In his one and only season in Ann Arbor, Michigan Basketball’s Yaxel Lendeborg was named the Player of the Year in the Big Ten Conference by both the media and the coaches.
Lendeborg is the sixth ever Michigan player to win the award, and the first since Nik Stauskas back in 2014, and breaks a three-season streak of Purdue players (Zach Edey twice, Braden Smith last season) winning the award.
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In a season filled with standout performances in arguably the best conference in all of college hoops, Lendeborg separated himself as the most complete and consistent player in the Big Ten. His combination of scoring (14.7 points per game), rebounding (7.2 per game), defensive versatility and veteran leadership helped the Wolverines win the Big Ten regular season championship, lose just two games all season and put the team in position to earn a 1-seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Lendeborg also shined when the lights were brightest this season. His 20-point, 11-rebound double-double helped Michigan blow out Gonzaga, 101-61, to make an early-season statement. He also scored a season-high 29 points in the first Big Ten road game of the year at Maryland, while also putting up an impressive 26-point, 12-rebound stat line at Michigan State in January. And while the team ultimately lost, his 21 points and seven rebounds vs No. 1 Duke in Washington D.C. kept the team afloat in a game it easily could have been blown out.
Dusty May was putting together one heck of a haul through the high school ranks and the transfer portal this past offseason to be able to compete and go even further than the Wolverines did last season. After getting guys like Elliot Cadeau, Morez Johnson Jr., Aday Mara and Trey McKenney, the one final missing piece that was missing was Lendeborg. He initially declared for the NBA Draft, but after testing the waters, he withdrew his name to return to college and sign with Michigan.
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It seems like that decision ultimately paid off, as he is now a Big Ten champion, the player of the year in the conference, and a projected first-round pick in this year’s NBA Draft. Hopefully he can add a couple more accolades to his resume before it’s all said and done, though.
