In dire need of a significant win in the Big 10 Tournament, the Michigan basketball team secured one on Friday night with a dominant 86-68 victory over Purdue. While the result boosted the Wolverines’ NCAA Tournament resume, center Vladislav “Vlad” Goldin felt it also put the team back on the right track.
Michigan entered the Big 10 Tournament on a three-game losing streak and just 2-4 in its last six regular season games. Regardless, Goldin sees every game as a new opportunity and said there is “no better feeling” than picking up a gritty win over a team like Purdue.
“Every game has its own identity,” Goldin said after the game to courtside reporter Andy Katz. “You like to win this kind of game when it’s physical [and] sometimes ugly, but you fight, and you fight with your team. There is no better feeling than that.”
“You fight with your team, there is no better feeling.”
Vlad Goldin joined @TheAndyKatz after @umichbball‘s quarterfinal #B1GMBBT win.
AOI x #B1GMBBall pic.twitter.com/XZjePoSGnR
— Big Ten Men’s Basketball (@B1GMBBall) March 15, 2025
Goldin, Michigan’s leading scorer with 16.6 points per game, ended the game with 15 points and eight rebounds in 25 minutes. Though his final stat line was not on par with his previous outings, Goldin’s length and physicality were major factors in limiting Purdue forward Trey Kaufman-Renn to an abysmal 9-for-24 from the field.
Goldin’s 15 points were second on the team behind forward Danny Wolf, who led the way with 18 points, 11 rebounds and six assists. Point guard Trey Donaldson added 13 points and five assists, with most of his points coming during a personal 7-0 run in the second half.
More than anything they did on offense, Michigan’s defense stifled Purdue’s entire offensive approach. While Kaufman-Renn ended the game with 24 points, his aforementioned inefficiency continuously killed promising possessions. Big 10 Player of the Year Braden Smith struggled even more from the field, scoring just 12 points on 5-for-18 shooting.
Michigan basketball faces Maryland in Big 10 Tournament
As much as the win over Purdue bolstered Michigan’s March Madness profile, the Wolverines have an even richer opportunity ahead of them against Maryland in the Big 10 Tournament semifinals on Saturday afternoon. The two recently met on March 5, with the Terrapins leaving Ann Arbor with a 71-65 win.
Although Michigan will enter the game as the higher-seeded team, Maryland is closing as the betting favorite. The Terrapins ride a four-game win streak into the rematch, including an 88-65 blowout win over Illinois in the quarterfinals.
In the first meeting, Goldin and Wolf each notched 20 points apiece against Maryland’s stout interior defense. However, the Wolverines’ three other starters — Donaldson, Nimari Burnett and Roddy Gayle Jr. — combined for just 20 points. Donaldson and Burnett particularly struggled defensively to contain the Terrapins’ backcourt, allowing a combined 36 points to Rodney Rice and Selton Miguel.
Whichever team claims the rematch will face the winner of the other Big 10 Tournament semifinal game featuring Michigan State and Wisconsin. The Spartans and Badgers tip off first at 1 p.m. ET, followed by Michigan and Maryland taking the court at 3:30 p.m. ET. As per usual, the Big 10 Championship Game will be the final act leading directly into the March Madness Selection Sunday show.
The post Michigan basketball center Vlad Goldin’s perfect take on Purdue beatdown appeared first on ClutchPoints.
