Denver — Danny Wolf had a gut feeling that Michigan was going to get matched up against his former team, Yale, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Initially, he thought the Wolverines were going to be a No. 4 seed and the Bulldogs would be a No. 13 seed. Then when he found out Michigan was a No. 5 seed during the March Madness bracket reveal, he had another feeling that Yale would end up as a No. 12 seed.
Roughly 800 miles away at a steakhouse in Providence, Rhode Island, Wolf’s former teammates we’re hoping to hear Yale’s name called after Michigan’s.
“After they announced UC San Diego, our whole team let out a big uproar,” Yale guard John Poulakidas told The News this week.
Yale received a No. 13 seed and ended up in the South Region with Michigan, setting up a potential second-round matchup on Saturday if both advanced. It didn’t happen, as Yale fell to No. 4 seed Texas A&M on Thursday.
But even though the Bulldogs were ousted, Wolf’s former teammates will continue to cheer him on from afar like they’ve done all season.
“He’s having a great year. We’re all really proud of him,” Yale forward Nick Townsend said. “I was in the same class as him, so I could see him develop. … He’s getting a lot of great exposure. It’s been cool to see him kill it.”
Yale forward Casey Simmons said the team has kept tabs on Wolf throughout the season. Poulakidas estimated he’s watched about 20 of Michigan’s games.
“Whenever he has a highlight move on social media, everybody is sending it out to other guys on the team,” Simmons said. “We’ve definitely been supporting him. I’m sure he’s been the same with us.”
Poulakidas and Wolf have known each other since middle school, and Poulakidas grew up playing basketball with Wolf’s older brother Jake. The two text on a weekly basis, often during or after games, letting one another know how proud they are of each other.
Poulakidas and Townsend saw firsthand all the work Wolf put behind the scenes that led to a huge leap from his freshman to sophomore year. Given Yale’s system, it takes time to learn the ropes and freshmen don’t often play big minutes.
Then when Wolf made the leap from a mid-major in the Ivy League — “a super underestimated league,” Poulakidas noted — to a Power Four program like Michigan in the Big Ten, no one was surprised that he was able to make the transition without seeing a dip in his production.
During his breakout sophomore campaign at Yale, Wolf averaged 14.1 points, 9.7 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.3 blocks in 30.8 minutes per game. This season with the Wolverines, Wolf’s numbers are similar: 13 points, 9.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.3 blocks in 30.3 minutes. He was named All-Ivy League first team in 2024 and All-Big Ten second team this year.
“We all really trusted that he could go be great,” Simmons said. “Because you can just see the drive with him. It’s almost in his personality to just get what he wants but not in a negative way
“I think he has gotten better and elevated his play, elevated his body, everything. With that being said, he’s been very good for a long time. It’s just now people can see it.”
Under the bright lights and on the big stage of the NCAA Tournament, even more college basketball fans will get a chance to witness what Wolf can do.
“We knew Danny was super talented. We’ve always known that. It’s the Danny that we wanted at Yale; the Danny we had at Yale,” Poulakidas said. “I’m super happy for him and excited to see what’s next for his future.”
High praise
Count Texas A&M coach Buzz Williams among those who have been impressed by the job Dusty May has done in his first year at Michigan.
During Williams’ press conference ahead of Saturday’s NCAA Tournament second-round game between the Aggies and Wolverines, he said he loves to study others in the coaching profession — “not just basketball coaches, any coaches,” he noted — and May was one of them.
From the assistant coaching stints May, 48, had a Louisiana Tech and Florida to his head-coaching jobs at Florida Atlantic and Michigan, Williams took notice of his climb up the coaching ladder.
“I think at his age, for him to have a brand-premier job like Michigan, I think it sets you up, particularly in the industry the way that it is now, to have that level of job at that age with those level of resources,” Williams said Friday. “I also think that he has the skill set and the appropriate demeanor to be able to handle all the ever-changing things that the industry has brought.
“He’s young enough in his career and has the energy on those things he can’t control. I also think from a tactical standpoint, his style of play is so unique that they’ll be able to create a roster on an annual basis that will be able to play in a way, just like he had this year. The success – 14-6 in the Big Ten is really, really good. I don’t use those words flippantly.”
Williams added he’s listened to podcasts that May has appeared on and is drawn to the “uniqueness” of Michigan’s offensive style of play, which utilizes ball-screen action with 7-footers Vlad Goldin and Wolf and has “some FIBA, some European” flavor.
“Coach is a genius,” Williams said. “He’s had an unbelievable start to what will end up being a Hall of Fame career. He represents all that’s right about college athletics.”
jhawkins@detroitnews.com
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