[The following scouting report is part of a series on potential 2025 draft prospects from Sports Business Classroom alumni.]

Danny Wolf 
Frame: 7’0″, 255 lbs
Position: Center
Team: Michigan Wolverines
2025 Draft Age: 21
Stats via www.sports-reference.com

Offense

Wolf has drawn intrigue over the past two seasons due to his ball handling and playmaking at his size. Wolf moves as if he is a guard trapped in a seven-foot body. Utilizing multiple crossovers and counters to get to his spots on the floor, he frequently initiates Michigan’s offense, both in the halfcourt and transition (pushing the break after grabbing a defensive rebound and hitting a teammate filling in the wings). 

He has excellent synergy with his fellow big man Vadislav Goldin, running pick-and-rolls as the ball handler. Wolf does a good job probing or faking a jumper to draw both defenders in to hit Golovkin for a finish. Wolf can deliver passes right off the ball screen before the defense has time to react. He excels at operating as a hub, finding cutters and whipping passes with either hand. Wolf is a very ambitious playmaker, resulting in turnovers that are either unforced or attempted before his teammates are in a position to receive the pass. Averaging 3.5 assists with an assist percentage of 22.0 percent, to 3.6 turnovers with a 30.0 percent turnover rate, all with a usage rate of 24.2 percent. 

Wolf has taken a noticeable leap as a scorer around the basket, shooting 75.4 percent on 61 attempts while being assisted on 30.4 percent of his attempts. His polish in the post has been noteworthy, looking much more confident throwing around his size against forwards and wings, white using different fakes and counters against centers to get open looks. He is satisfied finishing with either hand. However, he often passes up looks to find teammates cutting or Goldin flashing to the rim, and sometimes, he should be more aggressive in scoring. Wolf can also attack downhill, particularly off ball screens or faking dribble handoffs to teammates. His quick feet and ball fakes let him get to the rim quickly and typically without a defender near him, where he primarily finishes with his right hand but is capable of both. 

Wolf is at just 33.8 percent from three on 136 attempts over three collegiate seasons as a shooter. Due to his perimeter-oriented nature, it is somewhat concerning that his shot does not go in at a higher rate. His form is compact, and he has a high release, which makes his lackluster shooting splits that much stranger. He is a career 69 percent free-throw shooter on 129 attempts and is currently shooting 65.6 percent on 32 attempts this season. Most of Wolf’s three-point attempts come from catch-and-shoot situations, which are imperative for him to improve and stick to the next level.

 

Defense

Due to his perimeter-oriented nature, Wolf typically guards forwards and can switch onto perimeter players when guarding pick-and-rolls. His quick feet for his size allow him to guard smaller players to a degree, but shifty guards can still blow him. He does a solid job of staying in front of forwards, keeping pace with them, using his size to contest their jumper or meet them at the rim. His frame allows him to give some resistance to big men in the post, but he does not have the best instincts there and is susceptible to being faked out by more skilled post players. 

Wolf isn’t necessarily a negative off-the-ball but does not offer much substantial value either. He does a good job staying with his man and can pick off passing lanes occasionally, averaging 1.1 steals per game with a steal percentage of 2.2 percent. Wolf isn’t as strong at the rim, averaging 1.4 blocks with a block percentage of 5.2 percent. He has solid hands but isn’t positioned much around the rim, as he has transitioned from a center with Yale to more of a forward role with Michigan. Wolf can struggle with polished downhill offensive players around the rim. However, he adds value as a defensive rebounder, averaging 7.8 defensive rebounds per game, with a defensive rebounding percentage of 28.6, where he knows how to throw around his weight and has a good nose for the ball.

Looking Ahead

Wolf has showcased his talents on the national scene in the past two years, averaging 17.7 points and taking Israel to a silver medal in the U20 FIBA nationals in 2023, to a breakout season last year with Yale and leading a quality Michigan team this season. He is a seven-footer with a unique skillet with his ball handling and playmaking, but he leaves some to be desired as a shooter, and an unclear role defensively makes his transition to the NBA somewhat unclear despite his strengths. 

Wolf projects as an offensive contributor off the bench at the next level, with the potential for more if his shooting improves. He currently projects as a mid-second-rounder.