FAU's Vladislav Goldin: From Russia with love, sweat and a lot of hard work | D'Angelo

BOCA RATON — Vladislav Goldin doesn't have much history with the Final Four. Growing up in Russia, he rarely watched games from the United States because they were played at odd hours and shown on tape delay. And he was not into watching games if he knew the result. "What's the point?" he asked.

Then arriving in this country 3 1/2 years years ago, he started to catch on to its significance. He heard people talk about it at Putnam Science Academy in Connecticut where he spent his first year, at Texas Tech where he had an unfulfilling second year, and now in his two years at Florida Atlantic.

But playing in the Final Four was a pipe dream. Something people like Goldin, who has sacrificed being with his family since he was 15 to play basketball, could never envision being a part of.

Until now.

The Owls' 7-foot-1 center will be center stage in Houston this weekend as this storybook season continues.

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So I asked him, "What has he learned about the Final Four?"

"I'm not sure if I know yet," he said. "I'm going to find out."

That he is. Goldin, a third-year sophomore, has overcome being a stranger in strange land. There's the language barrier that comes with an 18-year-old leaving home to go halfway around the world and health issues that kept him from reaching his potential at Texas Tech to become an integral part of FAU's stunning NCAA Tournament run. The Owls (35-3) face San Diego State (31-6) Saturday in the national semifinal.

Goldin finally feels at home and fits right in with the family atmosphere coach Dusty May has built at FAU.

After learning a talented, untapped 7-footer had entered the transfer portal, and needing a big man, May started watching film of Goldin while the big guy was at Putnam and wondered why he played so little at Texas Tech.

Goldin's short time with Texas Tech hampered by injuries

Goldin played 47 minutes in 10 games in Lubbock. He had surgery on his upper left leg (he called it a vein issue) before the season and never felt comfortable. He lost weight and was not in shape.

"It was a difficult year because I was surprised how hard people in D1 play," he said. "How hard they practice. How much conditioning they have. How much emotional stress I would have. I did not expect nothing like this.

"I wasn't ready."

Perhaps part of that was missing his family. Goldin left behind a mother, father and two sisters (one his twin) after a growth spurt at 15 to play on a youth team in Moscow. He then moved much farther away to Connecticut without any knowledge of our language or culture.

Goldin credits the people at Putnam for helping him acclimate and the move wasn't "as bad as it could have been," since he had been away from his family for three years. Still, he talks to his family almost every day.

"They helped me a lot," he said about the people at Putnam. "It's a small school, so many International people. They were teaching me English. It was a great experience."

Not so much at Texas Tech where Goldin struggled to get comfortable.

As much as Goldin was not ready for Texas Tech, May was ready for Goldin.

And Goldin was looking for that reassurance. A man who said he believed he could play anywhere had lost confidence.

"I was just looking for people I would trust and who trust me," Goldin said. "Coach May trusts me. All coaches trust me. It tells me they believe in me so I believed in myself."

Now came the part of Goldin introducing himself to his teammates. What better way than to show them that work ethic that May trusted.

And that is exactly what Nick Boyd remembers most about the first time he met his future teammate. It was prior to the 2021-22 season.

Boyd walked into the gym about 10:30 one night and saw "this big dude. I'm like, 'Who the heck is this?' "

"I walk down there (and say), 'Yo, what's going on?' He's like, 'I'm Vlad.' "

Boyd then noticed a pattern. He kept seeing Goldin sleeping in the locker room.

"I'm like, 'Man, this dude works hard.' I was impressed by his work ethic and how seriously he took the game when he first got here."

But talking to him was not quite as easy as learning how to hoop with him. While Goldin's English is remarkably good for someone who knew none of it about three years ago, Boyd said Goldin is pretty short on words.

"He uses a lot of sounds, like "umm-hmm, umm-hmm.'"

Basketball a universal language

Goldin now lets his basketball do his talking. He has started all but one of his 72 games at FAU. After averaging 6.8 points and 4.9 rebounds his first year, he has improved to 6.8 and 10.3 this season.

And after a slow start in the NCAA Tournament, he became known to the basketball world last week at Madison Square Garden.

Goldin was FAU's only real counter to Tennessee's size and not only was he the best big man on the court during the Owls' Sweet 16 win, but he got under Tennessee's skin. That resulted in a frustrated Uros Plavsic throwing an elbow at Goldin and being whistled for a flagrant foul. The play came during FAU's 18-2 run that sealed the game.

In the East Regional final, Goldin dominated the paint with 14 points, 13 rebounds and two blocks as FAU outrebounded Kansas State, 44-22, in their win over the Wildcats.

"The game means a lot to him," May said. "He has as great a work ethic of any tall guy. He loves the work, loves the weight room. He gets better every single day."

And if he keeps getting better. He just might learn what it's like to play two games in the Final Four.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Florida Atlantic's Vladislav Goldin does not know much about Final Four