The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1527978
42 THE WOLVERINE ❱ NOVEMBER 2024 2024-25 BASKETBALL PREVIEW BY JOHN BORTON V ladislav Goldin's travel trunk could feature more stickers than a senior citizen's mo- tor home. Born in Nalchik, Russia, the 7-foot-1 graduate student lived in Voronezh, Moscow, Connecticut, Texas, Florida and now Michigan, on his way to becoming a Wolverine. He hopes to make himself right at home here and enjoys a leg up in getting that done. Following head coach Dusty May from Florida Atlantic to Michigan felt as natural as a two-handed slam at point-blank range. Goldin remembers the precise mo- ment he knew he'd found his coach in May. It occurred, ironically, in one of the darker moments of his playing career, during his first season at Florida Atlan- tic. "One game, we lost by a buzzer beater, because I didn't box out as good as I should have," Goldin recalled. "I was so upset about that. Coach May came to me and said, 'Let's talk.' "We came to his room and started talk- ing, and he let me know, 'I want you to fail as many times as possible. Please do it. We need you to fail right now. You're not going to learn faster if you don't fail. If you're scared to fail, or you're trying to play too careful, it's going to take longer than we want it to.' "That was one of the most critical, crucial moments for me. I was surprised. MAN ON THE MOVE Vlad Goldin Is Russian To Make An Impact Goldin averaged 10.2 points and 6.5 rebounds per game in the 2022-23 campaign, helping Florida Atlantic reach the Final Four. He followed that up by averaging 15.7 points and 6.9 rebounds per game last season. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN ATHLETICS