Better late than never.

The phrase well applies to Michigan basketball center Danny Wolf, who is finally a Wolverine two years after it first seemed like he might arrive in Ann Arbor

Wolf's original approach with U-M came ahead of the 2022-23 season when Wolf, an Illinois high school senior, met with then-U-M coach Juwan Howard and assistant Phil Martelli to discuss a preferred walk-on role.

U-M's staff, of course, liked Wolf's size but also saw a player with the ball skills that resembled more of a guard or wing — not a 7-foot, 250-pound center. However, as Wolf recently told U-M play-by-play voice Brian Boesch on Michigan's "Defend The Block" podcast, essentially all of the Wolverines' scholarships were already accounted for.

"They recruited me pretty hard," Wolf said. "The plan for me was to be a walk-on player and pending my development could very easily turn into a scholarship. ... They saw me down the line as a big contributor to the program.

"I would say, yeah, I was close to coming here as a walk-on."

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Instead, the Northfield Mount Herman High School standout opted to go to Yale, saying he only considered places that had elite academics to supplement his sport. But the freshman season wasn't what he'd hoped for. Buried behind a pair of seniors on the depth chart, he averaged 2.6 points and 2.1 rebounds in less than eight minutes per game his first year in New Haven, Connecticut.

That precipitated an offseason that would transform Wolf's game, featuring a stint with Team Israel. Wolf said he was never one of the largest players on his teams growing up. He began playing as a wing but just never stopped growing — that's why he's a center who can handle the ball.

After he got away from it a bit in his first year in the Ivy League, his international coach hammered home to him the importance of being able to put the ball on the ground and create a bucket for himself or a teammate.

"They really helped expand my game," Wolf said. "Gave me confidence that I carried into my sophomore year."

Last season, Wolf suddenly morphed into the best center in the Ivy League, averaging 14.1 points and 9.7 rebounds across 32 games. He shot 50.9% on 2-pointers and 34.5% (29 of 84) on 3s en route to an All-Ivy League first-team nod. Perhaps his most impressive stat? Wolf had more assists (76) than turnovers (74) for the Bulldogs.

"I have a different skill set for my size," Wolf said. "I pride myself on being able to do things that some other guys of my position and size can't do. Coaches here were a big reason as to why I came here: They saw that in me, and that's what they wanted for me.

"And that's how they think they can best utilize me and my skill set."

At least, that's what new U-M coach Dusty May, newly arrived from Florida Atlantic, pitched to Wolf when they first spoke to him as a transfer candidate. Wolf put his name in the portal as a "do not contact," hoping to remain very selective about the teams he spoke with.

Wolf had a laugh over the expectations that he was going to choose Michigan — after all, he grew up a "huge" fan of his mom's alma mater (his favorite memory is the Trey Burke Sweet 16 shot to force overtime vs. Kansas) — but there were a few things he needed to get cleared up first before pledging.

"The first question I asked (Dusty) was, 'Is Vlad Goldin gonna come with you?' And he was pretty certain he was," Wolf said. "With my skill set, and how it translates to the next level, playing the four is something that I need to do. And I think that once that became clear, and I got all my questions out the way, and they said that they see me at the four, the five and different actions and all that stuff, it seemed pretty seamless.”

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Wolf has since gotten shots up with Goldin, who he says is "always smiling ... always in a good mood."

The two will certainly need to find their chemistry together; earlier this offseason, May said the expectation is for Goldin to play approximately 25 minutes a game at center. That would leave 15 minutes for Wolf, give or take, to play center and another 10-15 minutes for him to spend out on the wing as a stretch four.

As he poured over film, May instantly saw the fit with Wolf, who he said he felt "handles the ball like a guard" — reminding him of FAU's backup center, Giancarlo Rosado.

"We will play stylistically a different brand of basketball with Danny being more of a five-out facilitator, and Vlad still more of a traditional center," May explained in the spring. "But also he’s expanding his game. So we definitely envision those guys playing together for significant minutes and also complementing each other."

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan basketball 7-footer Danny Wolf not your everyday center