BOOOOOOM! After two seasons with UAB, forward Yaxel Lendeborg has committed to Michigan out of the transfer portal! MORE:
After two seasons at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, forward Yaxel Lendeborg has committed to Michigan out of the transfer portal.
NEWS: UAB transfer Yaxel Lendeborg, the best big man in the portal, has committed to Dusty May and Michigan, he told ESPN.
Lendeborg will go through the NBA draft process, with the intention of finding a guaranteed contract.
STORY: https://t.co/Q9r2fZtb1Y pic.twitter.com/pZNNPi2st5
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) April 5, 2025
Lendeborg was UAB’s leading scorer this past season, averaging 17.7 points, 11.4 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game while shooting 52.2 percent from the field, 35.7 percent from three and 75.7 percent from the free throw line.
He’s collected quite a bit of hardware in the American Athletic Conference, earning the following accolades:
- 2x All-AAC
- 2X AAC Defensive Player of the Year
- 2X All-AAC tournament team
- AAC tournament MVP in 2023-24 season
Lendeborg helped lead the Blazers to an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2023-24, the program’s second tournament experience in the past decade. Dusty May likely remembers him from his Florida Atlantic tenure, with Lendeborg scoring 17 points against FAU in an overtime win.
Michigan fans are going to love this guy. Lendeborg is an excellent defender with quick hands at 6-foot-9. Among the 5,000+ players on KenPom, Lendeborg ranks 178th in block percentage (5.1) and 366th in steal percentage (2.8). He’s an absolute menace when it comes to taking the ball from the opponent.
He doesn’t really have a clear weakness Lendeborg runs the floor well in transition, shoots the three-ball at an efficient clip, and is good at picking his spots and driving to the rim when the defense is caught in the middle of a rotation.
Of course, the Big Ten is a higher skill level than the AAC, so Lendeborg will be testing himself this season and beyond. That said, he’s got All-Big Ten potential with how well-rounded he is.
I’d imagine Lendeborg will be featured heavily in ball screens in Ann Arbor, both as the ball handler due to his mid-range skill and driving capabilities, and as the screener who can flare out for a three on the wing. It’s easy to picture him being one of Michigan’s go-to players late in games.
Lendeborg has two years of eligibility left. He joins guard Elliot Cadeau (North Carolina) and forward Morez Johnson (Illinois) as players in the portal to commit to Michigan. All three have multiple years of eligibility, so it appears May has a goal of building in the short-term and long-term.
Lendeborg has NBA upside and the potential to be one of Michigan’s best players next season. We’ll have much more on Lendeborg as the offseason continues.