Video & Analysis: Franz Wagner Talks Injury, Rehab, Returning To Lineup

Franz Wagner made his first start in the Bahamas for the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament and has had some ups and downs.

Freshman guard Franz Wagner broke his wrist just before the season tipped off and missed the first month or so of the season. Now he's back, in the starting lineup and getting acclimated to playing with his teammates, knocking off the rust and regaining his confidence. The 6-9, multitalented freshman knows that he won't be at his best right away, but is very optimistic that he'll get there sooner rather than later.

Brown's Breakdown

I personally think Wagner is going to be awesome this year once it all clicks. You can still see that he's a little hesitant and not overly comfortable on the court just yet. He's had the ball knocked out of his hands and hasn't shot it particularly well but there have been flashes.

On defense he's extremely long and moves his feet better than you'd think. He's also extremely smart and has a knack for tapping rebounds to his teammates. That's a skill that won't show up in the box score but changes the dynamic of the game. Instead of an offensive rebound and scoring opportunity for an opponent, Michigan gets the ball heading the other way.

Wagner has also shown a few glimpses of how unstoppable he could be on offense. He's not Giannis Antetokounmpo, but he's extremely like like The Greek Freak is and you get a sense of that when he drives to the basket and finishes layups a foot over the rim. He also has a very smooth, repeatable stroke but just hasn't quite found the mark yet. He's just 4-of-14 from deep as he tries to find his range.

Once it all clicks, he might end up being one of the tougher guards in the Big Ten. With his height, ball handling ability, range and overall athleticism, he's going to be a problem.

How good do you think Wagner can be? What will be his final impact on this team this year? Comment below!!!