Northwestern HC Chris Collins calls Vlad Goldin a ‘great actor’

Michigan men’s basketball wasn’t anywhere near its best against Northwestern Sunday, but it did enough to come out with an 80-76 overtime win. The Wolverines may not have looked fantastic as a team, but center Vlad Goldin had his way with the Wildcats. The seven footer dropped 31 points (including 3 threes), eight rebounds and four blocks, but it wasn’t his stats that frustrated Northwestern head coach Chris Collins.

Chris Collins criticizes Vlad Goldin postgame

About halfway through the second half, Wildcat guard Jalen Leach collided with Goldin. Leach’s leg went up and hit Goldin between the legs, and after the foul was reviewed and upgraded to a flagrant two, the Northwestern guard was ejected from the game. At the time of ejection, Leach was leading his team with 19 points.

“Look, if it’s malicious and a kid is going for that area with a knee or fist, then absolutely,” Collins said about the foul after the game. “But I think the people that make the rules [don’t realize] Vlad Goldin is 7-foot-1, 275 pounds, setting a moving screen and Jalen is trying to get over…

“I’m not blaming the officials, because I know that’s the rule. We lived it last year with [NU guard Ryan] Langborg at Rutgers. I just think some common sense has to apply.”

Collins went on to suggest that Goldin has a habit of being a showman.

“I’ll give him credit,” Collins said. “If he doesn’t make the NBA, he’s going to have a hell of an acting career going forward. That’s a great actor. We saw it at Florida Atlantic, two times in a row. He’s really good at it, and I mean that in a complimentary way.”

The Wildcats took down Goldin and head coach Dusty May’s FAU squad in the first round of the NCAA tournament last season. Northwestern has now lost four out of its last five games.

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