WOLVERINES

Energetic Wagner earns more minutes for Michigan

Tony Paul
The Detroit News

Michigan coach John Beilein get a sense of the emotion just from the long-distance phone calls.

Then he really got a sense of the emotion when he was in Germany, standing in a tiny elevator, waiting to go to Moritz Wagner’s flat.

Wagner, crouched to fit in the elevator, was talking a mile a minute.

That enthusiasm has translated onto the floor — sometimes, a bit too much.

“He’s got some European drama to his game,” Beilein said Monday ahead of Tuesday night’s ACC/Big Ten Challenge matchup at N.C. State. “Like he’s waiting for a red card or a yellow card, right?

“We’ve warned him about the refs not liking being upset on every call.”

Wagner, a freshman from Berlin, has made an impact for the Wolverines, so much so that Beilein decided against a redshirt because he has issues with his big-man rotation.

While he’s not starting, Wagner is pushing Ricky Doyle and Mark Donnal for playing time — and during a three-game trip to the Bahamas, he earned each minute.

Wagner had 19 points against Charlotte, and seven points and four rebounds in the finale against Texas.

“He’ll be the second big off the bench right now,” Beilein said. “There’s been games he’s been our best big guy, so he’s gonna be in there.”

The minutes, in the single digits the first four games and double digits the last two, should continue to rise, especially as Wagner gets stronger. He was 6-foot-9 when Michigan was recruiting him, but is up to 6-101/2.

Now he just needs to add muscle to that frame, and he’s working on that in the gym.

“The worries are he’s just not strong enough to hold off some of the guys,” Beilein said. “But he’s the first one in the weight room. He knows that deficiency.”

Albrecht to focus on rehab

Michigan officials are pulling back on Spike Albrecht, who hasn’t made the progress coaches hoped for following double hip surgery.

He played 14 minutes in the Bahamas, none against Texas.

“We’re going to do some different things,” Beilein said. “So, hopefully, he can get ready for the Big Ten season. I’m gonna have him not practice some days.”

Given the choice between two hours of practice or two hours of rehab, Beilein said the staff will be choosing rehab for Albrecht.

“I’m not gonna have him preparing for every game like he’s gonna be playing a great deal because that’s not the plan,” Beilein said.

Slam dunks

Michigan knows the importance of the game against N.C. State — the Wolverines need as many wins over power conference opponents to pad their NCAA Tournament resume.

“You’re going to have to have an incredible Big Ten season if you don’t have some success against the other (power conference) schools,” Beilein said. “You have to win some of those, or you’ve gotta be 14-4 in the league, which is really going to be hard to do.”

... Mechanical plane issues had players and coaches stuck at the Nassau, Bahamas, airport for 11 hours longer than they had hoped.

... N.C. State figures to be a tough matchup for Michigan, given it’s averaging 44.5 rebounds. Some of that’s because N.C. State is such an inside team; it has had two players make a 3-pointer.

... Michigan is 2-1 against N.C. State in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.

Michigan at N.C. State

Tip-off: 7 p.m. Tuesday, PNC Arena, Raleigh, N.C.

TV/radio: ESPN2/WWJ

Records: Michigan 4-2, N.C. State 4-2

Outlook: Anthony Barber leads N.C. State, averaging 21.0 points, 6.7 assists and 6.3 rebounds. ... Michigan won the last meeting 79-72 in Ann Arbor in 2012.