From @DanielFair:
When John Calipari left Kentucky over the offseason to become the next head coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks, he brought three of his players with him, and all three are expected to play big roles with the Hoop Hogs this season.
One of those players is D.J. Wagner, a point guard heading into his second season of college basketball.
Fans got their first look at Wagner during the Razorbacks' 85-69 win over the No. 1 Kansas Jayhawks on Oct. 25 and he put on quite a show. Wagner led the Hogs in scoring with 24 points and he had four rebounds in 35 minutes of action.
"Just going out there and playing with confidence," Wagner said after the game. "My teammates, my coaches tell me to go out there and play with confidence. If I’m open, shoot it, so just going out there knowing that they have my back like that, it was easy just to let it go."
In Arkansas' second preseason exhibition game at TCU on Friday, Wagner scored six points on 3-of-9 shooting (0-of-3 3PT) with two rebounds, two assists, one steal and five turnovers.
HawgBeat will profile each key part of Arkansas' roster ahead of the season. In this profile, we’ll take a closer look at Wagner, what he brings to the table for the Razorbacks, where he needs to improve and where he fits in the rotation.
Wagner's freshman season at Kentucky was less than ideal, as he battled an ankle injury that took away from his athleticism and burst which, in turn, dropped his draft stock.
Make no mistake, though, Wagner has all the talent and potential necessary to make a huge jump from his freshman to sophomore season and be a force in the Southeastern Conference.
Now in a Razorback uniform, Wagner is healthy and looking to show NBA scouts he has the tools to be effective at the next level...
Bio:
Position: Point guard
Height/Weight: 6-foot-4, 195 pounds
Year: Sophomore
Previous School: Kentucky
2023-24 Stats: 9.9 points, 1.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 0.8 steals on 40.5 FG%, 29.2 3PT%, and 76.6 FT%.
Highlights:
What Wagner brings to the table:
The most notable thing you notice about Wagner at Arkansas is his burst. He has an insanely fast first step that allows him to blow by defenders and get downhill in a hurry. In turn, he's able to finish efficiently at the rim or pass the ball out to his teammates for open looks.
Wagner is not necessarily the most lethal knockdown shooter on the team, but he's certainly capable of it and showed that against Kansas by hitting two triples. He only shot 29.2% from deep last season, but if he can improve that number, he becomes yet another threat the Hogs have to score from three.
Defensively, Wagner has great lateral quickness that allows him to stay in front of defenders and not get get off the dribble easily. For a guard, he's great at protecting the rim and not allowing defenders to have easy looks.
As we mentioned above, Wagner dealt with an injury last season that took away from what should have been a one-and-done campaign. Calipari said over the offseason that Wagner is healthy and looks as athletic as he's ever been, and Wagner showed that to be true versus the Jayhawks.
Where Wagner needs to improve:
This next point isn't so much about where Wagner needs to improve, but moreso proving that he's back to what he was pre-injury. If the Kansas exhibition game is any indication, Wagner is. There seems to be no hint of any concern about whether he can get back to his pre-injury form, which Calipari said was really good.
"Here’s what was funny — before he got hurt, I believe he was Freshman of the Week three times," Calipari said Oct.1. "Like, ‘Well he just struggled.’ No, he was playing great. Then he got hurt and he never really bounced back from that. He had a couple things, but he didn’t. I think he’s healthy. I think he’s more athletic than he was."
That said, the Kansas exhibition game didn't count. KU was missing its two best players — albeit he did go up against fifth-year starter Dajuan Harris Jr. and held his own. But it still remains to be seen what Wagner is capable of when there's actual consequences on the line.
That 29.2% from three sticks out for Wagner in terms of where he could see the most improvement. He's certainly not the only scoring threat Arkansas has, but he needs to be a consistent option for the Razorbacks this season.
Where Wagner fits in the rotation:
You can put Wagner's name in the starting lineup in sharpie. There is no way, unless something crazy happens, that he plays less than 30 minutes per game.
Wagner played 35 minutes in Arkansas' win over Kansas, which is probably about what's fair to expect on a nightly basis for him. It's possible that it's just a few minutes less if Wagner's fellow teammate — Johnell Davis – comes along like he's expected to.
