Northwestern coach Chris Collins on Michigan's Vlad Goldin: 'He'll have an incredible acting career'

Following an ejection in an 80-76 overtime loss to Michigan on Sunday, Northwestern coach Chris Collins had some choice words about Wolverines big man Vlad Goldin.

In short, he thinks there was a bit of a sales job on the foul that caused Jalen Leach to be ejected.

“I’ll give him credit. If he doesn’t make the NBA, he’ll have an incredible acting career,” Chris Collins said, according to Matthew Shelton of WildcatReport.com. “I mean that as a compliment, too.”

Leach was leading all scorers with 19 points when he was ejected with 9:23 left in the second half after colliding with Goldin on a set screen, at which point Leach appeared to extend his right leg between Goldin’s, making contact with his groin.

Goldin momentarily doubled over in pain and officials began a review of the contact.

Chris Collins had as much to say about the way the game is officiated as anything else, particularly in this instance. He’s no fan of the rule as written when it comes to shots to the groin.

“Look, if it’s malicious, and a kid is going for that area with a knee or fist, then absolutely,” Chris Collins said. “But I think the people that make the rules [don’t realize] Vlad Goldin is 7-foot-1, 275 pounds, setting a moving screen and Jalen is trying to get over.”

As for the call itself, even Big Ten head of officials Terry Wymer felt compelled to comment on it.

Wymer explained the ruling to the Big Ten Network’s Andy Katz as a cut-and-dry decision, regardless of whether there was any intent from Leach’s part.

“By rule, if a player gets hit in the private area it’s an automatic F2 and ejection for the opponent who hit the player,” Wymer told Katz. “You can’t officiate intent.”

In any case, Chris Collins wasn’t very happy with the outcome.

The 7-foot-1, 250-pound Goldin went on to finish with 31 points — his second 30-point game this season — on 9-of-16 shooting to go along with 8 rebounds in the game.

It was the No. 20 Wolverines’ ninth-straight home victory as Michigan improved to 13-4 overall and 5-1 in the Big Ten. Meanwhile, Northwestern lost for the fourth time in its last five games to drop to 11-7 overall and 2-5 in Big Ten play.

On3’s Alex Byington also contributed to this report.