Column: Danny Wolf has been Michigan’s best player, and his NBA Draft stock is climbing with each game

Danny Wolf proved on Saturday against USC he is Michigan’s best player, and his draft stock is climbing with each passing game. A column from @Kellen__Voss:

A little more than two months ago, the Michigan men’s basketball team picked up its first win with Dusty May at the helm, blowing out Cleveland State with a resounding 101-53 win in front of a raucous Crisler Center crowd.

In that victory, Yale transfer Danny Wolf got his Michigan career started with a well-rounded performance, scoring a game-high 19 points and recording 13 rebounds, three steals and three blocks. After showcasing his capabilities as a playmaker, May spoke about the potential of the 7-footer, including this quote that’s stuck with me for two months.

“He is just scratching the surface” May said of Wolf at the time. “He can shoot the three, he handles it like a guard, he passes it better than most guards and defensively he’s made a real, intentional effort to sit down and guard the basketball with determination.”

Two months later, it’s safe to say Wolf is well above the surface. This past weekend, he had his best game in a Michigan uniform, leading the Wolverines to a win in their first game ever at the Galen Center against USC. Here is his impressive stat-line:

• 21 points (Michigan career-high)
• 13 rebounds
• Seven assists (along with three turnovers, but a good ratio nonetheless)
• Two steals
• Six blocks (career-high, highest single-game mark by a Michigan player since 2008.)

“Danny Wolf is an NBA player,” USC head coach Eric Musselman told reporters after the game . “It’s flat-out become apparent. He transfers up and he’s dominating.

“The seven assists for a 7-footer, 21 points — I mean, he’s going to be in the NBA next year. He’s worked on his game and he’s so efficient, 9-of-12. It’s hard when you’ve got a guy that dominates across the board — rebounding, assists and points.”

The Wolverines are currently 11-3 and lead the Big Ten with a 3-0 conference record, and Wolf is a big reason for that success. He’s been Michigan’s best player, and his draft stock has been climbing with each passing game.

For those of you catching up on Michigan men’s basketball after devoting all your energy to the football team, let me catch you up to speed and showcase three reasons why Wolf has been one of the best players in the Big Ten.

Wolf’s playmaking ability is remarkable

Wolf is far from the average big man, as he’s relied upon to be one of Michigan’s best playmakers. Offense is almost effortless for Wolf with the ball in his hands; he can navigate screens as a ball handler, he’s got great court vision and a high basketball IQ. He also sets up his teammates for success, whether it be a side-arm pass for an open three, or setting up fellow 7-footer Vlad Goldin for an easy look.

The chemistry among that duo has been incredible to watch, with both guys cutting well off one another. When the Wolverines need a bucket, especially late in games, the ball is usually in Wolf’s hands.

In what may be Michigan’s most impressive win so far — a road victory against a Wisconsin team ranked No. 11 at the time — Michigan spammed the Wolf-Goldin pick-and-roll, and Area 50-1, as the duo is called, combined for nearly two-thirds of Michigan’s points.

Wolf is the rare type of player that old school and modern basketball fans love. He can still dominate around the rim and is pretty savvy in the lane, but he’s so much more than that. He can hit deep threes, drive to the rim and finish around defenders. He loves his spin move in the paint, and he’s thriving creating his own shot in the mid-range.

Not many big men can do stuff like this without looking like Bambi on ice.

Wolf is the straw that stirs the drink offensively and is a big reason why Michigan is in the position it is currently in.

He leads the conference in rebounds

While Wolf can hold his own on the perimeter, he’s not afraid to bang inside and has statistically been the best rebounder in the Big Ten.

Through 12-14 games for Big Ten teams, Wolf is the only player averaging double-digit rebounds per game (10.4). Part of that is because he plays alongside a big man in Goldin — who often boxes out the opposing team’s big — but Wolf’s rebounding numbers are still up by 0.7 per game since last season.

His defense has been incredible, even when forced to guard smaller 4s

One concern the media, including myself, had entering this season was how Michigan was going to defend teams with both 7-footers on the floor. With Goldin playing the five, Wolf has been forced to guard opposing 4s that are usually quicker than him.

Wolf hasn’t been perfect as a perimeter defender, but he’s been pretty good for his size. He moves his feet well and isn’t a liability when forced to guard on the perimeter. He’s also great on help-side and has great anticipation when it comes to blocking shots from opponents.

Goldin being so consistent as a rim protector has allowed Wolf to thrive as the help-side defender to contest shots around the rim, and Wolf has been thriving in that role while proving to be capable away from the rim as a defender.

What Wolf needs to improve upon to help his draft stock

Wolf is a junior and could still return to Michigan for his senior season, but after an impressive 14-game start to the 2024-25 season, he’s firmly on the radars of draft experts with room to grow.

No Michigan players were included in Sam Vecenie of The Athletic’s top-100 a month ago . When I tweeted about that, Vecenie replied that Wolf needed to put together more great performance like his 16-point game in the Xavier win .

“Yeah Wolf just needs to be consistent,” Vecenie said . “Loved the Xavier game thought it was incredibly impressive. But needs to string a couple of those together in a row.”

Since that Xavier game, Wolf has scored 12 points or more in six of seven games, including 20 in the Wisconsin win and 21 in the USC win.

If we’re nitpicking, there are still a few areas Wolf could improve. He leads Michigan in turnovers per game (3.6) and could stand to be a bit more efficient from three (35.1 percent). But he’s been more consistent in recent weeks, and has seemingly gotten better offensively each game.

Michigan has a legit chance to win the Big Ten, and Wolf’s magnificent play is a big reason why. More games like the one against USC will help Wolf show up on more draft boards this spring.