Michigan Basketball Star Named Wooden Award Finalist

Michigan star forward Yaxel Lendeborg has earned a number of accolades for his outstanding play on the court this season while helping his team to a Big Ten regular season title and Final Four appearance.

At the end of the regular season, the UAB transfer was named Big Ten Player of the Year while also earning a selection to the conference's first team and all-defensive team. Additionally, Lendeborg was named to the Sporting News All-America First Team for his play as announced in the middle of March.

On Tuesday, the Wolverine star added another accolade to his resume by being named a finalist for the Wooden Award, which is annually presented to the outstanding college basketball player of the year for both men's and women's college basketball.

The other finalists for the award are Darius Acuff Jr. (Arkansas), Cameron Boozer (Duke), AJ Dybantsa (BYU) and Braden Smith (Purdue). In addition to being named a finalist for the award itself, Lendeborg also joined nine other players on the Wooden All-American Team.

The 2026 John R. Wooden Award Men’s Top 5 Finalists are set. Braden Smith, Yaxel Lendeborg, Darius Acuff Jr., Cameron Boozer, and AJ Dybantsa, five outstanding players who have defined this season through elite performance, leadership, and impact. As we celebrate the 50th… pic.twitter.com/3UqBjtbTP0
— John R. Wooden Award (@WoodenAward) March 31, 2026

Lendeborg has led the Final Four bound Wolverines in scoring with 15.2 points per game to go along with seven rebounds and 3.3 assists per contest.

Boozer has long been the favorite to win the award and likely will come out on top when it's all said and done, but for Lendeborg's name to be mentioned with the best in college basketball speaks to the type of player he is and what he has meant to Michigan all season long.

Trey Burke is the only Wolverine in history to ever win the Wooden Award when he was named the winner after the 2013 season when he helped lead the program to a national title game appearance.

Yaxel Lendeborg celebrates — Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg (23) celebrates after winning the NCAA Tournament Midwest Regional Champion by defeating Tennessee 95-62 rat United Center in Chicago on Sunday, March 29, 2026. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

About the Wooden Award

The Wooden Award website gives background on the history of the award, including when it was established and how it was founded:

The John R. Wooden Award is presented annually to the outstanding collegiate basketball Player of the Year for both men and women. Candidates for the award are selected by a panel of college basketball experts from across the 50 states. The National Advisory Board seeds the national ballot, which includes top candidates who meet the award’s criteria, such as being a full-time student with a minimum 2.00 GPA, contributing to team effort, and excelling in both offense & defense and exhibiting character. Voters, over 1,000 basketball media experts, evaluate players based on their performance throughout the entire season, including the NCAA Tournament. The All-American teams are announced the weekend of the “Final Four,” and the Player of the Year is awarded a five-figure bronze trophy at a gala in Los Angeles.

The Men’s Wooden Award was established in 1975 and first presented in 1977. The Women’s Wooden Award, established in 2004. Candidates for both awards must meet the same academic and performance criteria. Perpetual versions of the trophy are displayed in the Basketball Hall of Fame and the Los Angeles Athletic Club.

The Wooden Award National Chairman have been founder Duke Llewellyn (1975-2010), Tommy Hawkins (2010 to 2017) and Sam Lagana (2010 to present). The award was founded at The Los Angeles Athletic Club in Los Angeles, CA and continues to be administrated from LAAC.

Trey Burke’s No. 3 jersey is being raised during his jersey retirement ceremony at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on Friday, Jan. 23, 2026. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images