Danny Wolf Is Excited To 'Showcase' His Game Playing Alongside Vlad Goldin At Michigan

Dusty May landed two 7-footers in the portal this spring. Danny Wolf is excited to show what he can do playing alongside another 7-footer in 2024.

Mar 24, 2024; Spokane, WA, USA; Yale Bulldogs forward Danny Wolf (1) shoots the ball over San Diego State Aztecs forward Elijah Saunders (25) in the first half at Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-USA TODAY Sports / James Snook-USA TODAY Sports

When Dusty May became the Michigan basketball head coach, he wanted to emphasize bringing in a point guard who was fast and could shoot the ball and he needed a center he could utilize in his offense. Well, May went out and grabbed Auburn point guard Tre Donaldson and he added Yale center Danny Wolf -- before adding Vlad Goldin from FAU.

Speaking on Defend the Block, Wolf admitted Michigan was his favorite school growing up as a kid. His mom's side was rich in Michigan history and Wolf remembered his favorite player, Trey Burke, hitting a game-sealing shot against Kansas in a NCAA Tournament game. Ann Arbor was actually a place Wolf wanted to come to before he ended up at Yale. He met with Juwan Howard and staff, but the only drawback was that Michigan didn't have a scholarship to offer Wolf at that moment. He was going to be a walk-on with the opportunity to earn a scholarship as a Wolverine.

“A good deal of Michigan alums that come from my mom’s side of the family," stated Wolf. "So I grew up coming to The Big House and sported a lot of Michigan shirts and shorts. I grew up a big Michigan fan. The plan for me was to be a walk-on player but just depending on my development I could very easily turn into a scholarship player — and they saw me down the line being a big contributor to the program."

Dream come true, Go Blue〽️ pic.twitter.com/KW8g5K20PN

— Danny Wolf (@Daniel_Wolf6) April 20, 2024

Instead of going to Michigan as a walk-on, Wolf -- who is high on academics -- went to Yale where he became an excellent player. Last year as a sophomore, Wolf averaged 14.1 points and 9.7 rebounds in over 30 minutes per game. He helped lead the Bulldogs to a victory over Auburn in the NCAA Tournament. But after having an exceptional sophomore campaign, Wolf wanted to try his hand at a higher level.

Wolf entered the transfer portal with a no-contact tag with the reasoning being he could seek out the right basketball schools that matched his academic wishes. He said coach May was one of the first coaches to reach out to him, but Wolf was on guard about the possibility of FAU center Vlad Goldin following him to Michigan. It was one of the first questions he had to ask May.

“Coach May was one of the first coaches to reach out to me, and laid out his vision for me and the program,” said Wolf. “The one thing that really stood out was the ability to play the ‘4’ and the ‘5.’ Because the first question I asked him is, ‘Is Vlad Goldin going to come with you?’ He was pretty certain he was. So that kind of created question marks at the same time. It also raised a higher level of interest in Michigan, because with my skill set and how it translates to the next level, playing the ‘4’ is something that I need to do."

Getting to play alongside Goldin in Michigan's new-look offense created intrigue for Wolf. He is a player that made 83 3-pointers last season and shot nearly 35% from 3. So once his questions were answered, he felt like he had to take a visit. Wolf really enjoyed his visit, fell in love with the coaching staff, and then committed the next week.

“Once that became clear and I got all my questions out of the way and they said that they see me at the ‘4,’ the ‘5’ and just coming different actions and all that stuff, it seemed pretty seamless," Wolf said. “And then I came on a visit, fell in love with the coaching staff. I said it when I sat down at breakfast on the first day, it seemed like those coaches had been together for years. It was just the way they bonded and connected, and they all have the same vision for each other and for the team.

Wolf hasn't always been 7-foot. He actually was a 6-foot-7 wing in high school when he was taking visits, but hit a huge growth spurt. He has always been a player who can handle the ball and shoot from long range -- since he had to do so not too long ago. Once he found out Goldin was officially in the fold, Wolf said he couldn't wait to play alongside him and showcase what he could do at the '4'.

“When I knew that Vlad was coming here, it even opened my eyes more," said Wolf. "It allowed me to showcase my game, and I really think it’ll help whatever team I was on as much as I could, just with my versatility. So being able to play the ‘4,’ that’s the main thing, and then being able to play some ‘5’ as well.”

Dusty May said previously he has a vision of playing Goldin 25 minutes a game at the '5' and he wants to play Wolf 15 or so minutes at the '4' with Goldin. Wolf would then transition to the '5' when Goldin needs rest. Michigan basketball fans should expect to see both on the court together and to also see Wolf playing some '5' in 2024-25.

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