The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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FEBRUARY 2025 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 45 ❱ MICHIGAN BASKETBALL Three Best Players 1. Graduate center Vladislav Goldin The 7-foot-1, 250-pound Russian has been play- ing lights out lately, and he ranks sixth nationally in effective field goal percentage on the sea- son (71.0). Over the last six games though Jan. 13, Goldin registered 20.3 points per outing and shot 79.2 percent on his two-point attempts. He earned KenPom MVP honors in three of the last six games, including back-to-back nights in vic- tories over UCLA Jan. 7 and Washington Jan. 12. Goldin posted 36 points in the 94-75 triumph over the Bruins, the most by a U-M player in a game since 2008, shooting 12-of-18 from the field and making 9 free throws. Goldin is shooting 72.2 percent at the rim on the season, attempt- ing 5.3 layups/dunks per game. 2. Junior forward/center Danny Wolf The 7-foot Yale transfer has not just proven he can play power forward alongside Goldin at cen- ter — he's turning into one of the best players in the conference and nation. He's popping up on NBA Draft projections, too, listed at No. 21 overall to the Dallas Mavericks in ESPN.com's Jan. 9 mock draft. In the last six games, Wolf has had 5-plus assists four times and scored in double figures all but one night. The highlight of the season to this point was his 21-point, 13-rebound, 7-assist and 6-block performance in an 85-74 win over USC Jan. 4. 3. Graduate guard Nimari Burnett What a difference a year makes. The second- year Wolverine was asked to be one of Michigan's top ball-handlers and scorers last season, and he had an inconsistent campaign. But in a lower- usage role with more talent around him and a new coaching staff to help him develop, Burnett has thrived. He leads the nation with a 74.8 true shooting percentage and has made 50.7 percent of his 69 three-point attempts, checking in 11th nationally. During the Wolverines' current five-game win streak, Burnett has shot 17 of 24 from three- point range. He's the perfect three-and-D player for a group with a bunch of potential. Key Play Michigan was on the verge of handing Okla- homa its first loss of the season, up three points with under 30 seconds to go Dec. 18 at the Spec- trum Center in Charlotte, N.C.. But with 11.5 seconds on the clock, Sooner freshman guard Jer- emiah Fears hit a deep three while being fouled, capitalizing at the foul line for a four-point play to give his team a one-point lead. Michigan couldn't create any magic of its own at the buzzer, falling 87-86. The foul was called on junior guard Roddy Gayle Jr., and it was a questionable one, with replay showing that he may not have touched Fears. The Maize and Blue answered a 21-6 Oklahoma run by going from down four to up three with under 30 seconds remaining. U-M got some big buckets and stops down the stretch, but the Wolverines didn't do enough to make the game fluke-proof, turning the ball over on their second-to-last offensive possession and missing a layup the previous time down the court. Michigan's three losses have come by a com- bined five points. Best Highlight There were plenty of highlights in recent games, including during the two-game road trip to Los Angeles. Graduate center Vladislav Goldin threw down some thunderous dunks, and junior guard Tre Donaldson nailed 6 big triples in a win over UCLA. But the best sight was the Wolverines' crowd taking over USC's Galen Center and UCLA's Pauley Pavilion in wins that helped welcome the new Big Ten members to the league Jan. 4 and Jan. 7, respectively. Michigan has a strong alumni base in Southern California, which was on display dur- ing the 2018 NCAA Tournament at Staples Center and in these two games. Chants of 'Let's go blue!' rang throughout the arena, and the Wolverines left their West Coast trip undefeated in the Big Ten and the favorites to win the regular-season crown. Bold Prediction Michigan will ride into February with an un- blemished, 9-0 Big Ten record. This is a manage- able stretch coming up, with games at Minnesota (Jan. 16) and versus Northwestern (Jan. 19) on the horizon. Perhaps the biggest test to date will come Jan. 24 at Purdue, which is undefeated at home and ranked No. 12 in the nation, per Ken- Pom's analytics. But with the way Michigan's offense is hum- ming, we'll say head coach Dusty May's crew gets the job done at Mackey Arena. Next up would be a clash against Penn State in Ann Arbor (Jan. 27), before kicking off February with a date at Rutgers. — Clayton Sayfie Superlatives For U-M's Six Games From Dec. 18 To Jan. 12 Over his last six games though Jan. 13, graduate transfer center Vladislav Goldin registered 20.3 points per outing and shot 79.2 percent on his two-point attempts. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL