Wagner can’t shoot!

MusicCityCat

Redshirt
Mar 17, 2013
50
30
0
yep...hes not a knock down shooter but he's better than he showed tonight. Biggest issue is he's playing uptight and frenetic and needs to calm down smooth out his game. Just cant play offense hyper, make the head swirl and shot jittery. Slow down, calm the eyes and the shots will start falling.
 

CincyUKFan

All-American
Dec 1, 2009
4,590
7,587
66
Hey I agreed with you on shepp but dont bad mouth Wagner this kid is coming on this kid is scary good and he tries hard on the defensive side of the ball
He tries hard? And yet remains the worst defensive player on the team in terms of opponents FG%. The commentators brought this up, and as they talked about it, his man hit a wide open 3 🤦‍♂️
 

LineSkiCat14

Heisman
Aug 5, 2015
39,904
63,027
113
I'm not too worried about his shooting, not as much as his playmaking and passing ability. The ball really stalls when it's in his hands.
 
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UKAlum84

All-Conference
Aug 4, 2022
1,587
1,186
66
He doesn't have to shoot if, he'd settle for layups. I think he could be special in march, he's got to find his inner "drive to the basket and draw a foul" mentality.
 

CincyUKFan

All-American
Dec 1, 2009
4,590
7,587
66
He doesn't have to shoot if, he'd settle for layups. I think he could be special in march, he's got to find his inner "drive to the basket and draw a foul" mentality.
He’s got to be told not to shoot. And that won’t happen.
 

CincyUKFan

All-American
Dec 1, 2009
4,590
7,587
66
Not sure Wagner is much of an upgrade from Wheeler
Oh he’s not. Defense just as bad. Doesn’t make guys around him better. Doesn’t pass the ball a single time on multiple possessions. Missed more layups than he makes.

Cal has Thiero in for Edwards. Now it’s time for Dilly or Reed to take DJ’s spot.
 
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CincyUKFan

All-American
Dec 1, 2009
4,590
7,587
66
18/64 on the year now for 28.1%. NBA stock continues to plummet with each 3-point attempt.

42% FG overall. Dude may very well finish under 25% on threes and under 40% overall.
 

seccats04

Heisman
Dec 6, 2004
14,836
24,510
113
He bulls his way to the basket and just chucks something up. That’s his entire offense.
Yes. And he misses the majority of his layups. He’s a less talented Archie Goodwin trying to play PG, which he is not.

With that said, he’s one of our better defenders and hit all of his free throws tonight so kudos for that.
 
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LineSkiCat14

Heisman
Aug 5, 2015
39,904
63,027
113
Wagner worries me, and has worried me all season. He can drive, and plays good defense.. but that's about it. Sub par in passing, play making, taking care of the ball, shooting, IQ, and almost everything else.

I really hope we dont get bumped out of the tournament on a bad game from him. But I feel like if we get bounced, it will be because of that. A 15pt, 7 assist and 3 TO game is all we need from him.
 

LineSkiCat14

Heisman
Aug 5, 2015
39,904
63,027
113
I wouldn't mind if he packed it up for draft prep. It would benefit both parties honestly.

I said this about Edwards a month or two ago, and while I don't take it back per se.. Edwards HAS improved since.

Bit DJ is regressing, and it's March in a week. You can't play him. That entire game went south thanks to his awful play in the middle of the 2nd.
 

NociHTTP

Heisman
Mar 8, 2023
13,341
20,781
113
He doesn't have to shoot if, he'd settle for layups. I think he could be special in march, he's got to find his inner "drive to the basket and draw a foul" mentality.
He's afraid of contact. So, no, he shouldn't be driving. Guys like Reed, Reeves and Dilly are the ones who can control the ball on the way to the rim and take hard body contact without crying over a boo boo.
 

CincyUKFan

All-American
Dec 1, 2009
4,590
7,587
66
I wouldn't mind if he packed it up for draft prep. It would benefit both parties honestly.

I said this about Edwards a month or two ago, and while I don't take it back per se.. Edwards HAS improved since.

Bit DJ is regressing, and it's March in a week. You can't play him. That entire game went south thanks to his awful play in the middle of the 2nd.
Agreed. Maddening that this has gone on for this long and when we bow out early, he will have started and logged 20+ minutes in that loss also.
 
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LineSkiCat14

Heisman
Aug 5, 2015
39,904
63,027
113
Agreed. Maddening that this has gone on for this long and when we bow out early, he will have started and logged 20+ minutes in that loss also.

I'm really hoping this is just the final few weeks where Cal is trying to 1. Get them going and 2. Give his star recruits what they want. I don't agree with #2, but that IS his selling point to future recruits.

