The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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MAY 2025 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 39 ❱ MICHIGAN BASKETBALL Three Best Players 1. Junior forward/center Danny Wolf: The 7-foot, 250-pounder elicited chants of "Danny Wolf! Danny Wolf! Danny Wolf!" as he put on a stellar performance in the Wolverines' 78-65 loss to Texas A&M in the Sweet 16 in Atlanta. He posted 20 points on 9-of-18 shooting, 6 re- bounds, 1 assist and 1 block, helping his team build a nine-point lead with 12 minutes to go. One game earlier, Wolf recorded 14 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 blocks in the 91-79 second-round triumph over Texas A&M. 2. Graduate center Vladislav Goldin: The fol- lowing stretch epitomizes the 7-foot-1, 250-pound Russian's impact late in games: With under a min- ute to go in a tight tilt versus UC San Diego, Goldin grabbed an offensive rebound, got fouled on a tip-in attempt but didn't get the call, sprinted back on defense, contested a layup and corralled the rebound. U-M called timeout, and Goldin grabbed another offensive rebound on the next possession, was fouled on a put-back attempt and drilled both free throws to give his team a three-point edge, 68-65, with 20 seconds left. Goldin put up 14 points and 8 boards versus the Tritons, then poured in 23 points with 12 rebounds and 3 blocks against Texas A&M. He struggled, shooting 2-of-9 from the field, in the loss to Auburn, but he made his mark on a special tournament run. 3. Junior guard Tre Donaldson: UC San Diego led for 16 seconds in a 68-65 loss to Michigan. Just after Tyler McGhie gave the Tritons a 65-63 advantage with 2:29 on the clock, Donaldson banged in a triple from the top of the key to re- claim the lead that the Wolverines would never relinquish. That was just one in a long line of clutch postseason moments from the Auburn transfer point guard, who shushed the crowd after making the shot. The next time out, Donald- son had a clutch layup down the stretch against Texas A&M. He struggled mightily in the loss to Auburn, but his 20 points, 7 assists and key plays in the first two NCAA Tournament games earned him a nod on this list. Best Highlight Michigan led by three points, 82-79, with just over a minute to go against Texas A&M. Junior point guard Tre Donaldson had a matchup he apparently liked — against Aggies wing Solomon Washington — and his teammates cleared out late in the shot clock. Donaldson probed, backed it out for a split second and attacked going across the lane to his left. One power dribble, a quick pump fake and a fallaway, left-handed layup over Washington dropped to put the Maize and Blue back up five, 84-79, with a minute remaining. Key Moment Michigan players mobbed junior guard Roddy Gayle Jr. on the Ball Arena floor after the 91- 79 second-round victory over Texas A&M — a moment that few saw coming considering the struggles Gayle had undergone throughout the season. Truth is, Michigan wouldn't have advanced without the Ohio State transfer's efforts — 26 points, 4 made threes, 8 made free throws. That's right, 4 of his 19 three-pointers on the season came in the biggest of moments. Gayle helped keep Michigan in the game early in the second half, before he scored 12 straight U-M points in the middle of the stanza to lead an incredible comeback victory. The end of that surge by Gayle came just after Texas A&M point guard Wade Taylor IV was jawing in the U-M guard's face after he made a three with 7:58 re- maining. Gayle came out of the next timeout and connected on a triple before knocking down two free throws, giving it right back to Taylor. Bold Prediction Freshman guard L.J. Cason shot just 24.6 per- cent on 61 three-point attempts, but we predict his clip from deep will be 35-plus percent next season. Freshmen often struggle with their shot — for myriad reasons, including potentially re- ceiving inconsistent playing time. Cason is no different, but his jumper is much better than he's shown to date in Ann Arbor. Cason made 81.6 percent of his free throws and 50.9 percent of his two-point shots — good not just for a fresh- man but for any 6-foot-2 guard. There's a lot to build on. — Clayton Sayfie Superlatives For U-M's NCAA Tournament Run In the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament, graduate center Vlad Goldin put up 14 points and 8 boards versus UC San Diego, then poured in 23 points with 12 rebounds and 3 blocked shots against Texas A&M. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN ATHLETICS