The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1537777
2024-25 YEAR IN REVIEW 30 THE WOLVERINE ❱ AUGUST 2025 DANNY WOLF VS. CLEVELAND STATE, MEN'S BASKETBALL The Michigan basketball team was more confident than anyone else in how playing two seven-footers — Danny Wolf and Vladislav Goldin — would go, but nobody knew exactly what the results would be. It turned out better than anyone imagined. While Goldin got off to a slow start to the sea- son before becoming the Wolverines' top scorer, Wolf came out of the gates red hot, registering 19 points, 13 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 blocks and 3 steals in a 101-53 season-opening victory over Cleveland State Nov. 4. The Glencoe, Ill., native shot 8 of 10 from the field in an efficient evening. Listed at 7-feet tall, Wolf was a big man, but more than that he was a playmaker — even acting as a point forward — an elite rebounder and better defender than he was given credit for. All of that was on display in an eye-opening debut for the Maize and Blue, setting the tone for a stellar season that saw him earn second-team All-Big Ten honors and lead his team to the Big Ten Tournament title and Sweet 16. BREAKOUT PERFORMANCES OF THE YEAR MALE SPORT BREAKOUT PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR Yale transfer Danny Wolf started his Michigan career with a bang. He had 19 points, 13 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 blocks and 3 steals in a 101-53 season-opening vic- tory over Cleveland State Nov. 4. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL FEMALE SPORT BREAKOUT PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR SYLA SWORDS VS. SOUTH CAROLINA, WOMEN'S BASKETBALL Syla Swords proved she was different from the start. The 6-foot guard poured in 10 points in the first quarter of the Wolverines' sea- son opener against No. 1 South Caro- lina, the eventual national runner- up, in the Hall of Fame Series in Las Vegas. The Sudbury, Ontario, native finished with a double-double (27 points, 12 rebounds) to mark one heck of a first impression on national television (TNT). The Wolverines fell by a final score of 68-62, but they went down swinging their Swords. Two free throws from the McDonald's All-American cut the deficit to four points with just more than three minutes left, and the No. 4 overall recruit's back-to- back triples pulled the Maize and Blue within two points with 22 seconds to go. Swords went on to have a stellar freshman cam- paign in Ann Arbor. She was named to the ESPN All-Freshman Team, Big Ten All-Tournament team, Big Ten All-Freshman team and All-Big Ten second team. Freshman guard Syla Swords had an impressive col- lege debut, posting a double-double (27 points, 12 rebounds) in the season opener against No. 1 South Carolina, the eventual national runner-up. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN PHOTOGRAPHY