March Madness is upon us
My latest college basketball content
If you’re like me, perhaps you’ve had this thought or at least share my opinion: It’s good we’re moving the clocks ahead this Sunday as opposed to next. We can’t afford to lose an hour of sleep after Selection Sunday.
That’s where my head is at this time of year. March Madness is upon us — some conference tournaments are underway — and will only pick up steam in the coming weeks.
With that in mind, I wanted to share some of my recent college basketball stories.
Michigan has two 7-footers in its starting lineup and they’re both really interesting. Danny Wolf is a giant guard. He handles the ball, shoots 3s, and makes passes in ways not typically done by someone his size. After transferring from Yale, he’s rocketed up NBA draft boards.
I spoke to Wolf, his youth coaches, and his Michigan teammates and coaches to learn about his development. Check out my story for MLive:
The lone Wolf: How Michigan’s 7-foot guard became college basketball’s most unique player
Vlad Goldin is a more traditional giant, doing most of his work near the basket. He’s very good at that, but his off-court journey is even more fascinating. Last month, he got engaged on Michigan’s home court after a game. I was still in the arena, working on a story, when I saw what was happening and realized I’d be writing a different, unexpected story that night:
She said yes! Michigan basketball star engaged after postgame proposal
More recently, Goldin experienced another powerfully emotional moment. The fifth-year senior left his parents in Russia to come to the United States for college in 2020. The pandemic, and then Russia’s war with Ukraine, made travel difficult. As a result, Goldin hadn’t seen his parents since in five years — until last weekend.
The Goldins are in Ann Arbor now, having seen their son play college ball in person for the first (and second) time this past week. They’ll watch him against Michigan State on Sunday before returning to Russia the next day.
I spoke to Vlad about the emotional reunion with his parents:
Michigan’s Vlad Goldin on reuniting with parents after nearly 5 years apart
Thanks for reading. If you’d like to hear my thoughts on Michigan basketball, I went on a radio show on Thursday. Come for the analysis of Michigan’s recent struggles; stay for my dog Harvey’s incessant barking and subsequent scolding from the show’s host.
X's and BrO's - Andrew Kahn talks Michigan men's hoops
Enjoy the rest of the college basketball season. I hope to be in touch again before it’s over.