The Michigan Wolverines are storming into the NCAA Tournament with a No. 1 seed, coming off a loss in the Big Ten Tournament Championship to Purdue. The Wolverines are certainly a candidate to appear in the program’s first national championship in eight years and take home the trophy for the first time since 1989.
The Wolverines are largely in this position because of senior forward Yaxel Lendeborg, who has been one of the best players in the country this season. The UAB transfer finished the season averaging 14.6 points, seven rebounds, 1.3 blocks and 1.2 steals per game.
Now, Lendeborg is receiving the proper recognition. Ahead of Michigan’s first game in March Madness, Lendeborg was honored as a first-team All-American by the Associated Press. He also received the same honor from both the NABC and USBWA.
The rest of the first-team honors went to Duke forward Cameron Boozer, BYU forward AJ Dybantsa, Arkansas guard Darius Acuff Jr. and Texas Tech forward J.T. Toppin. Michigan is at the top of the Midwest section of the bracket, which does feature Texas Tech, but Toppin is not expected to appear during the tournament due to injury.
While the 6-foot-9 forward’s numbers might not jump off the box score, Lendeborg is capable of taking over a game at any given moment. He scored 27 points against Michigan State in the regular season finale, shooting 5-of-6 from beyond the arc in the process. He also has multiple games this season with 12 rebounds or more.
More News: Two NBA Teams Could Switch Conferences Based on Expansion Vote Outcome
More News: Russell Westbrook Joins Elite Company with Latest Historic NBA Feat
The development of his three-point shot is what landed him a first-team All-American nomination, making the transition from center to forward after arriving in Ann Arbor and becoming a dominant force from outside.
Lendeborg is the first Michigan player to receive first-team All-American honors since Trey Burke in the 2012-13 season. That season, the Wolverines made it all the way to the national championship, where they fell to Louisville.
After leading the Wolverines to a 29-2 record and a runner-up finish in the conference tournament, Lendeborg will lead his team into March Madness against No. 16 Howard on Thursday.
Read the full article here
