U-M notes: Moe Wagner 'a problem' for opponents, shows out vs. Purdue

In a 5 minute span, Moe Wagner stamped Michigan's season.

Raining three-pointer after three-pointer, Purdue was helpless to handle him.

Which makes sense when a 6-foot-11 dynamo can shoot like a wing, take defenders off the dribble like a guard and fight around the rim like a center.

Pushing a two-point lead to five, a four-point lead to seven and eventually to 10 and 16, his 5-minute surge, dropping those long-range shots, placed the game on his broad shoulders and shoved the Big Ten leader to the ground in one motion as Michigan beat Purdue, 82-70, on today.

With 22 points in the first half, Michigan's best first half since Daniel Horton's 24 in a 2002 non-conference game, Wagner showed a national television audience that he was special.

Or, according to one of his veteran teammates...

"Moe's a problem," Derrick Walton Jr. said. "That's all I can say, he's a problem. He's a gnat on defense and he's a problem on offense. I'm just happy he's on our side."

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Purdue made runs in the second half, but Wagner's offensive pivot point changed everything.

Combined with his trademark ebullience, engaging the first sellout crowd of the season, the points and energy blended together.

"He's got so many skills, I don't think you can put him in a box," Walton said. "He's got a little chippiness to him and he's not afraid to let you hear about it. It's how I grew up playing. And seeing another guy with that fire, makes you get relaxed and follow suit. I think he adds a different dynamic."

Wagner knew exactly what he was getting into against Purdue and potential All-America forward Caleb Swanigan.

Instead of running from the challenge, he embraced the opportunity.

It began with him working for an offensive rebound, making a steal, taking a three-pointer, then driving it to the basket all in the first 2 1/2 minutes.

At the time, he couldn't have imagined what awaited him but he knew he needed to set a tone.

"I don't know if that was the plan," Wagner said, protecting John Beilein's proprietary strategy. "But I had an aggressive approach, let's just say that."

He didn't remember an offensive half like that ever but was just as proud of his defense, containing Swanigan, who finished with 18 points, five rebounds and five turnovers, frustrated into mistakes.

"I don't really care about the offense, (defense) was what actually made me proud," Wagner said. "After every (possession), whether we scored or not, we locked in defensively. If that was individually or as a team, we just executed the game plan really well. That was my focus. After every basket, I ran back and (would) say, I have to guard the national player of the year candidate right now. That might have been it.

"That was fun."

Senior night: Michigan briefly honored its five seniors before the game with their introductions and framed jerseys but departed from tradition after, allowing Walton and Zak Irvin to briefly thank the crowd.

Walton's performance in his final Crisler Center game -- a double-double (17 points, 11 rebounds) complete with the clutch three-point play, then shot-clock three-pointer to push the lead back out when it got dangerous -- typified his career. And his season-ending push.

"I wouldn't say it's his development -- in his defense, it's the first time he's been healthy," Purdue coach Matt Painter said. "He's been banged up in his sophomore and junior year (and) as a player you don't want to talk about it. (Now) you can see he has that step-back and he can make plays with that quickness and that athleticism. He been great, he's what college basketball's about, keep improving, get better, a great leader. Stuck it out.

"He's a really good player and he'll probably end up being a first-team all-conference guy in our league this year."

Notes: After missing nine free throws in each of the past two games, making both closer than necessary, Michigan hit all six in the final 1 1/2 minutes and was 11-for-11 for the game. The first time all season U-M was perfect from the line. ... Redshirt junior walk-on Sean Lonergan had the ball and was on a fast break in the game's final seconds, but instead of attacking the basket for points on his senior day, he pulled it out and handed it off to Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman as the game ended. "I wish Sean would have just gone and laid it in," Beilein said. "He wanted to be the good gentleman, sportsman and not lay that one in. I think Matt and his team would have forgiven him."

Contact Mark Snyder: msnyder@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @mark__snyder. Download our Wolverines Xtra app for free on Apple and Android devices!