Dajuan Wagner facts for kids
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Wagner in 2010
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| Point guard | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 4, 1983 Camden, New Jersey, U.S. |
| High school | Camden (Camden, New Jersey) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Listed weight | 200 lb (91 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Memphis (2001–2002) |
| NBA Draft | 2002 / Round: 1 / Pick: 6th overall |
| Selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers | |
| Pro career | 2002–2007 |
| Career history | |
| 2002–2005 | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 2006 | Golden State Warriors |
| 2007 | Prokom Trefl Sopot |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 964 (9.4 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 142 (1.4 rpg) |
| Assists | 195 (1.9 apg) |
Dajuan Marquett Wagner Sr. (born February 4, 1983) is a former professional basketball player from the United States. He is the son of Milt Wagner, who also played basketball for the University of Louisville and in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Dajuan had to leave the NBA early in his career because of serious health problems. The Cleveland Cavaliers picked him as the sixth overall player in the 2002 NBA draft.
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Dajuan Wagner's High School Basketball Journey
Dajuan Wagner went to Camden High School and played on the varsity team starting in his freshman year. His first game was on December 19, 1997, where he scored 12 points. In his first season, he played 27 games and averaged 27.3 points. He scored a season-high 45 points in one game. At the end of the season, ESPN named him Freshman of the Year.
Sophomore and Junior Years
In his second year, Dajuan played 17 games. He set a new personal record by scoring 57 points in a single game. He finished that season averaging 35.3 points per game and won the ESPN Sophomore of the Year award.
The next year, his junior year, he played 28 games. On January 31, 2000, he scored an amazing 80 points in one game! By this time, he was already seen as one of the best players in his age group. He ended his junior year averaging 31.9 points per game.
Senior Year and Record-Breaking Play
For his senior year, Dajuan started strong, scoring 36 points in his first game and then 50 points in another. On January 16, 2001, he made history by scoring 100 points in a single game against Camden County Tech. He made 42 shots out of 61 attempts, including 10 three-pointers. He scored 25 points in the first quarter, 21 in the second, 26 in the third, and 28 in the fourth.
During his senior season, he scored 50 or more points four more times. He averaged 42.5 points in 29 games. Dajuan scored a total of 3,462 points in high school, which was the most in New Jersey high school history at that time. Many people believe Dajuan Wagner is the greatest high school basketball player in New Jersey history. He also scored 25 points in the McDonald's All-American Game.
Dajuan Wagner's College Basketball Career
After high school, Dajuan Wagner thought about playing for several top college teams. He chose to sign with Memphis in June 2000.
He played one year of college basketball at the University of Memphis. In only his second game with Memphis, on November 14, 2001, he scored a season-high 32 points. He matched this score later in the season during the NIT semifinal game. Dajuan helped his team win the NIT championship game against South Carolina, scoring 16 points. He earned several awards for his performance in the NIT and his conference, including the MVP award for the 2002 NIT. He also set a new record for the most points scored in a single season for Memphis, with 762 points.
His coach, John Calipari, encouraged Dajuan to enter the NBA after his freshman year. Calipari believed Dajuan should not miss out on the money he would earn as a top draft pick.
College Statistics
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001–02 | Memphis | 36 | 35 | 31.8 | .410 | .317 | .722 | 2.5 | 3.6 | 1.2 | 0.6 | 21.2 |
Dajuan Wagner's Professional Basketball Career
Playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers (2002–2005)
The Cleveland Cavaliers picked Dajuan Wagner as the sixth player overall in the 2002 NBA draft. In his first season, called his rookie season, he averaged 13.4 points per game.
After his rookie year, Dajuan faced many injuries and health problems. In the 2004–05 season, he played only 11 games and averaged a career-low 4.0 points. He was hospitalized for a condition called ulcerative colitis, which affects the digestive system. Because of his health issues, the Cavaliers decided not to keep him for the 2005–06 season, and Dajuan was out of the league.
Time with the Golden State Warriors (2006)
Dajuan's colitis condition was very serious and did not get better with medicine. After talking to a medical expert, he had surgery on October 25, 2005, to remove part of his colon.
On September 22, 2006, Dajuan signed a contract with the Golden State Warriors. However, on November 20, just two months after he had recovered from his illness to try and make an NBA comeback, the Warriors ended his contract. He had played only one game for the team. That single game, played on November 11, 2006, was the only one he played in the 2006–2007 season and turned out to be the last game of his NBA career. In that game, the Warriors won against the Detroit Pistons 111–79, and Dajuan scored 4 points and had 1 assist.
Playing in Poland (2007)
On August 31, 2007, Dajuan signed a one-year contract to play for Prokom Trefl Sopot in Poland. He averaged 8.3 points in six games. However, he had to return to the United States after hurting his hip and re-injuring his knee.
In October 2015, Dajuan tried to return to basketball and planned to join a league called the AmeriLeague. But the league quickly shut down after it was found that its founder was not honest.
Dajuan Wagner has lived in West Deptford Township, New Jersey.
Dajuan Wagner's Family Life
Dajuan Wagner is the son of Milt Wagner, who was also a professional basketball player. Milt was picked in the second round of the 1986 NBA draft.
Dajuan's son, Dajuan Wagner Jr., is also a talented basketball player. He was ranked as one of the top basketball recruits in the country for the class of 2023. In 2023, he was chosen as a McDonald's All-American, just like his father.
See also
- List of basketball players who have scored 100 points in a single game
- List of second-generation National Basketball Association players
- List of people diagnosed with ulcerative colitis
