As Michigan's assistant coaches finished talking on the floor of the Crisler Center on Thursday, reporters began making their way toward the players, each stationed at a table along the sidelines. The biggest crowd formed around the freshman from Germany. This was media day, and Franz Wagner's first taste of stardom in college basketball.
Soon enough, Wagner was asked about his brother. He'll be asked about Mo all season long. Wagner said he wants to play his own game. He said he tries not to think about what happened in the past, so as to stay in the moment. He was asked if staying in the moment is easy. He looked around him, at this growing throng of attention, and chuckled.
"Definitely not. There’s, like, 20 people standing here right now. But that’s part of why I came here," Wagner said. "The hype created around college players is a lot bigger than in the pros back overseas, and learning how to handle that I think is a good challenge and helps prepare you for the next level."
Ultimately, there's where Wagner wants to go. There's no doubt he has the talent to get there. His talent has already led him here, to Michigan, where Wagner will try to live up to expectations that are starting to enter the clouds. His star is rising with them, according to those who have seen him play.
Like Michigan associate head coach Phil Martelli, who can't be easily wowed after more than 40 years in the business.
“It's subtle," Martelli said. "It's like, how did he know to help defend there? How did he know to go with the right hand? I don't want to put a lot of pressure on him, but he's a ‘Rain Man’ in basketball. He's a savant."
Junior forward Isaiah Livers doesn't have quite the perspective that Martelli does. But he noticed those same natural instincts the first time he saw Wagner play, during an open gym this summer.
"I was like, okay," Livers said. "This kid’s got some potential."
What caught his eye?
"He was just so long and skilled. He can handle the ball, it's pretty tight for how tall he is. And his IQ, that’s another thing. Playing overseas with pros has kind of enhanced his knowledge of the game, and I definitely recognized that when I saw it. The way his reads are, it’s just incredible."
Wagner has been practicing with Michigan for close to a month now, which has only heightened the excitement. Livers smiled. The season opener is just a couple weeks away.
"I want to know what he’s capable of, too, just like you guys," he said.
If Wagner laughs and talks like his brother, even dunks like his brother, he doesn't necessarily play like him. For one, they man different spots on the floor. The older Wagner was more of a stretch-5. The younger one will play anything but the 5. Livers said Wagner reminds him of Charles Matthews with a longer wingspan.
"Franz is all guard. He’s an all perimeter player," said assistant coach Saddi Washington, who also coached Mo for two years. "I think from a shooting perspective, Franz has done a good job of making shots early."
Then a grin spread across Washington's face.
That's what a season playing for Alba Berlin, one of the best teams in Germany's top pro league, will do. Minutes are hard to come by for young players. Defense is often the only way onto the floor. So Wagner embraced that part of the game, and arrived at Michigan as complete as any 18-year-old player can be.
This time Livers laughed.
"I’m not gonna throw any shots at Mo, but it seems like he’s light years ahead of his older brother," he said.
Take it from the head coach.
"We're going to be using a lot of Franz,” said Juwan Howard.
When John Beilein left Michigan, it seemed likely Wagner would cut ties as well. Then Howard stepped in and strung things back together. He visited Wagner in Germany, and Wagner committed shortly thereafter. He said Thursday that Howard's personality and his NBA pedigree were immediate draws. Howard has said throughout the process that Wagner would have been a five-star recruit had he played high school ball in the US.
Martelli, who's seen plenty of five stars in his day, would agree.
"To be that age, to be that cerebral, to be that pure -- look, there's no question about it. If he was a kid that went to (a school like) IMG Academy or Montverde, he'd have been a McDonald's All-American," Martelli said.
On the offensive end, Wagner sounds like the full package. He can handle it, he can shoot it, he can dish it, and it's the latter skill that has stood out most to Martelli.
"I think his passing ability is of the highest level," Martelli said. Then he paused and added, "And his personality, he hasn’t had a day where he hasn’t greeted you with a smile, with a little thing in his eye, like letting you know, 'I got this, I’m good.' And he is good."
If there's a challenge facing Wagner, it will be adjusting to the speed of the game. The pace here is faster. By all accounts, including his own, he's taken to it well. Wagner said he enjoys the "NBA style of game" that Howard wants to play. And thanks to his experience with Alba Berlin, he's confident he can make a difference for Michigan right away. Wagner's lanky, but he won't be easy to push around.
"I’m used to a physical style of play because I played against pros last year," he said. "It's not new to me that a lot of people are in the stands and (there's) a lot of attention on me. A high school setting I think is a lot different than the pro setting. I think being exposed to that last year is going to help me a lot this year."
The season starts Nov. 1. So does Wagner's race against the expectations. If he can catch them, there's no telling how much further he might go.
“He's different, man,” Martelli said. “He is different. I would just suggest that if anybody is on the fence, if there are tickets available, get your tickets. You want to see this kid play.”