Camden basketball's royal family: The Wagners through the years

With a third generation of the Wagner family getting ready to embark on his journey into college, we take a look back at one of the nation's most famous basketball families.

DJ Wagner

Nov. 14, 2022: ESPN’s No. 1-ranked recruit in the country and consensus five-star prospect announces he will be attending and playing basketball at Kentucky. He’ll play for head coach John Calipari, who also coached DJ’s dad, Dajuan, during his collegiate days at Memphis.

Oct. 10, 2022: He becomes first South Jersey high school athlete to sign a name, image and likeness deal with Nike. Financial details are not disclosed. He joins Bronny James, LeBron James’ son, and three other athletes who signed with Nike.

March 24, 2022: Named Courier-Post Boys’ Basketball Player of the Year for second straight season. He averages 19.8 points, surpassing 1,000 points for his career.  He also averages 4.3 rebounds, 3.2 steals and 3.1 assists.

March 20, 2022: Playing in the final Tournament of Champions game ever, Wagner scores a game-high 23 points, but his field goal attempt from just inside half-court at the buzzer fell short as the Panthers suffer a 61-58 loss to Roselle Catholic. Camden finishes the season with a 31-3 record, and the loss is the first to a New Jersey team since 2019.

March 16, 2022: Wagner is named the Gatorade Boys’ Basketball Player of the Year for New Jersey for the second straight season.

March 13, 2022: Camden captures the state Group 2 title with a 93-52 rout over Newark Central at Jersey Mike’s Arena at Rutgers University, ending a 22-year drought for the fabled program. The Panthers had lost their previous eight state final appearances. Wagner delivers 20 points and nine rebounds in the game.

March 7, 2022: The Panthers capture the program’s 49th sectional championship and the first at its new“Castle on the Hill” gym with a 78-45 victory over Haddonfield. Wagner has 21 points in the win.

March 4, 2022: Wagner knocks down a career-high 33 points in Camden’s 92-42 romp over Manchester Township in the sectional semifinal.

Jan. 30, 2022: In a much-anticipated showdown with Bronny James, Wagner nets a team-high 21 points to power Camden to a 66-62 victory over Sierra Canyon (Ca.) at the GEICO ESPN High School Basketball Showcase in Allentown. The Panthers are ranked 12th in the nation by ESPN at the time of the game while their opponent is No. 11.

Dec. 17, 2021: Wagner begins junior season with a 25-point, 8-rebound effort in Camden’s 67-64 win over Roselle Catholic, setting the stage for what would become one of the Panthers’ best seasons in program history.

It marks the first game in the new Camden High gym and the game is nationally televised on ESPN.

June 4, 2021: The sophomore is named the Gatorade Boys’ Basketball Player of the Year for New Jersey. He averages 22 points, 3.8 assists, 3.8 rebounds and two steals.

March 12, 2021: Wagner is named the Courier-Post’s Player of the Year after leading Camden to a 13-0 record during the COVID-shortened season.

March 4, 2021: With a 22-point performance, Wagner puts the finishing touches on his junior season. He tallies 20-or-more points in 11 of the Panthers’ 13 games.

March 10, 2020: Camden captures the South Jersey Group 2 title with a 70-42 triumph over Haddonfield. Wagner scores 15 points in the win. The Panthers’ dream of a state title are dashed in the coming days when the NJSIAA cancels the rest of the tournament due to the COVID pandemic.

Feb. 18, 2020: After struggling in his team's first meeting with Paul VI a month earlier, Wagner erupts for 32 points in a 76-52 Panthers victory. It’s the first time Wagner surpassed the 30-point mark and is the highest total of his freshman season.

Dec. 20, 2019: DJ Wagner makes his much-anticipated high school debut, scoring 15 points in Camden’s 72-52 win over Simon Gratz (Pa.).

July 2019: Competes in USA Basketball’s Junior National Team training camp.

May 4, 2005: Dajuan "DJ" Marquett Wagner Jr. is born.

Dajuan Wagner

Nov. 6, 2014: At age 31, Wagner attempts another comeback, signing with the Philadelphia Spirit of the American Basketball Association. He averages 20 points over his first three games with the squad.

Nov. 2014: The basketball floor at Camden High School's Clarence Turner Gymnasium is officially named Dajuan Wagner Court during a ceremony before the Panthers' first practice.

August 2007: Signs with Prokom Trefl Sopot, the Polish League champions, but is limited to fewer than 20 games because of an ankle injury.

Nov. 11, 2006: Plays in his first-and-only game with the Warriors, scoring four points.

Sept. 22, 2006: Signs a two-year, $1.6 million deal with the Golden State Warriors.

