Northwestern basketball coach rips Vladislav Goldin 'acting job' after Michigan loss
Yesterday at 06:39 PM
Northwestern basketball head coach Chris Collins had a shocking postgame interview after the Wildcats’ heartbreaking loss to Michigan. Northwestern’s visit to Ann Arbor was much closer than the experts thought, as the No. 20 Wolverines barely hung on in overtime to win the tight affair 80-76. Star center Vladislav Goldin led the way for head coach Dusty May’s team with 31 points, eight rebounds, four blocks, and a steal.
The former Florida Atlantic big man also consistently made it to the line on Sunday, shooting twelve total free throws. However, what set off Chris Collins was a flagrant foul involving Goldin that saw Northwestern guard Jalen Leach ejected. Now, the Wildcats have dropped four of their last five games and sit at 2-5 in the conference. Collins took a shot at Goldin in the postgame interview with WildcatReport.com’s Matthew Shelton.
“I’ll give him credit. If he doesn’t make the NBA, he’ll have an incredible acting career…I mean that as a compliment, too.”
Northwestern basketball is trying to regain its mojo to return to the NCAA Tournament
Chris Collins has certainly changed expectations since he was hired as the head coach in Evanston. The former Duke assistant helped the Wildcats earn their first NCAA Tournament bid in school history in 2017. Since that landmark accomplishment, Northwestern basketball has won three postseason games overall and made it to two more NCAA Tournaments under its head coach.
With two straight appearances in “The Big Dance,” Collins’ team looked well on pace to make that three straight. However, with this recent slide, Northwestern finds itself on the outside looking in. The Big Ten is currently projected to have eleven teams qualify for the NCAA Tournament, so there will be plenty of opportunities for quality wins in the future. But Sunday was a missed opportunity. The Wildcats will next play host to Indiana before visiting No. 19 Illinois, a team Chris Collins and company beat earlier in the year.
Overall, Sunday was a frustrating afternoon with the officiating. The two squads shot a combined 68 free throws, which is a statistic that NBA refs would envy. At 7’1, Vladislav Goldin is a huge target who will draw a lot of attention and contact like former Purdue superstar Zach Edey.
The flagrant foul on Goldin was controversial. In addition, Collins’ reaction definitely ties into the current predicament his team is in rather than a personal shot at the Michigan star center. Northwestern basketball’s head coach is trying to make more history, and a lot is at stake in the coming weeks.
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