The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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38 THE WOLVERINE ❱ APRIL 2026 in rebounding, defending, passing. He's going to make the right play. I think if he has the pressure of having to put a team on his back, then he wouldn't perform nearly as well, or look like the player that he does for us." He fits in, but also leads, according to sophomore guard L.J. Cason, whose season came to a disappointing end with a torn ACL at Illinois Feb. 27. "He's the start of it all," Cason in- sisted. "We go as he goes. He really sets the tone … we just follow behind him." Lendeborg admitted he got accus- tomed to being the start of it all — and often the finish — at UAB. He knew there would be an adjustment coming into a lineup loaded with high-level talent, but a shot at a national championship more than makes up for a few minutes here and a few points there. "Last year, I had a super-high usage rate," Lendeborg recalled. "The ball was in my hands all the time. This year, I'm trying to play more like an NBA style. Just space the floor out, and whenever they need me, provide some help. I pretty much just became more of a free and off- ball movement type of player, which is good. I know a lot of players who were the high scorers out of high school and their other schools came here thinking they were going to be the man, me es- pecially. " O n c e we re a l i z e d t h i s te a m was all good, all willing to make that ex- tra play for each other, it's kind of easy to adapt into a different role." Coaches like to say when you're win- ning, there's enough for everybody. That's absolutely the case for the UAB import, who came in talking national championship, not National Basketball Association. He enjoyed plenty of com- pany in that respect. When he put off the NBA for another year, he felt strongly that signing on with May and the crew he'd assembled repre- sented a good move. He just didn't know how good — but he found out quickly. "I knew it was going to be super fun and exciting, but I didn't think it was going to be this amazing," Lendeborg said in February. "Every time when we go out on that court and we have a sellout crowd, it feels like a dream. There have been many times when I look around an arena and I think, I can't believe I'm playing here right now. The support and love they show is amazing as well. "It makes me feel like the best in the world, even when I'm having a bad game. I'm just super grateful to be here." He admittedly didn't know a ton of Michigan athletics history when he ar- rived. He found out fast, from meeting Jalen Rose and Chris Webber along the way to having Cazzie Russell and iconic Michigan players in the U-M locker room this season. "It's been crazy," Lendeborg marveled. "Hearing the history of Michigan and how great it's always been. Now we're able to maintain that and try to be one of the best teams to ever play here. That's the goal for us now. We're just going to go out and try to chase that. It's amazing to be able to play for that in a place that has such high standards." QUICK PRIMER ON RIVALRIES Speaking of learning quickly, it took very little time to understand whom to dislike — and for that matter, which teams regard the Wolverines with stri- dent disdain. One step into the Breslin Center in East Lansing in late Janu- ary served as an eye opener and an ear abuser. "Oh, as soon as I walked in," Lend- Lendeborg was a key factor in U-M's two victories over Michigan State, pouring in a team-high 26 points and 12 rebounds Jan. 30, and adding a game-high 27 points in the 90-80 win March 8. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL