Michigan's Yaxel Lendeborg during a college basketball game.
Yaxel Lundeberg’sshotwaspureMarchchaos:withthegametiedlate,YaxelLendeborgburiedaleft-wing3with0.4secondslefttoliftMichiganpastWisconsin,68-65,andsendtheWolverinestotheBigTentitlegame. Thegame-winner cameimmediatelyafterNickBoydhadtieditwitha3forWisconsin.
Myron Medcalf
Yaxel!!!! I love March.
Thehypewasalreadythere,butthatshotisonlygoingtopourgasolineonit.LendeborgwasnamedBigTenPlayeroftheYearbyboththemediaandcoachesearlierthisweek,andCBS’TracyWolfson magnified Michigan callinghim “thebestplayerintheBigTen.”ESPNalsorankedhimNo.1amongthetopmen’sbasketballtransfersof2025-26,whichtellsyouhownationalevaluatorshaveviewedhisseason.
Matt Norlander
YAX3L!!!!!!!
The best month delivers again and again and again.
MichiganenteredtheweekendastheBigTenregular-seasonchampionat19-1inleagueplay,withLendeborgalreadynamedtheconference’sPlayeroftheYearbyboththecoachesandmedia.Sothiswasnotsomeout-of-nowhereheaterfromaroleplayer.Itwastheleague’smostdecoratedstarproducingasignaturetournamentshotontheeveofSelectionSunday.
Jon Rothstein
THIS IS ******* MARCH.
WhyYaxelLendeborg’sgame-winning3vsWisconsinfeltsobig
Theshotmatteredbecauseoftheopponent,thetimingandthestakes.WisconsinwastheoneBigTenteamtohandMichiganaregular-seasonconferenceloss,andtherematchcamewithachampionship-gameberthontheline.MichiganhadalsojustescapedOhioStateinatightquarterfinal,makingthisahigh-pressureturnaroundspotratherthanacomfortablefavorite’scruise.
Jeff Borzello
ThemediapraiseforYaxelLendeborgwasalreadyloudbeforetheshot
LendeborgwasofficiallynamedBigTenPlayeroftheYear earlierthisweekbyboththecoachesandmedia,makinghimthefirstWolverinetowintheawardsinceNikStauskasin2014.Michigan’sreleasealsonotedhewasfirst-teamAll-BigTenfrombothvotinggroups.
Theanalystpraisewasjustasstrong.AfterMichiganbeatMichiganStateonMarch8,DustyMaytoldCBSreporterTracyWolfson, “Ithinkit’sprettyobviouswhyhe’splayeroftheyear,”addingthatLendeborg “doeseverythingonthebasketballcourt”andis “justscratchingthesurface.”TracyWolfsonalsoretweetedMichigan’s post dubbing him “thebestplayerintheBigTen” on March 10.
Nationally,ESPNrankedLendeborgNo.1amongthetopmen’scollegebasketballtransfersof2025-26,whileESPN’send-of-yearawardspackagesaidhewasnotjustthebesttransferinAmericabutalegitimatenationalawards-leveltalent.Thatisthekindofpraisethatmakesagame-winnerfeelconfirmatoryratherthansurprising.
Whathappensnext?
MichigannowturnstotheBigTenchampionshipgame where it will face the winner of No. 18 Purdue vs. UCLA (3:30 p.m. ET tipoff),andLendeborg’sshotinstantlybecomesoneoftheWolverines’definingpre-tournamentmoments.Iftheofficialpostgamequoteslandthewaytheshotdid,thisstorycouldquicklyexpandintoasecond-dayreactionpiececenteredonhowteammates,analystsandbracketexpertsviewedMichiganafteranotherclutchfinish.