOKLYN, N.Y. -- University of Michigan men's basketball sophomore guard Franz Wagner was selected by the Orlando Magic in the first round with the eighth overall pick of the 2021 NBA Draft on Thursday night (July 29) at Barclays Center. Senior guard/forward Isaiah Livers was chosen in the second round (42nd overall) by the Detroit Pistons.
Wagner is Michigan's 18th lottery selection (picks 1-14). Since 2013, the Wolverines have had nine first-round picks and 12 total selections. Wagner and his brother Moritz (No. 25 pick, Los Angeles Lakers, 2018) are in line to become the 87th pair of brothers to play in the NBA.
Let's hear from the No. 8 pick!#NBADraft #ProBlue#GoBlue ???? #ForCompetitorsOnly pic.twitter.com/hJ2O8MtbM8
— Michigan Men's Basketball (@umichbball) July 30, 2021
After following his brother from Berlin to Ann Arbor, Franz Wagner spent two seasons with the Wolverines before electing to leave early for the NBA. He started 55 consecutive games, scoring 661 points (12.0 ppg), grabbing 334 rebounds (6.1 rpg) and racking up 33 double-figure games (six 20+) and four double-doubles.
In 2020-21, Wagner helped the Maize and Blue to a 23-5 record and the program's 15th Big Ten title with a 14-3 record. The All-Big Ten second teamer had a career season with 12.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game, leading U-M with 35 steals and finishing second with 29 blocks. As a freshman, Wagner earned a spot on the Big Ten All-Freshman team after averaging 11.6 points and 5.6 rebounds.
Off the court, Wagner became the seventh U-M player to earn Academic All-America honors. He is working toward a degree in organizational studies, and will look to continue his studies remotely. A 2021 Academic All-District first teamer, he also was an Academic All-Big Ten selection in 2021 and is a two-time U-M Academic Achievement honoree. In 2020, he was honored as the U-M Academic Success Program's Male Rookie of the Year.
Let's hear that 42nd pick one more time!#NBADraft #ProBlue#GoBlue ???? #ForCompetitorsOnly pic.twitter.com/QmvqHvRFaN
— Michigan Men's Basketball (@umichbball) July 30, 2021
Coming to Ann Arbor from Kalamazoo, Livers -- a Mr. Basketball in Michigan -- played in 118 career games at U-M and was 13 points shy of reaching 1,000 (987) for his career before a right-foot injury halted his senior year in the postseason. During his four-year career, he recorded 44 double-figure games with nine games of 20-plus points. Livers finished with 164 three-pointers, 453 rebounds and 110 assists.
With Livers, Michigan had a 105-32 record, as he helped U-M win a second straight Big Ten Tournament title in 2018 and a conference title in 2021, while posting two seasons with 30 wins or more, advancing to three straight NCAA Sweet 16s, two Elite Eights (2018, '21) and the 2018 Final Four and national title game.
The selection of Wagner and Livers marks the 15th time U-M has had multiple players selected in the same draft. The last was in 2019 when Jordan Poole was chosen 28th by the Golden State Warriors and Ignas Brazdeikis 47th by the Sacramento Kings before being traded to New York.
Despite going undrafted, senior guard Chaundee Brown Jr. signed an exhibit 10 contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, while graduate student guard Mike Smith signed an NBA Summer League deal with the Milwaukee Bucks, the reigning NBA champions.
Michigan NBA Draft Notes
• Michigan has 63 NBA Draft selections
• Michigan has had two No. 1 overall NBA Draft selections (Cazzie Russell, 1966; Chris Webber, 1993).
• Michigan has six top-five NBA Draft selections.
• Michigan has 18 NBA Draft Lottery selections.
• Michigan has 29 first-round NBA Draft selections.
• Michigan has 11 second-round NBA Draft selections.
• Since 2013, Michigan has seen nine of its 13 drafted players chosen in the first round.
• Since 1988, 20 of the 31 Wolverines drafted have been chosen in the first round.
