Dusty May discusses how he’ll use 7-footers Danny Wolf, Vlad Goldin
Dusty May and his Michigan assistant coaches went 8-for-8 in five weeks in landing official visitors, and they did it with honest, up-front recruiting. May said he feels even more strongly now than when he accepted the job this team would be highly competitive this year given how well they’ve been received.
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“It’s been enjoyable trying to fit these pieces and parts together, use our imagination based on past experience, just find the guys that we felt like were right for this university and right for us,” May said. “Because of the staff’s diligence, their hard work, the relationships had been built over time. We were excited to get guys that we’re extremely excited to grow with.”
That includes a pair of 7-footers in Yale’s Danny Wolf and Florida Atlantic transfer Vladislav Goldin. Many have wondered how May and Co. will find time to play both, but he came in with a plan.
“Through the recruiting process, we pride ourselves on being very transparent … open and honest,” May said. “What we tell you today is what we imagine is going to happen … not definitely what’s going to happen because the scoreboard (etc.) can change. But Vlad last year played 25 minutes per game. In a perfect world, we can get him a few more minutes, but we play up tempo with a lot of possessions, so it’s difficult for our players to play 32 to 35 minutes per game if we’re playing the style we like to play. So, Vlad will probably hover around that mid-20s if he’s playing his best, and hopefully we’re able to take care of some games before the last 5 minutes so we can get those guys some rest or whatever.
“That left us playing Danny probably 14 minutes a game at the 5 when Vlad’s not in is how we probably envision it. We’ll be able stylistically to play a different brand of basketball. Danny will be more of a 5-out facilitator, while Vlad’s still more of a traditional center. But also, he’s expanded his game. We definitely envision those guys playing together significant minutes and also complementing each other.”
May watched Yale a bit this year because a former teammate of his son’s is on the team. He was impressed with how the Bulldogs’ coaching staff used Wolf, and he plans to play him the same way at Michigan.
“Danny is a very, very good three-point shooter for a 7-footer,” May said. “He dribbles the ball well; he handles the ball like a guard. He passes it, and they played through him offensively. That’s how we used our backup center last year, so we’re very well versed in that style of play, and he fit us offensively.
“So, the question was, does it fit defensively with another 7-footer or 7-1 guy? And 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, he’ll be ready to go.”
The Big Ten is a bigger league than they’re accustomed to playing against, too, he added, noting, “it’s not as if the Big Ten teams are all out there playing small ball for 20 nights out of a season.” When they do, though, he’ll likely have an answer for that as well, having been pleasantly surprised by veteran Will Tschetter in one-on-one work. Though he’ll likely play more of a “shooting forward,” May said, Tschetter could play some five if teams go small.
Regardless, he’s got options and a vision, and he’s excited to see how it all comes together.
