Moe Wagner was a big winner on Saturday night.
The 6-foot-11 Michigan big man finished with 24 points, 15 rebounds and three steals to help the Wolverines past No. 11 seed Loyola in the Final Four. Finishing 10-for-16 from the field and 3-for-7 from three-point range, Wagner’s versatility and ability to stretch the floor was a key reason that Michigan made a double-digit second-half comeback on the Ramblers.
Wagner’s impact on both ends of the floor was also a huge talking point on social media. Besides for breaking Bill Raftery’s glasses chasing a loose ball late in the game, Wagner earned praise from his basketball idol, Dirk Nowitzki on Twitter.
Coming from Germany as a sweet-shooting big man, Wagner has inevitability earned comparisons to his fellow countryman, Nowitzki. The Michigan junior has started to generate some NBA buzz of his own during a strong junior season.
I see you @moritz_weasley
— Dirk Nowitzki (@swish41) April 1, 2018
Wagner has openly discussed his admiration of Nowitzki before and he even models his jumper a bit after Dirk’s trademark high-arcing perimeter shot. The duo got a chance to meet and get to know each other last February and it’s clear that Nowitzki is pulling for Wagner during this weekend’s Final Four.