Michigan Wolverines basketball graduate center Vladislav Goldin has attempted 732 field goals in his college career, which has spanned 112 games. None of them have been three-pointers.
In fact, according to Synergy, Goldin only took 9 jump shots last season — including twos. He went 4-of-9, with only 1 of the makes coming from 17-plus feet.
A Florida Atlantic transfer, Goldin has been a beast inside, making 67.3 percent of his twos last season, ranking 26th in the country. But watching the Wolverines practice and scrimmage Friday, it stood out that Goldin wasn’t just attempting triples, he was making them at a respectable clip.
This was his reaction when we asked about showing off his expanded range at Michigan’s practice, which was open to media and professional scouts.
Yes, Goldin has worked on his jumper leading into his first season at Michigan. He’s not going to force those shots in games, though. What he won’t do, either, is shy away from taking them when the moment’s right.
“I’m not chasing any shots, I’m not chasing shots that … I’m going to take the open shots,” the 7-foot-1, 250-pound Russian said. “I’m going to take the best shots I can find. So if it’s something that’s open and I can shoot it, I’m gonna shoot it. If I’m close [to a defender], then I’m not going to take them.
“It’s not something that I’m chasing, that I wrote in my book that I’m gonna take two threes a game. If I’m open, I’m gonna shoot them, if I’m not open, I’m going to just find something better.”
That would certainly be new to his game, though, no?
“Yes and no, because I’ve been shooting them last season, too, but because we had such a small lineup with four guards, we had enough shooters on the team,” Goldin said, presumably referring to taking them in practice at FAU. “I was supposed to be in the paint, and I embraced that role, so I did what I did. I have a little bit more options, because I have [junior forward/center] Danny [Wolf], who’s able to drive to the rim. So maybe — hopefully.”
Goldin has a tight relationship with Dusty May, who brought him from FAU to Michigan, but the big man said the head coach hasn’t been upset when he takes and misses a good look from the perimeter.
“I think he wants it from me, so it just happens,” Goldin stated.
The bond couldn’t be tighter between May and Goldin. The latter hasn’t seen his family, which is back in Russia, for years, so May has served as more than just a coach.
“He has been with me not like as a coach,” Goldin explained. “He took on a role basically as my dad, because I haven’t seen my family for a while. When I need something, I talk to him. It’s different conversations, because I know he’s got my back.”
Goldin has high hopes for Michigan, and he’s not worried about the Wolverines being unranked in the preseason or being picked ninth of 18 Big Ten teams by the media.
“To be honest, I don’t look at the rankings, because it’s such a — not to be mean or offensive — but it’s so useless before we start playing,” Goldin said. “Every team believes they’re the best team in the country, and the thing that’s gonna separate us is consistency.”
