A college basketball head coach getting their first players to the NBA is always a special moment. This was no different when it came to Michigan head coach Dusty May and his first stars in Alijah Martin and Vladislav Goldin.
Martin and Goldin became May's first players in his head coaching career to reach those heights. The former earned a second-round selection as the Toronto Raptors picked him with the 39th overall pick. As for the latter, Goldin signed a two-way contract with the Miami Heat after going undrafted.
May came across Martin and Goldin during his first head coaching stint with the Florida Atlantic Owls from 2018 to 2024. He first landed Martin straight out of high school in Summit, Miss., in the 2020 recruiting class. As for Goldin, he found the young Russian center via the transfer portal, landing him from Texas Tech in the 2021 offseason.
May remained humble towards the remarkable feat he achieved, refusing to take credit for Martin and Goldin making the NBA. Instead, he gave credit to the environment he and the coaching staff created to help them succeed while praising them for their work ethic throughout multiple seasons together.
“I'm going to give a lot of credit to the environment that we created. And we weren't able to do it overnight, but over years and over very intentional effort, we're able to get the right people on board and without our competitive practices, without the unbelievable staff that we had from top to bottom, from bottom to top, the amount of time the managers and graduate assistants spent with our players, it takes a village for these guys to be their absolute best, and I think there was 100% alignment from top to bottom while we were there, and then opportunity as well,” May said during an interview with ClutchPoints.
“Alijah didn't play much as a freshman for us, and developed and got better and better every year, and battled through some injuries. Vlad, same thing, where he basically didn't play as a freshman at Texas Tech and then got the opportunity. We lost (former FAU center) Karlis [Silins] that year, so the opportunity to play [was there]. But I'm super proud of those guys.”
What Dusty May said about Alijah Martin's NBA feat
Alijah Martin represented Florida Atlantic throughout the first four years of his five-year collegiate career. He started off as a bench player as he learned the ins and outs of Dusty May's system in his freshman campaign.
Martin then embraced the responsibilities as a full-time starter in the 2021-22 season, showing remarkable growth in his development as he earned All-CUSA honors. His rise continued the following year, helping the Owls make unforgettable history with their 35-4 record while winning the CUSA regular season title and conference Tournament.
FAU's run kept going in the 2023 NCAA Tournament, beating Memphis and Fairleigh Dickinson in the first two rounds then stunning Tennessee in the Sweet 16 and Kansas State in the Elite Eight. Martin played a big role in the team's run to the Final Four, nearly willing them to the national championship game with 26 points against San Diego State.
The one thing that comes to May's mind about Martin is the pride he has for the player's work ethic into becoming a star in the sport. Not only that, but he also noted the number of connections Martin built and the people he left a strong impact on during his stint with the Owls.
“He was about the right stuff from day one. The ultimate competitor, one of the greatest teammates I've been around, one of the most mature, level-headed thinkers that I've been around. So he deserves the success,” he said.
“He has a degree from FAU and the Final Four banner at FAU. He has some all-conference and personal accolades. But more important than all that, he became part of that community. You'll find hundreds and thousands of people that he impacted in that area, the surrounding areas, and that's what it's about. More importantly than his legacy on the court, who he was off the floor and using his platform to do so many great things is ultimately one of the many reasons he's going to make it in life.”
Martin transferred from FAU to Florida in the 2024 offseason, using his last year of eligibility for one more shot at a national championship. Joining head coach Todd Golden, he retained starting duties as he played a big role in helping the Gators reach the mountaintop after beating Houston in the national championship game.
Martin made history on that special night. He became the first former FAU player to win a national championship and take part in two Final Fours throughout his career. The impact he had on the court for Florida even had May make a strong take about the team's title chances if they didn't have him.
“I would bet any amount of money that if he didn't go to Florida this past year, they wouldn't have been national champions. It wasn't as if he just joined a team, and that team was good. Walter [Clayton Jr.], Will [Richard], all those guys are big-time players, but I think Alijah was a very unique piece to that puzzle. So it really worked out well for him, and it's another testament that winning is rewarded,” May said.
Martin's memorable year continued into the summer when the 2025 NBA Draft rolled around. He took part in the draft combine, a significant sign that many teams were observing him as a possible selection. That came to fruition on June 25 when the Raptors picked him in the second round, which made him the first former FAU player to be a draft selection.
