The Michigan Wolverines basketball team recently received tentative assurance from former Alabama-Pennsylvania Trail Blazers forward Yaxel Lendeborg, which recently had Dusty May and his coaching staff waiting for updates on the phone.
The highest-ranked transfer portal in the United States, Lendeborg, has the talent of the NBA draft on June 25, but he has also decided to make a decision between staying with college and entering the league.
Lendeborg has been in the NBA's front draft combine, which began on May 18.
The former UAB Trail Blazers star seemed to improve in the early stages, although he did share information about choosing the Wolverine who turned his head on Tuesday.
Lendeborg ranked in the top 11 in early combine harvesters.
The NBA's ultimate top scorer combines training (the overall of all shots). Mark Sears is scorching.
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) May 13, 2025
83%Mark Sears
77% Chazlanier
73% Ryan Nembhard
73%PJ Haggerty
John Tonje 72%
72%MILOS extension
72% Cedric Cove
Walter Clayton 71%
69% of Koby Brea
69% Eric Dixon
69%Yexel Lendebork pic.twitter.com/eoaabigto7e
He added that his decision was "50-50, maybe 60-40," in favor of playing with the Wolverines next season, rather than heading to the NBA.
Lundburg has a chance to bypass Michigan's potential frontline this season, also expected to include UCLA transfer Aday Mara and Illinois transfer Moults Johnson.
Yaxel Lendeborg said it was "50-50, maybe 60-40" because he weighed his NBA draft decision while his favor with Michigan.
— Anthony Bloom (@anthonytbroome) May 13, 2025
But UM's top portal submissions are not in a hurry.
🔗https://t.co/la7ksbq5wdpic.twitter.com/1tooypmml7y
Last season, Lendeborg provided a blazer to coach Andy Kennedy's team at the U.S. Track and Field Conference, averaging 17.7 points per game.
He also grabbed 11.4 rebounds per game, with more than 4 assists per game, and shot more than 52% from the field.
Lendeborg will add much-needed athleticism and versatility in a Michigan frontcourt, and the court will have to replace projected top 20 draft pick Danny Wolf, who moved from the Yale Bulldogs to Michigan last season.
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