Danny Wolf, unranked as a prospect coming out of high school three years ago, is a first-round NBA draft pick.
Wolf, who played at Michigan last season, was drafted No. 27 overall by the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday night. The 7-footer ranked second on Michigan last season in points (13.2 per game) and assists (3.6). His 9.7 rebounds per game led the Big Ten.
Before transferring to the school he grew up rooting for, Wolf played two seasons at Yale, where he was a first-team All-Ivy League performer as a sophomore.
The 21-year-old attended the draft, held at Barclays Center in New York — the home of the Nets — and went from the “green room” area in front of the stage to embrace NBA commissioner Adam Silver upon getting picked. Wolf will go to a Nets team that finished 26-56 last season and the missed playoffs for the second straight year.
[Wolf’s unique skill set](https://www.mlive.com/wolverines/2025/02/the-lone-wolf-how-michigans-7-foot-guard-became-college-basketballs-most-unique-player.html) made him an intriguing prospect. Not many players his size, and none in this draft, can handle the ball, pass, and shoot from the outside like he can. He dazzled with his playmaking at Michigan, excelling in first-year head coach Dusty May’s offense.
The Nets will want to see Wolf protect the ball better than he did last season (3.2 turnovers per game).
Michigan finished 27-10 last season, winning the Big Ten Tournament and reaching the Sweet 16. Wolf scored 20 points in the season-ending loss to Auburn.
He grew up in Glencoe, Illinois, and played for a nearby high school before transferring to a prep power in Massachusetts. He was not the star or even always a regular contributor, on either team. He flashed enough potential on the AAU circuit to draw college interest and ultimately chose Yale, winning an NCAA Tournament game with the Bulldogs as a sophomore.
He transferred to Michigan in large part to make Wednesday night a reality. May and his five assistant coaches attended the draft.
Michigan did not have a player drafted last year. Wolf’s fellow frontcourt starter, Vladislav Goldin, has a good shot at getting picked but may have to wait until Thursday’s second round.