May understood the obstacles Martin faced when it came to his aspirations in the pros, specifically his size. Nonetheless, Martin signing a two-way contract with the Raptors after a solid showing in the Summer League proved to May that his former player had what it took to be in the NBA.
“In the NBA, it's very difficult to be drafted as a guard when you're under 6-foot-3 or 6-foot-4, even though Alijah plays like he's 6-foot-10, he's still 6-foot-1 or 6-foot-2 without shoes on. For him to get drafted and be in position to play in the NBA, not just get a 10-day or roster spot because eight guys got injured or because of COVID, for him to be a true NBA player without the dimensions that they're organically looking for is just a testament to his work ethic and competitive spirit. I had probably five or 10 NBA teams tell me that,” he said.
“I went and watched a local team work out, and they said, ‘Hey, your guy was in yesterday, and he dominated the workout.’ And they're like, ‘We don't know who we're gonna draft, but, man, he would be awesome to coach.’ It was 100% of the people that I spoke with who said the same thing about him, and then just the winning put him in position to where he was able to have that opportunity.”
Dusty May's thoughts on Vlad Goldin's NBA accomplishment
Dusty May saw the potential Vlad Goldin had when he landed the young center from Texas Tech in the 2021 offseason.
Goldin joined the program with a raw skillset but showcased his talent as a force inside the paint on his best nights during the 2021-22 campaign. This development remained ongoing the following season, staying on the court more often as he became more efficient on both sides of the ball. He had a solid role in helping the FAU Owls make history throughout the aforementioned 2022-23 season.
Goldin had his moments, earning All-CUSA honors as one of FAU's best players. His most notable performance was in the Elite Eight of the 2023 NCAA Tournament against Kansas State when he put up 14 points and 13 rebounds. The rising center entered his star prime the following season, averaging 15.7 points per game, 6.9 rebounds and 1.6 blocks on excellent efficiency inside the paint.
May was high on Goldin's growth throughout his collegiate career. The coach noted that the center's development in his skillset was linear, even after making the big decision to transfer from FAU to Michigan in the 2024 offseason, following his head coach to Ann Arbor in the process.
“He was extremely consistent. He got better every week, every month, every year. When you just look at his numbers, it's a pretty steady graph just continuously going up. And I think he's still doing that today. Vlad was at a point in his career, after FAU, that he wanted to test himself against the biggest and the best night in and night out, and that's ultimately why he left a place that he loved. And fortunately, it worked out for both of us, where he was an all-Big Ten player and had a lot of success,” May said to ClutchPoints.
Goldin proved himself to be one of the best players in one of the toughest leagues in the Big Ten. He averaged 16.6 points, seven rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game as he obtained All-Conference honors and the Big Ten Tournament MVP award while leading Michigan to the Sweet 16 of the 2025 NCAA Tournament.
Multiple NBA teams viewed his worth, getting to take part in the combine. While he didn't get a draft selection like his former teammate Alijah Martin, he signed a two-way contract with the Miami Heat after the draft concluded. Goldin was solid in the Summer League, putting up 9.5 points and 5.3 rebounds per game for Miami.
May believes that Goldin's skillset would have been perfect had he entered the NBA two decades ago, given how much the center position has evolved in the modern era. However, he is confident that the young center will adapt to what the Heat organization expects from him as he could last for a solid number of years in the league.
“I think he'll be at least a five-to-10-year NBA player. But also, we're very grateful that he found an organization that values who he is. He's such a great teammate, communicator. I mean, he's a giver. He makes the environment better every single day. He's awesome to be around, like Alijah and the other guys. I think the Miami Heat really value his attributes and who he is. So we're excited for him to watch him, and hopefully he can carve out a nice career in South Florida and be around a lot of familiar faces,” he said.
While May continues his head coaching journey in college basketball at Michigan, he keeps in touch with Martin and Goldin as they prepare for their first NBA seasons. While he's taught them all he could in the time he had, he had one more piece of advice for his first stars-turned-NBA players.
“If I gave them any advice, it would be to simply to really buy in 100% to whatever their coaches are teaching and to the cultures that they're part of,” May said. “We're here if they ever need us. If they ever need a place to train, if they ever need a place to stay, if they ever need a favor, if they ever need anything, then I'm here… but I don't think they need a lot from us anymore. Those guys are ready for the real world. I'll probably be asking them for some advice and some help before they're asking me.”
