Wolverine Digest

Michigan Crushes MSU for Second Time This Season, Yaxel Lendeborg Deserves B1G POY

It's a sweep!
Trent Knoop|
Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

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Michigan WolverinesMichigan State Spartans

For the second time this season, Michigan took down Michigan State. The Wolverines beat the Spartans in East Lansing back on Jan. 30, 83-71, and on Sunday, it was another double-digit win for Michigan.

This time, the Wolverines capped the regular season off with a 90-80 win over their arch rivals. Michigan was able to cut the turnovers down to 10, after suffering 18 turnovers in its last win over Iowa. Despite Aday Mara and Morez Johnson Jr. being in foul trouble, the Wolverines had enough help, and star power to overcome the fouls.

Yaxel Lendeborg likely locked up the Big Ten Player of the Year with his performance. He already showed he was the best player on the court in Michigan's first win over MSU, after scoring 26 points and 12 rebounds in Game 1 vs. the Spartans.

He was even better on Sunday. Lendeborg was the sole reason Michigan went into halftime with a one-point lead. In the end, the UAB transfer scored a game high 27 points and he nailed five of six three-pointers.

Michigan not only went 29-2 this season, but the Wolverines won the Big Ten by four games, and they are the first Big Ten team to win 19 conference games in a season — in the new era of the expanded Big Ten Conference.

The Wolverines hit 90% of their free throws against MSU, and shot 45% from deep. Michigan had big help from its bench, as well. No L.J. Cason, who suffered a torn ACL and will likely miss all of next season, but the Wolverines had both Roddy Gayle Jr. and Trey McKenney step up. Gayle Jr. scored 15 off the bench, while the true freshman helped with 12 points.

Michigan will now head into the Big Ten Tournament as the No. 1 seed, and the Wolverines are looking to capture the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. But with the loss to Duke, the Wolverines are going to need a little help in order to get that seed. Michigan will likely need to go further in the Big Ten than Duke goes in the ACC.

Either way, it was a great season for Michigan, and social media erupted following the Wolverines' sweep over MSU.

Yaxel for Big Ten Player of the Year

How SWEEP it is

Bench helped in the win over MSU

Great season, but onto the tournament

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Published
Trent Knoop
TRENT KNOOP

Trent began writing and covering Michigan athletics back in 2020. He became a credentialed member of the media in 2021. Trent began writing with Sports Illustrated in 2023 and became the Managing Editor for Michigan Wolverines On SI during the 2025 football season. Trent also serves as the Publisher of Baylor Bears on SI. His other bylines have appeared on Maryland on SI, Wisconsin on SI, and across the USA TODAY Sports network. Trent’s love of sports and being able to tell stories to fans is what made him get into writing.

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