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…
