Coming off a Sweet Sixteen run in his first year in Ann Arbor, Dusty May and his staff wasted no time reshaping the roster. The Wolverines landed four players in the portal, with the most highly regarded being UAB forward Yaxel Lendeborg. As the top-ranked player available, May didn’t hesitate to go all-in.
“We felt like this was a year we could gamble,” May said on Defend the Block, referring to the staff’s decision to wait for a top-tier talent rather than filling spots early. “Yax raises our ceiling exponentially.”
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May had a leg up in the recruitment, as he faced Lendeborg twice while coaching at Florida Atlantic and had long-standing relationships with the UAB coaching staff. When Lendeborg entered the portal, May and his assistants immediately traveled to meet him face-to-face.
“We narrowed things down quickly,” May said. “We had the depth and size across the board where we could go the distance with someone like him.”
Lendeborg averaged 17.7 points, 11.4 rebounds and more than four assists last season at UAB. May believes his ability to handle the ball, pass under pressure, and defend multiple positions makes him more than just a replacement for Danny Wolf or Vlad Goldin — he’s a playmaker who can elevate everyone around him.
“When he draws two [defenders], the ball comes out of his hands probably as well as anyone that we’ve recruited in the last several years,” May said. “He just has a really good feel for playing team basketball … We’ll just simply use him as a weapon, as a queen on a chessboard.”
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Michigan’s offseason haul didn’t end with Lendeborg. The Wolverines added big men Morez Johnson Jr. from Illinois and Aday Mara from UCLA, both of whom May expects to play major roles. Johnson provides Big Ten experience and toughness, while Mara’s 7-foot-3 frame brings a new dimension in the paint.
“Both of those guys played for really good coaches, so they have a really solid foundation of how to play winning basketball at a high level,” May said. “Now we’ve got to get them acclimated into our system … We’re going to lean on both of those guys to play big roles on both sides of the basketball.”
At point guard, Michigan added Elliot Cadeau, a former North Carolina Tar Heel known for his elite vision and tempo control. May sees him as a “true pass-first point guard” who can keep Michigan’s deep roster engaged and involved.
“We just felt like he fit because we still didn’t play at the tempo that we wanted to last year,” May said. “And we just thought the more talented we get, the more weapons we have on our roster, it makes it even more integral to have a point guard who’s just trying to set those guys up. And so we felt like, from a chemistry perspective, having a true pass-first point guard would allow us to keep everyone happy. And that’s what Elliot does. He loves passing the ball. He loves creating offense.”
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The Wolverines also added freshman wing Ricky Liburd. A 6-foot-6 Florida native, Liburd caught the staff’s eye with his length, defense and ability to shoot from the outside. May views him as a developmental piece with high upside, especially if he can embrace a year of playing behind Michigan’s veterans.
“He has skill. He has shooting ability. He’s a hard worker,” May said. “From an intangible standpoint, he’s just someone that we felt like could really develop, especially if he’s patient this year and learning from these older guys who play the game at a high level.”
Reflecting on the team’s March run and the painful exit against Auburn, May acknowledged his mind is already focused on addressing the team’s on-court shortcomings — namely, physicality, rebounding and consistent playmaking.
“We’re trying to build a team that can control those critical moments in games,” May said. “We’ve added length, toughness, IQ, and guys who have won at a high level.”
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Still, May knows that with depth comes sacrifice. Not everyone will play 30 minutes per night, but the focus has to be on maximizing the minutes, not counting them.
“We’re all going to have to sacrifice,” he said. “But hopefully, we’re sacrificing to win championships.”