I pray that by the SECT, if guys like Bradshaw and DJ haven't improved, then they will play even less. I like that DJ was done for the final 8 minutes or so, but that decision needs to come sooner in the game.
 

seccats04

Heisman
Dec 6, 2004
14,836
24,510
113
If his name were not DJ Wagner but let’s say, John Smith. Would John Smith have been ranked as a top 50 recruit? Because I’m not seeing it. He’s a decent defender and that’s about it. He doesn’t do anything else well.
 
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LineSkiCat14

Heisman
Aug 5, 2015
39,904
63,027
113
If his name were not DJ Wagner but let’s say, John Smith. Would John Smith have been ranked as a top 50 recruit? Because I’m not seeing it. He’s a decent defender and that’s about it. He doesn’t do anything else well.

I'm starting to wonder, and I have no evidence or anything, how much pull DJ and his camp have on Cal.

#1 recruit since like 7th grade, long time supposed lock because of Cal and Dajuan's relationship. Never commits here this entire 5-6 year span until the VERY end. And during those final hours, there was rumors he was going to UofL (CB picks) and many over that final year thought he might go G-League.

So I wonder if DJ really wanted to come here, or at least wasn't keeping all options open until the very end to see who can offer him what... and Cal called in the favor "Just give us one year" to the dad. They agreed, but now Cal is pressured to play him.

I just really don't like how long we had to court him. It's almost like he committed here saying "Fine! I don't have any better offers, plus the NIL will be good, I guess". I get the feeling he has no desire to be playing college.
 

sluggercatfan

Heisman
Aug 17, 2004
35,953
29,631
0
I'm starting to wonder, and I have no evidence or anything, how much pull DJ and his camp have on Cal.

#1 recruit since like 7th grade, long time supposed lock because of Cal and Dajuan's relationship. Never commits here this entire 5-6 year span until the VERY end. And during those final hours, there was rumors he was going to UofL (CB picks) and many over that final year thought he might go G-League.

So I wonder if DJ really wanted to come here, or at least wasn't keeping all options open until the very end to see who can offer him what... and Cal called in the favor "Just give us one year" to the dad. They agreed, but now Cal is pressured to play him.

I just really don't like how long we had to court him. It's almost like he committed here saying "Fine! I don't have any better offers, plus the NIL will be good, I guess". I get the feeling he has no desire to be playing college.e
This could all be eliminated if the nba would change their rules. In the meantime, DJ better wake up and face the fact that he may never play in the nba. He is quick, but his skill set is severally lacking in all areas. Like l said though, he's not the only one.
 
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LineSkiCat14

Heisman
Aug 5, 2015
39,904
63,027
113
This could all be eliminated if the nba would change their rules. In the meantime, DJ better wake up and face the fact that he may never play in the nba. He is quick, but his skill set is severally lacking in all areas. Like l said though, he's not the only one.

Let's just hope that last night was another nail in the coffin for his freshman year. Cal continues to limit their minutes, but he's still hanging on too long. And maybethere will never come a time where Cal doesn't play him and Bradshaw at all.. but we really need to just be giving them small chunk minutes then, at best.
 
Jul 26, 2003
21,180
11,162
0
Why isn't Wagner living in the gym to improve his shooting? In the meantime, start who deserves it. Wagner is good on defense. But Shep, Dilly and Reeves is just better. Just the way it is.
 
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sefus12

Heisman
Dec 22, 2007
7,363
19,558
103
Not only is he playing poorly, but he looks very dejected out there and on the bench. There’s no reason for him to be anything other than a back-up to spell the guards at times, and that gets even more limited if Edwards is playing well.
 

CincyUKFan

All-American
Dec 1, 2009
4,590
7,587
66
He’s been a real disappointment! Hate to say it, but he really needs to stop starting. Team runs much smoother with Reed at the point.
Reed and Dilly should start and Dilly should log a lot more minutes than DJ. Wagner, who was trash again, logged 24 minutes.

In the last 7 games Wagner is not only 0/15 from deep, but also 9/46 (19.5%) overall. I’d bet that there is no one in college basketball shooting the ball worse, while STARTING and playing big minutes.
 

Shaudylo

Heisman
Apr 2, 2011
11,552
26,012
112
Not only is he playing poorly, but he looks very dejected out there and on the bench. There’s no reason for him to be anything other than a back-up to spell the guards at times, and that gets even more limited if Edwards is playing well.
Idk about on the bench . He was up jumping around when Edwards went on his run and is often up clapping .

I can see why he’s down on himself on the court . He can’t buy a basket .
 
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