Wolverine Digest

Big Ten analyst's bold statement about Vlad Goldin following win over Northwestern

Chris Breiler|
Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In this story:

Michigan Wolverines

It was another 30-point performance from Vlad Goldin on Sunday, as the Michigan Wolverines held off the Northwestern Wildcats in overtime by a score of 80-76. Goldin finished the afternoon with 31 points on 9/16 shooting from the floor, including 3/6 from beyond the arc. The 7-footer was also 10-12 from the free throw line, along with hauling in eight rebounds and adding four blocks. It was a complete game from Michigan's big man, and folks around the conference are starting to realize that he might be the best player in the Big Ten.

Following the win over Northwestern, Big Ten analyst Rapheal Davis said that if the season ended today, Goldin would be the player of the year in the conference.

"You saw in that second half, now they're closing out a little tougher. Now Vlad goes and puts the ball on the floor, he's driving to the basket, he's finishing at the rim, he's getting to the free throw line. I thought he was huge. He was on that offensive glass, he was causing havoc inside. And you saw in that overtime, he was drawing so much attention down on that block, which is why you see two times back-to-back Roddy Gayle get two back-cuts to the basket, because Northwestern has to pay so much attention to the big fella. I agree with Jordan. If this season ended today, if the Big Ten conference race was over, Vlad Goldin would be the player of the year in this league. He has been phenomenal."

It's certianly high praise for the Michigan center, but it's hard to argue against it. There aren't many 7-footers in college basketball that can do what Goldin does, and one of the few others happens to be on Michigan's roster as well (hello, Danny Wolf). Although Michigan is still far from where they need to be as a team, things seem to be trending in the right direction. And as everyone knows, all that matters is that you're playing your best basketball in March. If the Wolverines can continue to develop as a team, avoid the turnovers and play smart basketball, this group is going to be a problem down the stretch.

Enjoy more Michigan Wolverines coverage on Michigan Wolverines On SI -

More Michigan News:

Predicting Michigan football's defensive two-deep in 2025 1.0

Predicting Michigan football's 2025 offensive two-deep 1.0

Sherrone Moore provides clarity on status of Michigan S Rod Moore and potential 2025 return

For additional coverage of University of Michigan athletics:

Published
Chris Breiler
CHRIS BREILER

Christopher Breiler launched Winged Helmet Media and began covering the Michigan Football program in an unofficial capacity in 2017. He then joined Wolverine Digest as part of the FanNation network in 2021 as a contributing writer, where he served as both a writer and a photographer on game days. In 2024, he took over as the Managing Editor for Michigan Wolverines On SI. His love for Michigan Football brought him into the industry, and his passion for being a content creator has led to some amazing experiences along the way.

Home/Basketball