Dusty May took a risk.
May’s pursuit of Yaxel Lendeborg came with the possibility that Lendeborg might never enroll at Michigan. On Tuesday, however, a day before the NCAA’s NBA draft withdrawal deadline, Lendeborg did just that, [removing his name in order to suit up at Michigan next season](https://www.mlive.com/wolverines/2025/05/michigan-transfer-yaxel-lendeborg-announces-nba-draft-decision.html).
“While it’s been and still is a dream of mine to play in the NBA, I feel the development and growth as a player and a person I will gain at the University of Michigan will be very beneficial,” Lendeborg told ESPN. He thanked May for not pressuring him into a decision, the Champions Circle NIL collective for its financial commitment, and the NBA teams that saw him work out this month.
For Michigan, the addition of Lendeborg, a 6-foot-9 forward who led UAB in scoring, rebounding, assists, steals, and blocks last season, can’t be overstated. [May liked his roster _before_ Lendeborg officially signed on](https://www.mlive.com/wolverines/2025/05/dusty-may-on-michigans-highly-rated-transfers-and-if-hes-done-building-roster.html). He has to be ecstatic now.
The Wolverines have a talented, experienced team capable of competing for a Big Ten title and beyond.
May’s work in the transfer portal this offseason is a big reason why. Michigan brought in North Carolina sophomore point guard Elliot Cadeau, Illinois freshman forward Morez Johnson Jr., and UCLA sophomore center Aday Mara. Lendeborg is the proverbial cherry on top.
According to 247Sports, only St. John’s seven-man transfer class ranks higher than Michigan’s this cycle.
Cadeau figures to be the starting point guard. The former five-star recruit started 68 games over the past two years at North Carolina, averaging 9.4 points and 6.2 assists last season, tops in the ACC. He also had the most turnovers in the conference. He’s a pass-first point guard who also made 34 percent from 3 last year.
Nimari Burnett and Roddy Gayle Jr. are the likely starters on the wing. Burnett, who began his college career in 2020, started the past two years at Michigan and was a consistent, reliable presence in the lineup who shot 40 percent from 3 last season. Gayle struggled with his shot during much of Big Ten play but saved some of his best games for the postseason, including a season-high 26 points against Texas A&M in the NCAA Tournament.
Last season, Michigan started two 7-footers in the frontcourt: Danny Wolf, who played like a guard, and Vladislav Goldin, who dominated the paint. It wasn’t May’s intention to recreate that duo again this season — “I like really good players that are great teammates over recruiting to a plan,” May said earlier this month — but he has a chance with Lendeborg and the 7-foot-3 Mara.
Lendeborg, who chose Michigan out of the portal largely because of what Wolf did in May’s offense, can dribble and pass very well for his size. Mara, who had a strong second half at UCLA last season, “could be as impactful as Vlad was,” May said.
Michigan will have depth at every position. In the backcourt, there’s returner L.J. Cason. His freshman season looked like it would be forgotten until March rolled around and he became, in a teammate’s words, “a microwave scorer off the bench.”
Michigan also brings in five-star recruit Trey McKenney, four-star Winters Grady, and late signee Patrick Liburd.
Frontcourt reserves include Johnson, a 6-foot-9 forward who appeared in 30 games with eight starts as a freshman at Illinois last season. An ideal energy guy off the bench, he averaged 6.7 rebounds over 17.7 minutes per game. He can draw fouls and block shots at a high rate too.
Will Tschetter enters his redshirt senior year, a proven outside shooter who fits May’s culture. Oscar Goodman, a New Zealand native who joined the team in January but didn’t appear in games, is another option at the power forward spot.
That’s 12 players total, with eight or nine expected to see the floor on a regular basis. The lineup combinations without Lendeborg looked promising. With his all-around game in the mix, Michigan has “a case (as) a preseason top-five” team, per ESPN.
Whether money, minutes, or shot attempts, “I think everyone in our program is sacrificing to bring together a championship group,” May told MLive earlier this month at the NBA draft combine in Chicago. At the time, Lendeborg was also at the combine, still undecided about his future.
May went after him anyway, using time and money that could been spent elsewhere. It was a major gamble. On Tuesday, it paid off.