Former FAU Big Man Goldin Follows His Coach to Michigan
Vlad Goldin's College Eligibility Will Conclude With a Season with the Michigan Wolverines
Former FAU Standout Is One of the Michigan Wolverines’ Transfers
There were a few raised eyebrows when Dusty May returned to Florida Atlantic after leading the Owls to the 2023 Final Four. He did land a high-profile job when he was hired at Michigan on March 24. He will not come to Ann Arbor empty-handed, as Vlad Goldin’s college eligibility will conclude at Michigan.
Goldin could have entered the 2024 NBA Draft, but he opted to attend Michigan in hopes of improving his draft stock with a big season.
Michigan went from making back-to-back NCAA tournament appearances under the guidance of former Wolverines great Juwan Howard to playing in the 2023 NIT and then winning just eight games a season ago. Michigan had the decision to cut loose a member of the Fab Five and hire May away from Florida Atlantic.
Michigan is tied for 24th at +6000 in the odds of winning the 2024-25 national championship. Purdue (+3000), Illinois (+4000), Michigan State (+4000), and Indiana (+5000) are the Big Ten teams with better championship odds than Michigan.
Keep on reading for more on one of the newest University of Michigan men’s basketball players.
Ready to Make The Jump
The 7-foot-1 Goldin began his collegiate career at Texas Tech, but he never played more than nine minutes in the 10 games he appeared in as a freshman. Vlad Goldin’s college eligibility will also end at the Power-5 conference with Goldin landing at Michigan.
Goldin transferred to Florida Atlantic where he started 106 of the 107 games he played in over the past three seasons.
When looking at the NCAAB stats, he averaged 10.9 points on 63% shooting, 6.2 rebounds, and 1.3 blocked shots.
His final game at FAU came against a Big Ten team, as he had 19 points, nine rebounds, and four blocked shots in 33 minutes in an overtime loss to Northwestern in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
Goldin, a native of Nalchik, Russia, committed to Texas Tech after coming over to the United States to play at Putnam Science Academy in Connecticut. He was barely in the top 200 in the national rankings in his recruiting class.
Wolverines Going Big
Goldin is the No. 38 rated transfer, according to the 247sports.com database.
In the final year of Vlad Goldin’s college eligibility, he figures to form a twin towers option with Danny Wolf, a 7-footer out of Yale.
Wolf averaged 11 points, 7.5 rebounds, and four assists in the two games in the 2024 NCAA tournament.
The tallest player on the 2023-24 Michigan team was 6-foot-10 Tarris Reed, and he is now at UConn. Michigan’s top scorer Dug McDaniel transferred to Kansas State.
Michigan did add former Ohio State guard Roddy Gayle, one of three double-digit scorers for the Buckeyes in the 2023-24 season. He should receive quite the reception when Michigan plays at Ohio State next season.
Auburn guard Tre Donaldson, North Texas guard Rubin Jones, and Alabama forward Sam Walters have also transferred to Michigan.
A Decent Track Record for Goldin
Goldin played against teams from the Power-5 conferences 10 times in his three seasons at Florida Atlantic.
Goldin scored in double figures six times in those games. He averaged 12 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.9 blocked shots against Power-5 conferences.
He had a double-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds against Kansas State in the Elite Eight at the 2022 NCAA tournament. Goldin had 23 points and four rebounds against Illinois in the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden in New York in December.
Those numbers could bode well as Goldin makes the jump from the American Athletic Conference to the Big Ten.
An influx of Talent in the Big Ten
Five of the top 13 men’s basketball transfers are either leaving the Big Ten or joining Big Ten teams.
That list is led by former Arizona star Oumar Bello, as the 7-footer is headed to Indiana as the top-rated transfer in the country. The Hoosiers also landed Stanford guard Kanaan Carlyle.
Former Wisconsin star AJ Storr is leaving the Big Ten to head to Kansas. New Big Ten program UCLA is adding Kobe Johnson from rival Southern California, while Rutgers’ post player Clifford Omoruyi is in the transfer portal.
Wolf, who is ranked 24th, is the top incoming transfer for Michigan.
The Big Ten is losing some players to the NBA who could have made an impact.
USC guard Isaiah Collier is showing up in the top 10 in some 2024 NBA mock drafts. Purdue’s Zach Edey, the reigning Big Ten and national player of the year, has a chance to go in the first round after leading the Boilermakers into the national championship game along with Illinois guard Terrence Shannon.
It will be an interesting 2024-25 season in the Big Ten with the additions of UCLA, USC, Oregon, and Washington. That brings the Big Ten membership to 18, with the four Pac-12 teams headed to the Big Ten.
For NCAAB news, odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
