Michigan basketball recruiting: Dusty May lands ex-FAU big man Vlad Goldin, keeps building via transfer portal

Michigan coach Dusty May received a major boost Monday, when former FAU star center Vlad Goldin committed to the Wolverines, 247Sports confirmed. Ranked the No. 8 player in the CBS Sports Transfer Rankings, Goldin will give May an anchor in the frontcourt as he continues to build out his first roster.

May and Goldin are deeply familiar with each other after spending the last three seasons guiding FAU to unprecedented success. Goldin started all 39 games for the Owls on their march to the 2023 Final Four and then upped his production this past season. 

The 7-foot-1 Russian averaged 15.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game in the 2023-24 campaign while earning All-AAC honors. Goldin’s 67.3% field-goal percentage stood out and made him one of the most efficient bigs in college basketball. He will have one season of eligibility remaining. 

Goldin is merely the latest big-name transfer addition for May, who is tasked with turning around a program that limped to an 8-24 record in coach Juwan Howard’s final season. But with Goldin in the fold, the makings of a competitive roster are coming together.

Michigan could deploy a fascinating tandem of towers on the floor together in the season ahead. With 7-foot Yale transfer Danny Wolf also committed, May will be tasked with devising a plan that properly utilizes both bigs. Wolf also ranks in the top 40 of the CBS Sports Transfer Rankings and has more of a perimeter-oriented game.

Wolf’s ability to step out and shoot 3-pointers and create shots off the dribble differentiates him from Goldin, who is more of a prototypical paint presence without any perimeter pop. While their offensive games should complement each other, May will also need to formulate a defensive strategy as opponents may look to exploit the Wolverines off the dribble with quicker players when Goldin and Wolf are playing together.