What to do about Franz Wagner's visit

Franz Wagner visited Michigan basketball on Tuesday, raising the question: can the Wolverines still potentially land the German star?

The week was unpredictable for Michigan basketball fans with John Beilein's shocking news at the Cavs that surprised everyone on Monday morning.

Since that time, the question of who will replace Beilein at the helm of Michigan basketball has been widely considered and it has been widely accepted that men like Franz Wagner were no longer a possibility.

Wagner, younger brother of Moritz Wagner, seemed to be a long shot after Beilein announced his intention to join Cleveland. Beilein recently visited the striker in Germany, but he still chose between his professional team and college basketball.

Although Wagner expressed interest in some other schools, most experts thought that if he came to the United States, he would play for basketball in Michigan. Clearly, Beilein, who had an excellent relationship with Moe Wagner, was considered one of the main reasons UM had tried his luck.

Although Beilein left for the Cavs on Monday, Wagner still went to Michigan Tuesday, according to a Michigan Insider report.

Of course, there are a lot of things at stake here and I would like to look at what that means or could mean for the Wolverines.

On the one hand, Wagner probably wants to have a very good overview of Michigan. It is an excellent school and Beilein has developed an excellent program. Even though it will not be there, many players will be there, some assistants could be and many of the great benefits of playing Michigan will always be there.

It's a great school and if the Wolverines hire the right coach, it will always be a college basketball program. Who knows when Wagner planned this visit and maybe the timing was wrong. He probably did not know if Beilein would go to the Cavs when he planned it, but the fact that he continues with the visit might be a sign that he is still interested.

Obviously, no one will engage in a team without a coach. But if the Wolverines are able to find a new head coach in a few weeks, if he and Wagner agree, a commitment may still be possible.

I would not bet on that, but let's not forget that Moritz had fun in Michigan. It is possible that the interest is real and that, if coaching is appropriate, UM could still be a valid option.

On the other hand, Wagner could try to make his team believe that he still has a strong interest in Michigan in order to attract a better contract offer. He'll get paid if he plays there instead of going to a university, so it's not uncommon to try to make one offer against another.

Granted, Michigan can not offer a contract, but it can offer another path to the NBA, a path that his brother used to become a first-round pick.

We'll see what happens in the next few days, but from my perspective, little or no news from Wagner during the coaching search is good news. Hopefully he stays open in Michigan, but overall, it's secondary to finding the right guy to replace coach Beilein.