He’s the premier guy in what many have called the best recruiting class in Tiger basketball history. He’s also expected by many to be the go-to guy this season for 12th-ranked Memphis, a team which hasn’t made the NCAA Tournament since 1996 and hadn’t been ranked among the Top 25 in college basketball this millennium.
For many basketball fans, who Dajuan Wagner is, and will be, can be wrapped up simply in two words — The Truth.
But the 6-3 freshman from Camden, N.J., who will start at shooting guard for Memphis this season, said all the hype doesn’t bother him at all.
“It’s no pressure,” Wagner said. “I’ve been dealing with it since high school.”
The McDonald’s All-American dealt with it in a major way in high school, when he averaged 42.5 points per game his senior year at Camden. His countless feats last season included a 100-point game against Gloucester Tech and a 50-point effort which set the Pyramid scoring record against Memphis’ Hamilton High School.
He was named high school Player of the Year by USA Today and finished his prep career as New Jersey’s all-time leading scorer with 3,462 points.
Now the stakes are higher, but Wagner seems to have responded to the challenge. In two exhibition games for the Tigers, Wagner has averaged 17 points, seven assists, 1.5 steals and 5.5 rebounds per game.
“If I go out and play defense, the scoring will come,” Wagner said of his plan for this season.
Despite lofty expectations, Wagner — who said the transition from living in New Jersey to living in Memphis has come naturally for him — said Memphis head coach John Calipari hasn’t put any added pressure on him to be the Tigers’ main man.
“Since I’ve been here, everybody’s been showing me love,” Wagner said. “Coach just wants me to come out and play my role.”
According to Calipari, this year’s team is so talented that pressuring an individual player is no longer necessary. Now, everyone can pull the load, he said.
“This year we have enough players to where I don’t have to do that,” Calipari said. “Last year, I had no choice. There were times last year when I had to ask Kelly (Wise) to do some things and he couldn’t do them. I learned from that.”
This season, Calipari’s mission for Wagner is simple.
“I want him to be who he is,” Calipari said. “I want him to play hard and I want him to get better from day to day.
“He has an unbelievable middle game. He can push it down court, pull up on a dime and shoot it so softly. He’s gonna see 16 to 20 shots per game.”
Wagner’s father, Milt, a former Los Angeles Laker and current coordinator of basketball operations for Memphis, said though he’s used to seeing his only son score 40 to 100 points per game, he knows his son’s role will change as a Tiger.
“I’m ready to see him work hard each and every minute,” Milt said. “In college, you love to see a kid go 100 percent. I’m into the total game. That’s what separates the good players from the great players.”
