Indianapolis, April 7: The standout player of college basketball’s top team faced a tough challenge. Yaxel Lendeborg struggled with knee and ankle injuries just days before the national championship game against UConn. His frustration was evident as he battled to showcase his All-American talent.
Lendeborg’s first half was far from his best. He airballed an open jump shot and walked off the court visibly upset after missing a defensive assignment. He described his performance to Turner Sports’ Tracy Wolfson as “awful” and “super weak.”
“I was very tentative,” Lendeborg admitted. “I felt like I was holding our team back. We could have been ahead by more early in the game, but I kept missing opportunities.”
Despite his struggles, Michigan secured a 69-63 victory, thanks in part to his teammates’ support. Nimari Burnett reassured Lendeborg, reminding him they were all in this together. L.J. Cason encouraged him to ease up on himself, emphasizing that the Wolverines wouldn’t have reached this point without his contributions. Roddy Gayle lightened the mood with a joke, urging Lendeborg to play more aggressively.
“Yax is a very emotional guy, so I felt it was my duty to push him to get out of his feelings,” Gayle said. “We needed Mad Yax, not Sad Yax.”
Mad Yax finally emerged in the game’s final minutes. Lendeborg scored seven of his 13 points in a crucial 90-second stretch, hitting a 3-pointer, putting back his own miss, and sinking free throws to maintain Michigan’s lead despite UConn’s efforts.
“We knew he wasn’t at full strength,” Burnett noted. “He probably wasn’t even 50%, but he pushed through for the team. His selflessness was key to our victory.”
Lendeborg’s determination helped Michigan secure its first national title since 1989. The Wolverines (37-3) showcased their dominance throughout the season, defeating top teams like Gonzaga and Villanova and winning the Big Ten title by four games.
Lendeborg, dubbed the “Dominican LeBron” by his teammates, had an unexpected journey. He once thought a warehouse job would be his future, but his mother, Yissel Raposo, insisted he pursue basketball. This led him from junior college in Yuma, Arizona, to a breakout season at UAB, and ultimately to becoming a key player for Michigan.
Before his injuries, he averaged 21 points and 7.3 rebounds per game in the NCAA tournament. “In that moment, I felt like I had done all this for nothing,” Lendeborg reflected. “I had to calm down and get out of my head.”
After two days of treatment, he took the court with just tape on his knee. While he didn’t play the game of his dreams, his joy was palpable when Michigan clinched the national title.
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