Danny Wolf has embraced playing the 4 for Michigan basketball
There has been a lot of debate this offseason among Michigan basketball fans about who will be the starting four for the Wolverines.
I have maintained that will be Danny Wolf. I realize there could be some defensive issues for the 7-foot forward/center, but according to what Wolf said on the "Defend The Block" podcast, being able to play the four, as well as the five, is one of the reasons he chose Michigan basketball in the portal.
"The one thing that really stood out was the ability to play the '4' and the '5,'" Wolf explained via 247 Sports. "… Because with my skill set, and how it translates to the next level, playing the '4' is something that I need to do. And I think that once that became clear, and I got all my questions out the way and they said that they see me at the '4,' the '5' and different actions and all that stuff, it seemed pretty seamless."
On his visit to Michigan basketball, Wolf said that he gelled quickly with Vlad Goldin and that it didn't take long for him to realize that playing alongside the 7-foot-1 center could work.
"We connected instantly. And he's always smiling; he's always in a good mood," Wolf said via 247 Sports. "We got shots up together, and very quickly, it became evident that this could work out and it could be really special. … You don't often see a lot of seven-footers on the court at the same time."
One reason it can work for the Wolverines is that Wolf is a great shooter. He's a great ball-handler too, especially for his size and he even brought the ball up at times for Yale. He's a scorer and a creator. That should work well with Goldin, who is much more of a low-post presence but a dominant one at that. Together on the floor, they should be tough to defend.
That being said, athletic fours in the Big Ten could take advantage of Wolf, but it will be up to Dusty May to try and protect him as much as possible. Hopefully, the length will be an asset. May has also said that he feels comfortable with Wolf's ability to defend.
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I'm not saying he's going to be an elite defender, but I believe he'll defend well enough to be the starting four next to Vlad Goldin at the five.