Iowa's Wagner makes immediate impact

IOWA CITY — Iowa forward Ahmad Wagner did a double-take Friday night when he was informed about his statistics.

Wagner, a 6-foot-7 freshman, played just nine minutes in the second half of Iowa's 76-59 season-opening win against Gardner-Webb at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. But he scored six points, grabbed eight rebounds — including six on offense — and blocked two shots. Still, when he heard his final tally, he appeared surprised.

'I didn't know any type of stats,' he said. 'I had no idea.'

It was almost surprising Wagner even played on Friday. He missed two practices with an injured shoulder and attempted to work out with a brace when he returned. After practicing Wednesday and Thursday, Wagner rode the bench for most of the game until he was thrown in midway through the second half. Then he instantly became the most aggressive player on the floor.

Iowa Coach Fran McCaffery said the only reason Wagner didn't play until late was because of his shoulder injury.

'He's just a guy that really understands how to play,' McCaffery said. 'He understands what his strengths are, and he's just a phenomenal athlete with tremendous strength.

'He came from a great high school program, a terrific high school coach, he knows exactly how to come in and impact a game. So when he's sitting on the bench, he's going to figure it out, he's going to come in and help us.'

A former all-state wide receiver in Ohio, Wagner shows toughness when fighting for rebounds. Wagner grabbed two offensive boards on one possession and finished it off with a put-back. On another sequence, Wagner blocked a shot, ran the floor and followed up a miss for another score.

'He's crazy strong,' Iowa senior forward Jarrod Uthoff said. 'He hustles, he goes to the boards, he's very good on the offensive and defensive boards. I think he brings a lot to the team.'

McCaffery emphasized rebounding after last week's exhibition loss to Augustana. Not only did he go over positioning, but also aggressiveness. That's one area in which Wagner takes pride.

'Just do what I can to bring energy, be a hustle guy, just do what I can when the other guy's open, give the other guys more shots and everything, rebounding and make effort plays,' he said.

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