NEW YORK — The tallest man in the Florida Atlantic locker room could be the most unlikely hero in the Final Four’s most unlikely story. Vladislav Goldin grew up in Nalchik, Russia, a town at the foot of the Caucasus mountains. He spent six of his childhood years as a competitive wrestler, grappling with opponents and training his body. But as that physique began to grow — eventually reaching 7ft 1 in his late teens — Goldin realized he was focusing on the wrong sport.
“They started grabbing my legs,” Goldin said. “And I said, ‘Okay, I’ve peaked here.’ ”
Goldin turned to basketball at the age of 15. He modeled his game after Timofey Mozgov, the Russian center who won an NBA championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Six years later, when Goldin helped Florida Atlantic to the Final Four with 14 points and 13 rebounds against Kansas State at Madison Square Garden, it was clear he’d made the right choice.
“People are surprised why we’re here,” he said afterwards. “But we know why we’re here. Work doesn’t lie.”
The US is still learning about these Florida Atlantic Owls, 35-3, a deep and disciplined No. 9 seed that eschews individual brilliance for worker balance. Johnell Davis is the third-year guard who has broken out this season and leads the Owls at 13.9 points per game. Alijah Martin, another sophomore, is the high-flying finisher who had 17 points against Kansas State. And the rest of the backcourt consists of skilled and powerful 3-point shooting by veterans. But if you’re watching Florida Atlantic step off the team bus, the first thing you’ll likely notice is Goldin, a towering sophomore with a goofy sense of humor — and the only player to start all 38 games this season.
Goldin is averaging 10.3 points and 6.6 rebounds while leading the Owls with 45 blocks. Equal parts safety valve and anchor at center, he balances a constellation of guards. His collegiate career began in 2020-21 at Texas Tech, where he was lured by special assistant Bob Donewald Jr. after spending a season at Putnam Science Academy in Connecticut. Goldin had also spent time playing with the junior team of CSKA Moscow, a top professional club in Russia. But he wasn’t ready to contribute at Texas Tech just yet, playing just 10 games in Chris Beard’s last season.
When Beard left for Texas, Goldin entered the transfer portal. Florida Atlantic coach Dusty May and his staff got to work. To fully explore Goldin, they streamed matches from Putnam Science and scoured the web for highlights from Goldin’s days at CSKA Moscow.
“We studied him thoroughly and knew how good he was,” May said last week.
The 7-1 Vladislav Goldin closed the paint against Markquis Nowell and Kansas State. (Elsa/Getty Images)
Still, Goldin needed some time to adjust. His work ethic suited the Boca Raton environment and culture, and program veterans could see how his size could wreak havoc in practice. But like the program as a whole, Goldin only took another leap this season.
“You could kind of tell, he just needed someone who was willing to make time for him,” said Michael Forrest, the fifth-grader whose career spanned May’s entire tenure. “Simply because you could tell he had potential, but he just wasn’t sure. So Coach May did a really good job of motivating him and giving him confidence.”
Confidence was most evident towards Kansas State. Goldin opened with eight points in the first half, forcing the Wildcats to play bigger inside. His presence also helped the Owls dominate the glass and win the rebound fight 44-22. It was Goldin’s first game in double figures since the quarterfinals of the Conference USA tournament, which speaks in part to the Owls’ overall offensive record. But in the dressing room after the game, Goldin’s teammates knew a big game was coming.
“I think he’s the top five in our league,” Davis said.
Goldin isn’t the first Russian big man to make his name in the NCAA tournament; Kansas’ Sasha Kaun was the top sixth man on his championship team in 2008 before embarking on a long pro career in Russia and the NBA. But players like Mozgov and Andrei Kirilenko came straight to the NBA from Russia’s pro ranks, and the list of outstanding Russian college players is short. This partially explains why Goldin didn’t think about the Final Four when he transferred from Texas Tech. For one thing, he hadn’t grown up thinking about March Madness, and it wasn’t like Florida Atlantic was a destination for fulfilling those kinds of dreams.
“OK, I’m not going to lie,” he said Saturday while standing in the plaza at Madison Square Garden. “I wasn’t thinking about Final Four.”
However, Goldin was willing to continue working. When he arrived in the United States and settled at school in Connecticut, his English was limited, reduced to basketball phrases he’d picked up from a coach in Russia. baseline. Screen. Flicker. But he slowly picked up the language during a year at Putnam Science and another at Texas Tech. This year he attempted to add slang from another language by asking Alejandro Ralat, a freelancer from Florida Atlantic, and Puerto Rico native Alejandro Ralat for terms in Spanish.
“We’re also learning some Russian,” Ralat said. “Unfortunately, it’s mostly the bad words. Obviously he always yells in his language when he’s frustrated.”
Today, however, there is less cause for frustration. Goldin and Florida Atlantic take on San Diego State in the Final Four on Saturday. If they were previously overlooked, Goldin said, it only added fuel. When their faces were anonymous and their stories unknown, that’s all starting to change.
“It’s like nobody likes us,” Goldin said.
Minutes earlier, Goldin had become the first Owl to climb a ladder in New York and was netted after winning the regional final. With two more wins they will do it again. Towering over his teammates, Goldin only took two steps to reach the edge.
(Top Photo: Al Bello/Getty Images)