UM’s Moritz Wagner earns All-Big Ten second-team honors
Following a solid junior campaign, Michigan center Moritz Wagner was named to the All-Big Ten second team by the league’s coaches and media Monday.
Wagner, who was preseason All-Big Ten selection, led the Wolverines in scoring (14.4 points), rebounds (7.2) and double-doubles (six), while ranking in the top 15 in the conference in field-goal percentage (53.6 percent, tied 13th) and 3-point shooting (40.9 percent, tied 13th).
After contemplating leaving early for the NBA last season, Wagner returned and improved his numbers in nearly every statistical category en route to the honors. But for Michigan coach John Beilein, Wagner’s most noticeable area of growth has been his rebounding.
“Not just rebounding his area, but rebounding out of his area has been a big step,” Beilein said Monday night on his weekly radio show. “I think right now he's passing the ball much better than any time during his career here. He's seeing that next extra man and trusting his teammates.
“He'll still have a turnover or two but he was telling me today, ‘Coach, you have to double-team me more in practice so I can get better at this.’ He's really doing a really good job of growing in who he is and we're embracing that, too.”
More:‘It’s unbelievable’: MSU’s Jaren Jackson big winner of Big Ten awards
Also earning recognition for Michigan was fifth-year senior forward Duncan Robinson and senior guard Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman.
Robinson became the first Wolverine to be named the Big Ten sixth man of the year after averaging 9.3 points in 25.6 minutes and shooting 38.9 percent from 3-point range. He started the first 18 games of the season before being replaced in the lineup by freshman Isaiah Livers.
Robinson has elevated his play down the stretch, scoring at least 16 in three of the final five regular-season games and making 15 of his team-high 61 3-pointers during the span, including 10 in back-to-back games against Wisconsin and Iowa two weeks ago.
“I don't think anybody would've voted for that in January and in February he just had a great month,” Beilein said. “He was a key for us. There was one span going into February where he had taken as many 3s as he took the year before in league and he made 10 more.
“He had those two games where he went back-to-back and all of a sudden it just took off after that.”
Abdur-Rahkman garnered an honorable-mention nod after averaging career highs in points (12.3), rebounds (3.9) and assists (3.4). He also ranks second in the nation with a 5.0 assist turnover ratio (105-21) and second in the Big Ten in minutes played (35.1), and finished strong with at least 15 points in six of the last nine games.
The trio helped lead Michigan to 24 regular-season wins, 13 conference victories – its most since 2013-14 – and the No. 5 seed in the Big Ten tournament, where the Wolverines will open play Thursday at 2:30 p.m. against the winner of No. 12 Iowa and No. 13 Illinois.
BIG TEN AWARDS
(*unanimous selection)
COACHES
FIRST TEAM
Miles Bridges, Michigan State*
James Palmer Jr., Nebraska
Keita Bates-Diop, Ohio State*
Tony Carr, Penn State
Carsen Edwards, Purdue
SECOND TEAM
Juwan Morgan, Indiana
Moritz Wagner, Michigan
Jae’Sean Tate, Ohio State
Vincent Edwards, Purdue
Ethan Happ, Wisconsin
THIRD TEAM
Anthony Cowan Jr., Maryland
Jaren Jackson Jr., Michigan State
Cassius Winston, Michigan State
Jordan Murphy, Minnesota
Isaac Haas, Purdue
HONORABLE MENTION
Leron Black, Illinois
Robert Johnson, Indiana
Tyler Cook, Iowa
Kevin Huerter, Maryland
Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman, Michigan
Nick Ward, Michigan State
Nate Mason, Minnesota
Isaac Copeland Jr., Nebraska
Lamar Stevens, Penn State
Mike Watkins, Penn State
Dakota Mathias, Purdue
ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
Trent Frazier, Illinois
Bruno Fernando, Maryland
Jaren Jackson Jr., Michigan State*
Kaleb Wesson, Ohio State
Brad Davison, Wisconsin
ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM
Anthony Cowan Jr., Maryland
Jaren Jackson Jr., Michigan State*
Josh Reaves, Penn State
Mike Watkins, Penn State
Dakota Mathias, Purdue
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Keita Bates-Diop, Ohio State
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Jaren Jackson Jr., Michigan State
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Jaren Jackson Jr., Michigan State
SIXTH MAN OF THE YEAR: Duncan Robinson, Michigan
COACH OF THE YEAR: Chris Holtmann, Ohio State
MEDIA
FIRST TEAM
Miles Bridges, Michigan State*
Keita Bates-Diop, Ohio State*
Tony Carr, Penn State
Carsen Edwards, Purdue
Ethan Happ, Wisconsin
SECOND TEAM
Juwan Morgan, Indiana
Moritz Wagner, Michigan
Jordan Murphy, Minnesota
James Palmer Jr., Nebraska
Vincent Edwards, Purdue
THIRD TEAM
Anthony Cowan Jr., Maryland
Jaren Jackson Jr., Michigan State
Nick Ward, Michigan State
Cassius Winston, Michigan State
Isaac Haas, Purdue
HONORABLE MENTION
Leron Black, Illinois
Trent Frazier, Illinois
Jordan Bohannon, Iowa
Tyler Cook, Iowa
Kevin Huerter, Maryland
Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman, Michigan
Nate Mason, Minnesota
Isaac Copeland Jr., Nebraska
Bryant McIntosh, Northwestern
Dererk Pardon, Northwestern
Jae’Sean Tate, Ohio State
Lamar Stevens, Penn State
Mike Watkins, Penn State
Dakota Mathias, Purdue
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Keita Bates-Diop, Ohio State
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Jaren Jackson Jr., Michigan State
COACH OF THE YEAR: Chris Holtmann, Ohio State
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