Dusty May Breaks Down Exactly How He Intends To Utilize Two 7-Footers

With Vlad Goldin and Danny Wolf both being north of 7-feet and 240 pounds, Dusty May has a detailed plan on how to get the most out of both.

Vlad Goldin and Danny Wolf make up a formidable frontcourt for Dusty May and Michigan. / Imagn

What a difference a few weeks can make. Not long ago, new Michigan basketball coach Dusty May didn't even know who he was going to be coaching while in Ann Arbor. Now, he has two very productive and very different 7-footers in Vlad Goldin and Danny Wolf that he can put on the floor.

"Vlad, I think last year played 25 minutes a game," May explained. "In a perfect world, we get him a few more minutes, but we play uptempo with a lot of possession so it's difficult for our players to play 32 to 35 minutes a game. If we're playing the style that we'd like to play, Vlad will probably have around that mid 20s."

That certainly leaves some minutes for Wolf to play center as well and that's how May sees it coming together.

"That [leaves] us probably playing Danny about 14 minutes a game at the 5 when Vlad is not in. That's how we probably envision it," May said. "And we'll play stylistically a different brand of basketball since Danny can be more of a five-out, a facilitator, where Vlad is still more of a traditional center. But also he's expanded his game. So we definitely envision those guys playing together significant minutes and also complementing each other too."

One of the reasons May sees Wolf and Goldin on the floor at the same time is because of Wolf's skill set and versatility. He's a true 7-footer and he's all of 250 pounds, but he's got some guard in him and can really knock it down from the outside.

"We watched Danny play a few times this year and I'm personally familiar with the Yale program because one of my son's teammates from high school is on the team. They're well coached and obviously made the NCAA tournament this year, but Danny is a very, very good three-point shooter for a 7-footer. He dribbles the ball well; he handles the ball like a guard. He passes it. They played through him offensively. That's how we used our backup center last year, [Giancarlo] Rosado, so we're very well versed in that style of play," May explained.

Offensively, Wolf has it. He's big, he's got length, he's getting stronger and he's very skilled for a 7-footer. If there's an issue with him, it could be on defense, specifically trying to stay in front of athletic power forwards. May is not concerned and, in fact, sees Wolf excelling on that end of the floor.

"He fit us offensively, so the question was, does he fit defensively with another 7-footer or 7-1 one guy?" May and his staff questioned when recruiting Wolf. "After watching Danny, we felt like he moves his feet well, he's got good mobility for a 7-footer and he embraces contact. So we think, with a summer of really strong, consistent weight work and speed work with our new strength coach, then he'll be ready to go."

That seems to leave the door open for scenarios where Wolf starts alongside Goldin or comes off the bench as the main backup center. Either way, both dudes are big and good at what they do. Goldin is going to score at a very efficient clip by punishing smaller players in the paint, while Wolf can get it done at all three levels. However it plays out, May has now got some fun pieces to work with.