Auburn basketball's Bruce Pearl compares Michigan 7-foot duo to Celtics greats
- Auburn coach Bruce Pearl praised Michigan’s 7-foot duo of Vladislav Goldin and Danny Wolf.
- Pearl compared Goldin and Wolf to NBA legends Kevin McHale, Larry Bird and Robert Parish.
- No. 1 Auburn plays No. 5 Michigan in the Sweet 16 on Friday at 7:39 p.m. ET.
ATLANTA — Auburn men's basketball coach Bruce Pearl had high praise for Michigan’s towering 7-foot duo of Vladislav Goldin and Danny Wolf before the Tigers’ Sweet 16 matchup of March Madness on Friday.
“I haven't seen this since I watched (Kevin) McHale and (Robert) Parish, right? These two guys are special,” Pearl said of the pair nicknamed as Area 50-1. “Goldin, in the Big Ten, he was the best player on the floor almost every single night.”
He compared Wolf to the likes of Hall of Famer Larry Bird, noting his impressive ball-handling skills.
Watch Auburn vs. Michigan on Fubo
“Wolf, there's not another 7-footer in college basketball that resembles him,” Pearl said. “He's got Larry Bird-type ball handling, passing, feel. He's just a gifted, gifted player. Obviously, they work beautifully together.”
Wolf averages 13 points per game and 9.8 rebounds this season, while Goldin is pouring in 16.8 points and 7.0 rebounds a game.
“They're going up against Dylan Cardwell and Johni Broome and Chaney Johnson — those three guys are going to be the focus of our defensive attack,” Pearl said. “Our ability to defend those two guys, as well as (Will Tschetter), (who) comes off the bench and shoots it a little bit for them, is going to be really the difference in the outcome.”
Auburn vs. Michigan date, start time, where to watch
- Game Day: Friday, March 28, 2025
- Game Time: 9:39 p.m. ET
- Location: State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia
- TV Channel: CBS
- Live Stream: Fubo - Watch Now!
Auburn vs. Michigan odds
Odds as of Monday, March 24 via BetMGM.
- Spread: Auburn -8.5 (-115)
- Moneyline Favorite: Auburn -400
- Moneyline Underdog: Michigan +310
- Total: 153.5
Andy Mathis is a student in the University of Georgia's Sports Media Certificate program.