The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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32 THE WOLVERINE ❱ JUNE/JULY 2025 2025 BASKETBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY CHRIS BALAS M ichigan head coach Dusty May promised not to rest on his ac- complishments after a first season in which he led U-M to a Big Ten Tourna- ment title and Sweet 16, and he hasn't. He's hauled in what On3 deems to be the No. 4 portal haul (accounting for those entering and leaving), led by UAB transfer Yaxel Lendeborg, On3's No. 1 portal addition nationally. The caveat with the standout power forward (6-9, 230) — he's also got NBA aspirations, and many believe he could be a first-round pick. He's declared, already had good workouts for teams destined to pick at the end of the first round, and is trying to raise his stock even more at the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago May 11-18. Though Lendeborg has politely re- fused requests for interviews, choosing to concentrate on his Combine prep, and May can't talk about him until he's officially at Michigan, there's plenty known about him. He was born in Puerto Rico but moved to Ohio when he was 2 years old before going to high school in Pennsauken, N.J. Even then, he didn't start playing basketball until later compared to oth- ers with his skill set. He took part in only 11 games as a senior in high school after his friends convinced him to join the team, then earned a scholarship of- fer from a junior college, Arizona West- ern, after impressing at a local tryout. After success there (he was a sec- ond- and third-team Junior College All-American), Lendeborg transferred to UAB in 2023, where he was named AAC Defensive Player of the Year two straight seasons and averaged 17.7 points, 11.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game in 2024-25. "If he does end up playing at Michi- gan, one thing you and the fans will see is just how much he enjoys life," UAB writer Steve Irvine of the Birmingham Banner said. "He's just a big kid — he really is. "He never loses sight of how special what he's doing is, because he didn't expect to be doing this. He really en- joys the journey and doesn't take it for granted. I think a lot of us take things for granted, but I don't think he ever will." Per analyst Bart Torvik's T-Rank, Michigan would be the fourth-best team in the nation with Lendeborg next season, No. 21 without him on the strength of the other transfers (North Carolina point guard Elliot Cadeau, Il- linois power forward Morez Johnson Jr., and UCLA center Aday Mara). The Athletic named him the player with the third-most important draft decision to make behind Houston's Milos Uzan and Kentucky's Otega Oweh. "Led by a dominant big-man duo in Danny Wolf and Vlad Goldin, Michigan made the Sweet 16 in Dusty May's first season in Ann Arbor," The Athletic's Jim Root wrote. "The Wolverines tripled down on the frontcourt this offseason, reeling in three more gems via the por- tal. … That combination would terrorize opponents for 40 minutes at the rim and on the boards. "Whether the trio ever plays together, though, hinges on Lendeborg 's NBA Draft decision." And he fits the Danny Wolf role per- fectly, Irvine added. Wolf, the 7-foot Yale transfer, made the Wolverines much more versatile with his abilities with the ball at his size. "I think he's a '4,' but I think he could also be a '3,'" Irvine said of Lendeborg. "But he's natural at a '4.' He can guard anywhere. Certainly, with his ball han- dling, he's got some guard skills. "Another thing that is a factor here is he improved as a three-point shooter this year, but he still needs some more opportunities. It needs to become a lit- tle more part of his game, particularly when he gets to the NBA level or, really, once he gets to the Michigan level." Regardless, he'd be a huge addition. The Wolverines like their roster with or without him, but he could be the piece that raises the ceiling substantially. ❑ Lendeborg, a 6-foot-9 power forward, is a two- time American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year. PHOTO COURTESY UAB ATHLETICS The Wildcard Yaxel Lendeborg, The Nation's Top Portal Transfer, Will Make An Immediate Impact … If He Shows Up On Campus Lendeborg By The Numbers • At Alabama-Birmingham: Averaged 17.7 points, 11.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game in 2024-25; also recorded 1.8 blocks and 1.7 steals per game. • Shot 52.2 percent from the floor, 35.7 percent from three-point range, and 75.7 percent from the free throw line. • Put up 13.8 points and 10.6 rebounds as a junior, shooting 51.3 percent from the floor and 80 percent from the line in 2023-24. • Named American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year and an All-AAC first-team selec- tion in each of his two seasons at UAB. • Junior College: A two-time Junior College All-American at Arizona Western, earning second-team honors in 2022-23 and third-team recognition in 2021-22 … Averaged 17.2 points, 13.0 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game in 2022-23 while shooting 72.7 percent from the field. — Chris Balas