April 2002: Dajuan Wagner is drafted with the sixth overall pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers. Marred by knee injuries and severe colitis, Wagner is limited to 102 games over three seasons with the Cavs, averaging 9.4 points and 1.9 assists.

March 2002: Closes out his only season with Memphis, leading the Tigers to the NIT title and earning MVP honors in the process.

March 11, 2001: Wagner plays the final game of his high school career, scoring 37 points in a 61-57 loss to Shabazz in the state Group 3 final. He finishes with a state record 3,462 points and leads South Jersey in scoring for the third straight season with a 42.9 scoring average.

March 3, 2001: In his final home game inside the fabled Camden gym, Wagner produces 36 points in a 76-57 win over crosstown rival Woodrow Wilson High School.

Feb. 6, 2001: During a 67-48 win at Washington Township, Wagner becomes South Jersey’s all-time leading scorer. He tallies 35 points, raising his career total to 2,954, surpassing Reggie Welch's mark of 2,938 set in 1992 with Woodrow Wilson (now Eastside High School).

Jan. 16, 2001: In one of the most memorable individual performances in South Jersey high school athletics, Wagner delivers 100 points in a 157-62 win over Gloucester Twp. Tech. He converts 42 field goals, including 10 three-pointers.

June 5, 2000: Wagner announces he will play for the University of Memphis.

March 21, 2000: In one of the bigger highlights of his fabled career, Wagner scores 27 points to lead the Panthers to a 50-46 win over Seton Hall Prep in the Tournament of Champions title game.

March 12, 2000: Camden celebrates its first state title in 13 years with a 93-68 rout over Shabazz in the Group 3 game at Rutgers University. Wagner is unstoppable, pouring in 47 points.

Jan. 31, 2000: Wagner pumps in 80 points in a 122-66 victory against Pennsauken Tech. He'd go on to average 35.3 points per game – tops in South Jersey.

Dec. 19, 1997: Dajuan Wagner makes his scholastic debut with a 12-point performance in a win over Highland. He would average 27.3 points per game and is named Freshman of the Year by ESPN.

Feb. 4, 1983: Dajuan Marquett Wagner is born.

Milt Wagner

May 24, 2022: Milt Wagner is hired by Louisville as the program’s director of player development and alumni relations.

April 2001: Wagner is named the coordinator of basketball operations at the University of Memphis.

Dec. 26, 1989: The Courier-Post names Camden’s 1981 squad the best boys’ basketball team of the 1980s. The team had gone 27-1, led by Wagner, only losing to Neptune in the state Group 4 semifinals.

June 21, 1988: The Los Angeles Lakers knock off the Detroit Pistons 108-105 to win the NBA title. Wagner is a part of national champions at the collegiate and professional levels.

June 17, 1986: Milt Wagner is drafted in the second round (35th pick overall) by the Dallas Mavericks, 16 picks behind Billy Thompson, who went to the Atlanta Hawks.

March 31, 1986: Louisville captures the NCAA national championship with a 72-69 win over Duke. Wagner plays 30 minutes, scoring nine points with three rebounds and two assists. Wagner had helped guide the Cardinals to a 113-32 record during his college career, including three Final Four berths. He finishes his career with 1,836 points and 432 assists.

March 1981: Finishes senior season with 739 points, which was a then-South Jersey record, and nets 2,003 points for his three-year career. He scored 40-or-more points in eight games, including 52 in a Seagull Classic showdown with DeMatha. He averaged 33.5 points per game as a senior and was named Courier-Post Player of the Year.

April 6, 1980: Wagner named to the All-South Jersey squad. Averaged 28.2 points during his junior season as Camden went 25-3 en route to the South Jersey Group 4 championship. The team bowed out with a state semifinal loss to Trenton.

March 15, 1980: Wagner knocks down 34 points as Camden captured the sectional title with an 86-71 win over Atlantic City at Princeton’s Jadwin Gym.

March 21, 1979: The only sophomore named to the All-Group 4 squad, Wagner was a second-team selection after averaging 12.1 points per game.

March 14, 1979: Camden claims the state Group 4 crown with a 91-88 overtime win over Middletown South. The Panthers trail by five points with 44 seconds left in regulation as Wagner caps the comeback with a 20-foot jumper at the buzzer to force the game into overtime.

Feb. 20, 1963: Milt Wagner is born in Camden.

Tom McGurk is a regional sports editor for the Courier-Post, The Daily Journal and Burlington County Times, covering South Jersey sports for over 30 years. If you have a sports story that needs to be told, contact him at (856) 486-2420 or email tmcgurk@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @McGurkSports. Help support local journalism with a digital subscription.

This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: The Wagners are basketball royalty in Camden where hoops is king