Busting Brackets
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Big Ten Basketball: Analyzing each program’s 2019 recruiting class

By Lukas Harkins

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MARCH 12: A general interior view of the empty court during the semifinals of the 2011 Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament at Conseco Fieldhouse on March 12, 2011 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MARCH 12: A general interior view of the empty court during the semifinals of the 2011 Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament at Conseco Fieldhouse on March 12, 2011 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
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ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN – FEBRUARY 28: Michigan’s dance team. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN – FEBRUARY 28: Michigan’s dance team. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

. . . Michigan Wolverines. . player. 485

Michigan basketball did not experience a smooth offseason. In addition to losing arguably their three best players to the NBA Draft, the Wolverines also had to wave goodbye to their head coach. Thankfully, the program quickly rebounded with the hire of former star Juwan Howard to take over the top job. Even though he is yet to coach a game with the program, he is already off to a strong recruiting start. Of Michigan’s two 2019 commits, Coach Howard was able to seal the deal on one of them.

That prospect is Franz Wagner, an exceptionally talented German wing. At 6-foot-7, the young star brings plenty of size to the position and he is a unique all-around scorer. While playing overseas, he was quickly blossoming into one of the best young stars in the nation before committing to Michigan. Wagner is a perfect candidate to outperform his recruiting ranking of No. 114 in the country considering his experience against pros. He could be thrust into the starting lineup from Day 1 this season and should live up to the hype.

The other incoming freshman in this class is Cole Bajema. Another highly-talented wing, Bajema comes in ranked as the No. 112 player in the country. He is a strong recruit capable of playing immediate minutes for the team and Coach Howard will need him to do just that. Bajema will likely need to add some weight before taking on a starring role but can score at all three levels while standing at 6-foot-7.

Both Wagner and Bajema will compete for starting spots this season and could be two of the best incoming freshmen in the entire Big Ten.

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