The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1534644
30 THE WOLVERINE ❱ MAY 2025 kinds of games, and later in the season, we started winning those games. "We knew in those games, and in the tournament games, we weren't scared to be down a couple, with five minutes before the end. We knew we could fight, what we were capable of. Everything was for the best." Still, the season-ending losses to Il- linois (93-73), Maryland (71-65) and Michigan State (79-62) certainly didn't engender much outside enthusiasm when the Wolverines packed their bags for Indianapolis. They'd produced enough victories during the Big Ten season to still earn a double bye in the conference tournament, but that meant they'd be facing all tough teams in a fight to get to the title game. "We wanted the regular season so bad that we started overthinking a little bit too much," Goldin reflected. "When it was [the case that] one game decides ev- erything, we knew we couldn't think too hard about it. All our focus has to be on this game, and no other. That's why we were successful in the postseason. We had the mindset of one game at a time, rather than thinking, oh, how many games can we win and be champions?" They left no doubt against Purdue, bashing the Boilermakers in an 86-68 stunner for a team playing in its home state. Maryland stood 5.3 seconds away from sending Michigan home, clinging to an 80-79 lead. Junior guard Tre Don- aldson's end-to-end dash and buzzer- beating left-handed layup pulled out the 81-80 thriller, injecting a magical feeling into the Wolverines' push toward a title. But the muscle behind the magic in- volved Goldin's 25-point, 10-rebound effort, which put May's crew in posi- tion to win the game. That one went a long way toward earning the big man MOP honors, which he locked up with 11 crucial points in the 59-53, defense- drenched title game against Wisconsin. Goldin wasn't moved by the individ- ual award. He took his pleasure from the pure joy in all the faces around him. "When we win a championship, it doesn't matter to me who the Most Outstanding Player is," he said. "I could give it to anybody else and I would feel as good as I felt at that time. The goal was, win a championship, rather than any personal awards. I really don't care about that. "I just loved to see how my brothers smiled, how everybody was happy. I've seen all the work we put in, in the sum- mer, in the preseason, and now we finally saw it pay off. Everybody got what they deserved. "Everyone wants to make history, to leave something special behind. We won a title, and I'm happy to be part of the winning group and part of a positive mo- tion in the future." They certainly weren't ready to let the feeling end after two wins in The Big Dance. The cruel reality is, feelings don't matter much in March — only per- formance. Leads evaporate, and so do chances. "We probably started thinking a little bit far when we started winning," Goldin said of the Sweet 16 showdown. "When you're playing against a No. 1 seed, you cannot do that. We thought we were close to winning, and they obviously didn't give up. They started fighting. It's one game, and one game decides every- thing. All credit to Auburn. They decided to make plays." THE BIG PICTURE FOR THE BIG MAN Success obviously extends far beyond the basketball court, or the parameters of a 68-team basketball showdown. Fol- lowing the Feb. 22 loss to Michigan State at Crisler Center, Goldin dropped to one knee and proposed to longtime girlfriend Camryn Vogler, who committed on the spot. He reunited with his parents, Sa- sha and Lubov Goldin, in early March, after not seeing them in person for five years. They came from their home, not far from the Ukrainian border, to watch their son play in the waning moments of his career. Throughout his year at Michigan, Goldin made several friends and count- less contacts that he'll carry with him into his next phase of life. But he'll also never forget the friends inside the locker room, and how they grew together. "It was amazing," he said, looking back. "I've been part of a winning team, a team that was able to win a champion- ship. You can feel it right away. When you talk to guys, when you talk to coaches, and you decide to sacrifice something for winning, you can feel it. How many people are able to do that? It takes a lot of selflessness. "We're in an era of college basketball where it's a lot of transfers, and a lot of things have to happen faster than they did years ago. Years ago, you played four years on the same team. Now it's like, basically a new team every year. These guys, because they were so unselfish, they wanted to build that kind of a rela- tionship. It's a two-way street. You can't do it by yourself. If somebody doesn't want it, you're not going to build a great relationship. "I feel like my teammates — Will [Tschetter], Tre, Roddy [Gayle Jr.], Ni- Goldin On The Cusp Of The NBA Vlad Goldin has expressed the desire to play at the NBA level. Whether or not that happens depends on his evaluations over the next several weeks, and if a team is seeking his skill set combined with his imposing length. In ESPN's most recent ranking of draft prospects, Goldin drew the No. 94 spot. That's a position he'd obviously like to improve prior to the June 25 NBA Draft, but regardless of whether or not he moves on to that league, he'll certainly enjoy a professional basketball career in some venue. Michigan head coach Dusty May knows this much — Goldin has been a key factor in getting his teams to places they've dearly desired to go the past few seasons. Max Rosenberg of Babcock Hoops sized Goldin up as follows, prior to the NCAA Tournament. "Vladislav Goldin is a highly efficient interior scorer with a strong face-up game and improving touch from mid-range. At 7-1 and 250, he has the physical presence to bully smaller defenders in the post and is particularly effective in big-to-big pick-and-roll situations, where he uses his strength and positioning to finish at a high percentage. His shot-blocking ability and high motor make him a reliable defensive anchor, as he consistently contests shots and deters opponents in the paint. "While Goldin has shown flashes of three-point shooting ability, his offensive game can be predictable and methodical in the paint. He needs to add more variety to his post moves and improve his playmak- ing ability when facing double teams. Defensively, his foot speed in switches is a concern, as he may struggle against quicker, more athletic forwards and wings at the next level." — John Borton