Can Michigan Basketball make a run to the Final Four this season? That’s Yaxel Lendeborg’s goal and he says he doesn’t want to let the fans down.
Yaxel Lendeborg recently opted out of the NBA Draft and committed to Michigan. Lendeborg, a UAB transfer, was the No. 1 player in the transfer portal. Lendeborg’s decision to forego the draft and commit to the Wolverines had one major component — Michigan head coach Dusty May.
Lendeborg noticed that May’s demeanor on the court is different than many of his peers.
“A lot of coaches are always just fired up, angry. He just seems so cool, calm, and collected,” Lendeborg said on the Defend the Block podcast. “That’s how I try to be as a player as well. So it’s kind of nice to have that. It’s refreshing.”
A pivotal point in the recruiting process came when May went to visit Lendeborg in person.
“When he came out to visit me, it was amazing. It was big time. It was huge for me and my emotions, because I always wanted a coach to be like a father figure for me. Someone I can look up to. I feel like Dusty May is going to be a real big part of that. He can for sure be a father figure for me and help me grow as a person rather than just a basketball player.”
Lendeborg, 22, stands 6-foot-9 and 240 pounds and improves the Michigan roster to a degree that the Wolverines are now amongst the frontrunners to win the National Championship next season. The hype isn’t just coming from the betting odds, the hype is also coming from the belief that Lendeborg has that Michigan can make the Final Four. Lendeborg said he doesn’t want to let fans and people who support the team down.
“I am super excited. I’m happy to get up to that stage. I made a promise as well that I want to at least take us to the Final Four,” Lendeborg said. “I’m going to do whatever I can to get us there.”
Lendeborg will be looking to improve upon the impressive numbers he had at UAB a season ago when he averaged 17.7 points, 11.4 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.8 blocks, and 1.7 steals. If Lendeborg’s game reaches new heights, it’ll likely coincide with Michigan making a deep March Madness run.