The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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APRIL 2026 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 39 eborg assured with a laugh, regarding his discovery of MSU vitriol. "I was hearing a lot of hateful words. I put my head- phones on to try and drown it all out, but I still heard it through the headphones. It was a crazy atmosphere in there. I knew the rivalry was like, bad, but I didn't know it ran that deep. I didn't know that they hated our guts like that. It was crazy to be a part of, but it was amazing that we got the win. I was happy we got that done." Lendeborg certainly served as a key component in that victory, pouring in a team-high 26 points and 12 rebounds, along with a pair of blocks and an assist in Michigan's 83-71 win. He showed off his poise as well, getting intentionally tripped on one occasion and flagrantly fouled from behind on a breakaway lay- up attempt, using the foreknowledge of what the Wolverines were facing to stay calm. "When we were watching film that whole time, they were letting us know that they were like floppers," Lendeborg said. "They try to engage you into stupid stuff like that. They said there's a lot of trash talk and dirty stuff. Whatever hap- pened to me, I knew that if I engaged back, then they won. I wasn't going to let them beat me out in anything. That hard foul [MSU guard Jeremy Fears Jr.] gave me on the break, in transition? Just let it go. When he tripped me? Just let it go. Go out there and play as composed as we can, so we can get out of there with the win and continue to move on." They did precisely that, and let the fi- nal score do the talking. "It felt great," Lendeborg said. "I just wanted to talk trash so bad, but I knew [May] wanted us to stay composed, re- gardless. Just had to be mature and be the bigger person." In the March 8 rematch with MSU, Lendeborg led all scorers with 27 points. FIGHT TO THE FINISH Michigan clinched a tie for the Big Ten regular-season title with a home win over Minnesota, and celebrated less vo- ciferously than some do a YMCA league championship. It's not that surprising, really. No question it's a big deal — Mich- igan's fourth Big Ten regular-season ti- tle since 1986 — but from the start, this team has set its sights higher. Much higher. May noted after that game that if someone leads a marathon for nearly all 26 miles then gets dehydrated at the end, it's all for naught. He didn't stop his players from satisfied smiles at the ac- complishment, but didn't have to remind them of what lies ahead. "We're so process oriented," the sec- ond-year U-M coach stressed. "We want to feel good about the way we competed, the way we performed, the way we ex- ecuted the processes of leading up to the game. "And like I said earlier this year, all glory is fleeting. As soon as we start to feel good about what we've done, we're going to get knocked down. And every game, every possession, is incredibly im- portant going forward." They did ramp up both their perfor- mance and their celebratory skills in taking down No. 10 Illinois, 84-70, in Champaign to lock down sole ownership of the Big Ten title. Still, the big prize lies ahead. Former U-M coach John Beilein un- derstands what it takes to reach the final showdown of the year. He believes Mich- igan has it, starting with Lendeborg. "Every time that I end up watching Lendeborg play, it's like 'Oh, my gosh,'" Beilein told host Bill Simonson on "The Huge Show" earlier this year. "This guy could have gone pro last year. They said he would have went in the late first round, so he came back. Whoever would have gotten him in the late first round last year would have gotten a lottery pick with that pick, because that dude is go- ing to be a lottery pick at the end of this year. He's in his sixth year, he's experi- enced, he's ready to go. "How about this? His assist-to-turn- over ratio — which you guys know is one of my favorite, favorite stats — is 3:1. This guy is a 6-9 forward with a [now just un- der] 3:1 ratio. He's willing to pass." Lendeborg doesn't want to pass on a chance at finishing atop the college bas- ketball world this year. Beilein is con- vinced he might not have to do so. "This is a talented team that I think gets it," Beilein said. "All they want to do is win. With the exception of [fresh- man guard Trey] McKenney, they've got a lot of experienced players. They know it doesn't make a difference if you don't win your last game — and they're trying to do that. They want to get to Monday night, win that game, and be champi- ons." ❏ What They're Saying About The Wolverines Michigan established early on this season it could contend for a national championship. From a dominating performance against Gonzaga in Las Vegas, to rampaging through the Big Ten season in unprecedented fashion, Dusty May's team earned rave reviews and a likely No. 1 seed come NCAA Tournament time. Here are a few observations from coaches in the months leading up to March Madness. Gonzaga coach Mark Few, following Michigan's 101-61 win over his team at the Players Era Championship in Las Vegas: "Look, we're a team that really scores well inside ... and we literally couldn't generate any scoring there at all, all night. That's something that just doesn't ordinarily happen to us." Purdue coach Matt Painter, after Michigan's 91-80 win over his Boilermakers at Mackey Arena: "If you get behind [them], like on a long shot or you get behind on a turnover, oh, good luck to you. I'd rather teach third grade. Because you're fouling them. If you're behind a play and they have numbers, you're in trouble. "They have three defensive 5s. The difference isn't in their scheme. Their difference is how hard they play, how long they are and how athletic. But that versatility — because [junior center Aday] Mara can guard a 5, right? And he can cause problems. But you can pick on him, just like people could pick on Zach [Edey]. ... but [Lendeborg and sophomore forward Morez Johnson Jr.], they're difference-makers defensively." An anonymous Big Ten coach, to ESPN: "Yaxel being able to stretch the floor is a tremen- dous help. Mara is a guy you can throw the ball in the post, and he can score with his back to the basket, but he's a phenomenal passer, so he creates a dilemma for you, too. Do we guard him one-on-one or do we try to double? And he's 7-3 so it doesn't matter, he can pass over you. Morez is an NBA player, he's as good a big guy as there is in the country." — John Borton