Last week, a pair of Michigan big men found a home in the NBA. Danny Wolf was drafted in the first round and, minutes after the draft concluded on Thursday night, Vladislav Goldin signed a two-way contract.
If a mock draft for next year is any indication, Michigan’s frontcourt might be even better this season.
With the 2025 draft in the books, outlets released their projections for 2026. ESPN is very high on Michigan, ranking three Wolverines among the top 33 prospects for next year’s draft. They’re all incoming transfers who have yet to play a game for Michigan.
At the top of the list is Yaxel Lendeborg, a do-it-all-forward who played the past two seasons at UAB and strongly considered entering this year’s draft. He’s ranked No. 14 by ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo. They said the 6-foot-9 Lendeborg is among the top five returning college players to watch.
“He had positive flashes at the combine, but it wasn’t enough to earn him a first-round assurance,” Woo wrote. “The Wolverines have lost quite a bit of frontcourt production, with first-rounder Danny Wolf (No. 27) and Vladislav Goldin off to the pros, allowing Lendeborg to help himself in the same way.
“A late-blooming prospect with a mix of offensive skill, defensive playmaking and excellent length, expect Lendeborg to figure prominently for Michigan.”
The other Wolverines on the draft board haven’t produced as much at the college level. Aday Mara, a 7-foot-3 center, played the past two seasons at UCLA, averaging 13 minutes off the bench as a sophomore. Evaluators obviously see beyond his 6.4 points and four rebounds per game, instead focusing on his size and skill.
Morez Johnson Jr., a transfer from Illinois, is at No. 33, just beyond the 30 first-round choices. He averaged 17.7 minutes, seven points, and 6.7 rebounds over 30 games (eight starts) as a freshman last season.
Johnson is currently in Switzerland with the United States U19 team at the FIBA World Cup. He’s played an important part in the two games so far, both wins, grabbing a team-high 14 rebounds.
Other outlets aren’t quite as sold on Michigan’s talent. The Athletic and Bleacher Report have Lendeborg at Nos. 16 and 21, respectively, but no other Wolverines listed (The Athletic ranked 60 players; Bleacher Report ranked the top 30).
All three outlets have incoming Kansas freshman guard Darryn Peterson as the No. 1 pick in next year’s draft.