The Michigan Wolverines are one of the hottest teams in college basketball. They are coming off a week of knocking out their rivals, Ohio State, in Columbus and avenging an earlier loss to #13 Purdue. Now, the Wolverines are in the midst of a six-game win streak and control first place in the Big 10.
It’s been quite the turnaround for Dusty May’s Michigan Wolverines. Last season, they went 3-17 in the Big 10 and finished in last place. But May hit the transfer portal hard and built up a Michigan team that could be a problem come March.
1 Year ago around this time Michigan was sitting at an 8-16 record, fast forward 1 season and Dusty May has Michigan at 19-5 & first in Big Ten conference play.
DUSTY MAY IS DIFFERENT 🔥 🔥 pic.twitter.com/UP5Lwlz9g6
— College Basketball Report (@CBKReport) February 12, 2025
Area 50-1
Transfers Vladislav Goldin and Danny Wolf or “Area 50-1” are the biggest reason for Michigan’s success. Dusty May has taken an early 2000’s approach and is starting two seven-footers. Goldin is more of a traditional seven-footer, playing almost exclusively in the paint. Wolf on the other hand has been a true “point forward” for the Wolverines.
The Michigan offense runs through these two guys. They run a non-traditonal pick and roll game with Wolf and Goldin, that at times looks unstoppable. Wolf is the best passing big man in college basketball, and that combined with Goldin’s size makes Michigan’s offense one of the nations’s best. They are currently ranked 21st in the Kenpom rankings and are 26th nationally in points per game.
Area 5️⃣0️⃣-1️⃣ balled out 💥
No. 20 @umichbball big men Vlad Goldin (20 PTS & 10 REB) and Danny Wolf (17 & 11) both double-doubled in today's win at rival Ohio State.#B1GMBBall pic.twitter.com/o46R33WzFY
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) February 16, 2025
And having two seven-footers has also translated to defensive success. Michigan ranks 22nd nationally in defensive rating. Goldin has the size and strength the be a true rim protector. And Danny Wolf is athletic enough to defend all five positions, allowing the Wolverines to switch all the time.
In a league that is becoming more of a “small ball” game, the Wolverines big men will make them a big mismatch in March.
Guard Play
Goldin and Wolf aren’t the only transfers making an impact in Ann Arbor. Auburn transfer Tre Donaldson has quickly turned into a huge weapon for Dusty May. In two years at Auburn, Donaldson averaged just 4.7 points per game. In 25 games in the maize and blue Donaldson is averaging 12.7 points per game, and has been a driving force for Michigan’s offense.
TRE DONALDSON GAME WINNER 🔥 pic.twitter.com/RXxVd6MwL7
— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) January 28, 2025
His 40.5% three point shooting and four assists per game has added another dimension to Michigan’s offense. But outside of Donaldson Michigan has had inconsistent guard play. Ohio State transfer Roddy Gayle averaged 12.3 points per game in non conference play, and just 9.5 points per game in Big 10 play. Dusty May said Gayle was Michigan’s best player in practice before the season started, and he needs to play like that for Michigan to be a true Final Four threat.
If Gayle can’t turn it around, it comes down to Nimari Burnett and Rubin Jones. Jones is a more defensive minded guard, so the scoring burden may fall on Burnett. He is having a career year, scoring 10.1 points per game while shooting 49.1% from the field and 42.7% from three. The Wolverines will need to work to get Burnett more volume down the stretch.
Unforced Errors
When playing at their best, this team could make the final four. But the Michigan Wolverines have some major red flags. Michigan ranks 345th in the nation with 14.4 turnover per game. In many games Michigan has allowed opposing teams to go on major runs, and they only will get two or three shots up in a five minute window. While this may not matter as much against teams like Rutgers and and Penn State, it will matter in the tournament.
Michigan is slowly improving in that category, only having 11.7 per game in their last three matchups. If Dusty’s May squad can get that number to single digits come March, that will vastly improve their odds.
One of the strangest weaknesses for the Wolverines is rebounding. Despite typically having two seven-footers on the court, Michigan will frequently lets teams grab offensive boards. While the Wolverines have a high rebound rate, they allow 9.1 offensive rebounds per game, ranking 223rd nationally. This combined with their turnover-prone offense gives Michigan’s opponents a lot of extra possessions every game.
The Wolverines are also failing to capitalize on their opponents mistakes. Dusty May’s squad is shooting just 73% from the free throw line, 144th in the nation. And Michigan’s superstar Danny Wolf shoots just 55.6% from the line, and has missed his fair share of clutch free throws. And for a player who will find himself at the line late game frequently, Michigan will need him to step up.
These are all fixable mistakes for Dusty May, but with just a month before Selection Sunday, the Wolverines will need to improve down the final stretch of the season.
Michigan Wolverines Outlook
The Michigan Wolverines are currently ranked 12th in the AP Poll, and projected to be a three or four seed. But with games against Maryland, Illinois, two against Michigan State, and the Big 10 tournament the Wolverines could be as high as a two seed and as low as a six seed.
The Wolverines are currently one of only eight teams to be ranked in the top 25 for offensive and defensive ratings, which is historically a big metric in March.
With the SEC’s dominance, Michigan will likely find themselves in a favorable region. This team could most definitely find themselves in final four, but if these unforced errors aren’t fixed, the Michigan Wolverines loo more like a sweet 16 team than anything.
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