Championship aspirations, Dusty May’s patience key in Yaxel Lendeborg opting out of NBA Draft to join Michigan

Dusty May’s patience paid off and was a major key in Yaxel Lendeborg committing to Michigan. Another major key? The chance to win a National Championship with the Wolverines.

In the day and age of NIL (name, image, likeness), don’t let anyone tell you that relationships don’t matter. A good example of this transpired on Tuesday morning when forward Yaxel Lendeborg announced his decision to withdraw his name from the 2025 NBA Draft and commit to the Michigan Wolverines.

Lendeborg recently told The Wolverines’ Clayton Sayfie how much of an impact Michigan head coach Dusty May has had in the recruiting process. Lendeborg said that he has been a fan of May’s since he was the head coach at Florida Atlantic. While some programs weren’t patient with Lendeborg as he weighed going to the NBA or returning for a final year of college ball, May was very patient.

“From the jump, he was expressing to me that he was willing to wait while I go through this NBA Combine process. Other teams weren’t saying the same thing,” Lendeborg said. “They were willing to outbid the NBA, and I wasn’t messing with that. I wanted a school that was gonna rock with me from the beginning to the end. That was Dusty.”

Another factor influencing Lendeborg’s decision to come to Ann Arbor was how May utilized Danny Wolf, who could play forward, center, and even point guard.

“It’s amazing what Dusty May did with Danny Wolf,” Lendeborg said. “I would watch his games this season and say, ‘Man, I wish that was me.’ I’m trying to bring the same type of versatility he brought to Michigan.”

The 6-foot-9 Lendeborg was the No. 26 prospect in ESPN’s NBA draft projections after averaging 17.7 points, 11.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.8 blocks and 1.7 steals per game last season while shooting 55% from 2-point range and 36% from 3.

Lendeborg, 22, spent the first two years of his college career at UAB, and now hopes for a monumental season at Michigan, telling the Big Ten Network’s Andy Katz his goals for the 2025-26 season.

“He told me…He wanted to have the chance to win the Big Ten, compete for a Final Four and a National Championship, and potentially be Big Ten Player of the Year,” Katz said.

With Lendeborg joining the Wolverines, Michigan now has the fourth-best betting odds of winning the National Championship next season.