Michigan’s Yaxel Lendeborg on point despite injuries
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Luis Miguel,
- April 5, 2026
Yaxel Lendeborg refused to sit despite injuries
INDIANAPOLIS – Michigan’s Yaxel Lendeborg was not going to pull himself out of the biggest game of his career. Magic Johnson was in the house. Chris Webber and the Wolverines’ legendary Fab Five were also in the house Saturday night at Lucas Oil Stadium to watch the Final Four.
Most importantly, a trip to the NCAA Men’s Basketball National Championship game was on the line too. Michigan last won a national title in 1989, more than a decade before Lendeborg was born.
Lendeborg suffered a leg injury in the first half of No. 1 seed Michigan’s lopsided victory over fellow No. 1 seed Arizona. The injury appeared excruciatingly painful. The Dominican American star was forced to miss the final eight minutes of the half.
The chatter across Lucas Oil Stadium, and likely country, was whether or not Michigan’s star would return in the second half.
“I definitely felt like I did all this for nothing, in the moment,” Lendeborg said. “I definitely had to calm down for a little bit and speak to myself and get out of my thoughts. The training staff were being very nice (and) assuring me that I’m going to be OK. It definitely made me feel better in my heart.”
Yaxel Lendeborg, Michigan cruise
Despite the pain and limited mobility, Lendeborg started the second half.
He finished with 11 points in just 14 minutes as Michigan cruised to a 91-73 win. Lendeborg scored six of his points in the second half on a pair of 3-pointers while his mom celebrated from the stands in a gold Michigan No. 23 jersey.
Despite his team’s 20-point second half lead, Lendeborg chose to continue playing rather than sit out and nurse his injury.
“We needed a secondary ball-handler to help with the press, so I wanted to be that guy to help out,” Lendeborg said. “I’m not going to sit out when my team needs me, no matter what’s going on.”’
Michigan coach Dusty May wasn’t surprised by Lendeborg’s return.
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“Well, I think the guys know that Yax is about winning,” May said. “And from Day 1, he’s always just been one of the guys. And when you have a First Team All-American and potential (Naismith) Player of the Year that just wants to be one of the dudes, it helps everyone else fall in line and just accept their role.”
As much as his second half minutes were about helping beat Arizona, it was also an opportunity for him to further prepare for Monday’s national championship game taking place on the same court.
“I want to get a feel for the rim.” Lendeborg said. “Try as best as I can because I want to play Monday. Those two shots going in were big time for me and my confidence. I’ll see how I feel tomorrow.”
UConn awaits
Lendeborg and the Wolverines will face UConn, which beat Illinois 71-62 in the first semifinal Saturday at Lucas Oil Stadium.
UConn will enter the national championship game as the underdog, but the Huskies won’t likely be intimidated as they go after their third title in four years.
“We’re a tough program,” UConn coach Dan Hurley said. “We’re a group of fighters. It’s not appealing to everyone. I’m sure there’s some people in here that it’s offputting for… But we are a group of fighters.
“We are incredibly tough. We’ve got incredible will (and when) we go into these games, we’re ready for battle.”
As Lendeborg showed while playing with an injured left knee and ankle, the Dominican star is a fighter too.
Luis Miguel
Our Esquina contributor Luis Miguel is a Boston sports fan and former college basketball player who has built his career at the intersection of sports and business. He holds an MBA from UC Berkeley Haas and currently resides in Miami.
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