ANN ARBOR >> Vlad Goldin had trouble putting it into words.

After five years apart, the Michigan basketball star reunited with his parents this past weekend and met them at Detroit Metro Airport, where they had arrived from Russia just in time for Senior Day.

“When I saw them, I was speechless for a good amount of time,” Goldin said. “But then we started talking and it felt like they’ve always been here.”

Alexander and Lubov Goldin saw their son play college basketball for the first time in person on Sunday — in his 146th career game. They accompanied him during a pregame ceremony on the Crisler Center court and then watched him score a team-high 22 points in Sunday’s 93-73 loss to Illinois.

Goldin, who’s from Voronezh, Russia, began his college career at Texas Tech. He spent one year there before transferring to Florida Atlantic, where he played for head coach Dusty May for three seasons. The 7-foot-1 center then followed May to Michigan last offseason.

Throughout his journey from Lubbock, Texas, to Boca Raton, Florida, to Ann Arbor, Goldin kept in close contact with his parents.

“FaceTime all the time,” he said. “There are specific hours I can call them, so just FaceTime multiple times a day.”

Goldin said his parents had a visa appointment late last month and were approved a few days later. That’s when he realized he might see them soon.

That long-awaited day came Friday, when Big Ten Network cameras captured the emotional moment. Goldin, with a bouquet of flowers and a smile, received a hug from his crying mom and embraced his dad.

“That was as touching as any win that I’ve ever had or been a part of as a coach,” May said. “We chase opportunities. We make sacrifices. … Vlad, for five years, hasn’t seen his family. I don’t know of a bigger sacrifice you could have as a great human being like he is. To see them and how proud they are of him was a touching moment.

“There was a lot of work from a lot of people. Our administration, our staff put in a lot of man-hours to figure out a way to help Vlad get his family here. We’re very grateful for all that. … And just to see a mother’s pride in her son was a really cool moment.”

The Goldins were introduced last during Sunday’s pregame festivities. After a video of Goldin’s highlights from this season, he and his parents walked out to midcourt, where May was waiting with a framed jersey.

Goldin’s fiancée, Camryn Vogler, and her parents joined them. The two got engaged on the court after Michigan’s home game against Michigan State on Feb. 21.

Even though Goldin’s parents don’t speak English, that didn’t stop them from chatting with the Voglers.

“They actually communicated pretty great,” said Goldin, who noted his fiancée knows some Russian curse words and basic phrases but not enough to carry a conversation.

“My dad speaks Russian to them so confidently. They don’t really understand each other, but I try to translate it as best as I can.”

His parents will stay with him until they fly back to Russia on March 10, the day after Michigan’s regular-season finale at Michigan State. With the Wolverines in hunt for a Big Ten title, he’ll get two more chances to play with his mom and dad in the stands, starting with Wednesday’s home finale against Maryland.

While Goldin performed well individually against Illinois — he posted his ninth 20-point game of the season, shot 11-for-15 from the field and even had a coast-to-coast layup — he’s hoping his parents will get to witness a better result.

“It hurts,” Goldin admitted.

“I always wanted them to see my team play. When we lose by 20, it’s disappointing.”

But seeing his parents? Nothing he can say can express how much that means to him.

“I take pride in how great of a relationship we have,” Goldin said. “They’ve always supported me. No matter win or lose, it doesn’t matter. It’s something bigger than that.”