Wolverine Digest

Michigan basketball star's playing status in question against Penn State

The Michigan star forward will be a game-time decision
Seth Berry|
Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg (23), center, stretches from the bench during the second half against USC at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on Friday, Jan. 2, 2026.
Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg (23), center, stretches from the bench during the second half against USC at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on Friday, Jan. 2, 2026. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Michigan Wolverines

Michigan basketball star forward Yaxel Lendeborg will be a game-time decision for the Wolverines' game at Penn State on Tuesday night, according to a report from CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein.

In the team's last game against USC this past Friday, Lendeborg dealt with a bruised calf throughout the night. After leaving the game in the first half temporarily to get his calf worked on, the UAB transfer started the second half for the Wolverines, but was noticeably limping.

Head coach Dusty May subbed him out a few minutes into the second half and did not put him back in, despite May saying Lendeborg asked to check back into the game.

May, however, with his team well in control of the contest, played things on the safe side and kept his star on the bench while Michigan still cruised to a 30-point win.

The official availability report for Tuesday's game also confirmed Lendeborg's status, listing him as "questionable" against the Nittany Lions.

Also of note, Michigan guard Nimari Burnett, who had stitches above his right eye after taking a shot against the Trojans, is not on the injury report after missing much of the second half in the USC game after taking the hit.

Lendeborg this season

After taking a short amount of time to adjust to the rest of his teammates and the play styles around him early on in the year, Lendeborg has completely taken off and has been a dominant force on both ends of the floor so far for the Wolverines this season.

He has averaged 15.1 points, 7 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game and is on pace to be a contender for National Player of the Year by season's end if he continues to play at a high level and stays healthy.

Yaxel Lendeborg
Dec 29, 2025; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Michigan Wolverines forward Yaxel Lendeborg (23) is defended by McNeese Cowboys guard Garwey Dual (3) in the first half at Crisler Center. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

If Lendeborg is unable to give it a go on Tuesday night in State College, it would not at all be a surprise to see Roddy Gayle Jr. take his place in the starting lineup.

Gayle has been one of the best sixth men in college basketball, averaging 10.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2 assists per game himself.

The Wolverines (13-0) and Nittany Lions (9-5) will tip off at 7 p.m. EST on Fox Sports 1.

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Seth Berry
SETH BERRY

Seth began writing on Michigan athletics in 2015 and has remained in the U-M media space ever since, which includes stops at Maize N Brew and Rivals before coming onto Michigan On SI in June of 2025. Seth has covered various angles of Michigan football and basketball, including recruiting, overall team coverage and feature/analysis stories relating to the Wolverines. His passion for Michigan sports and desire to tell stories led him to the sports journalism world. He is a 2020 graduate of Western Michigan University and is the former sports editor of the Western Herald, WMU's student newspaper.

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