This week, two of the 2024-25 Michigan men's basketball team's biggest stars will launch their NBA careers, as the league hosts its annual draft in Brooklyn Wednesday night. Ahead of the event, we preview each of their journeys to draft night, strengths and question marks as a draft prospect and break down where publications project them to be drafted.
First up is former Michigan forward Danny Wolf.
Bio
Positon: Forward/center
Height: 7-foot
Weight: 250 pounds
Age: 21
Hometown: Glencoe, Ill.
2024-25 stats: 13.2 points, 9.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.4 blocks per game
At Michigan
After two productive seasons at Yale, including making first-team All-Ivy League as a sophomore, Wolf transferred to childhood favorite, Michigan. He joined a loaded frontcourt that also included Vlad Goldin, and spent the summer transitioning to a power forward role so the duo could both be on the court at the same time.
As Wolf made the transition, excitement grew inside the program that Wolf could be a draft-caliber prospect, and that manifested in a strong junior season. He tied for the Big Ten lead with 15 double-doubles, and was the only player 6-foot-10 or taller to average at least 13.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game in a season. He led the Big Ten in rebounds, while shooting 49.7 percent from the field, including 32.8 percent from 3 on 113 attempts.
He was named second-team All-Big Ten by media and coaches, first team by the AP, and was named to the Big Ten's all-tournament team after averaging 15.7 points, 11.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists in wins over Purdue, Maryland and Wisconsin to lead Michigan to the tournament crown. Shortly after helping lead Michigan to a Sweet Sixteen berth and scoring 20 points in the Wolverines' season-ending loss, Wolf declared for the NBA Draft.
What scouts like
A former wing player who enjoyed a late growth spurt in high school, Wolf's market efficiency compared to other 7-footers is his high-level ball-handling and passing ability. As noted above, there was not a player in college basketball as adept at passing and rebounding at his height, and his ability to take the ball up the court as a point forward off of defensive rebounds helped Michigan play fast, and create favorable mismatches on offense.
That translates well to the increasingly position-less NBA, where several teams boast 7-foot players on the wing and perimeter. In that vein, his 3-point shooting is also a plus, even if it he went through hot and cold streaks during Michigan's season. Scouts will also like his basketball IQ, and his ability to switch positions in essentially one offseason to help the team isn't going unnoticed.
Ultimately, he is the kind of tall, versatile and high-potential prospect that NBA teams love to draft as long-term forwards in the back half of the first round. That he only turned 21 in May is a bonus.
Question marks
The two biggest knocks on Wolf's game as a draft prospect are his turnovers, and inconsistency as a shooter and scorer. On the turnover front, Wolf's 120 turnovers last season ranked seventh in the country, and led to turnovers being a weak point for the Wolverines all season. Though his ball-handling is strong for a big man, at times it hurt Michigan, or at least made the Wolverines less consistent.
His consistency also may spook teams as they put his profile up against other borderline lottery picks. Wolf had five games where he played at least 25 minutes and failed to score more than four points, had four games where he shot .250 from the field or worse on at least four attempts and a whopping 14 games where he failed to hit a 3, despite attempting multiple 3s in 12 of those games. On a more intangible level, teams seemed to figure out how to defend Wolf's pick-and-roll game, forcing more turnovers and bad shot attempts from Wolf.
Latest projections
CBS Sports predicts Wolf to go 18th overall to the Washington Wizards
The Athletic projects Wolf to go 18th overall to the Minnesota Timberwolves
ESPN projects Wolf to go 18th overall to the Washington Wizards
Yahoo Sports predicts Wolf to go 26th overall to the Brooklyn Nets
Bleacher Report projects Wolf to go 24th overall to the Oklahoma City Thunder
A green-room invitee, Wolf is commonly expected to go in the first round Wednesday evening. Though major publications are not forecasting him to be a lottery pick, his name has been a common choice as a top-20 prospect to multiple teams throughout the process.