One Michigan basketball player named to 2025-26 preseason All-Big Ten Team

The Wolverines are likely going to go through him.

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The Big Ten Conference released the preseason All-Big Ten Team ahead of the 2025-26 season. The Wolverines had one player selected to the team and that's UAB transfer, Yaxel Lendeborg. The 6-foot-9 big man was a transcendent player last season with UAB. He opted to transfer to Michigan instead of entering the NBA Draft.

Last season, Lendeborg averaged 17.7 points, 11.4 rebounds, and 4.2 assists. The big man was a two-time All-American Conference first-team member and a two-time American Conference Defensive Player of the Year.

Michigan retooled its roster by adding key transfer players after losing the likes of Danny Wolf, Vlad Goldin, and Tre Donaldson. The Wolverines went out and landed Lendeborg, former Illinois' big man Morez Johnson, UCLA big Aday Mara, and North Carolina guard Elliott Cadeau.

Recently, Michigan assistant coach Kyle Church had the following to say about Lendeborg:

“Yaxel is a really special talent. I mean, his size and length and strength and skill level, he just has a combination of all these things you want in a basketball player. He's one of those, you know, he's kind of the guy you design on a 2K video game, is kind of what Yaxel ends up looking like.

"And then, you know, you put all that together and having coached them, the passing ability is what really stands out. And so, you know, these four guys are talking about the transfer portal, you know, they could score, you know, they're physically imposing, they're really fast, you know, what have you, but all four of them, their ability to pass the ball and their willingness to pass the ball is really, really special...

“And I think that's the biggest, the coolest thing that surprised me about Yax is his unselfishness and how well he can create for others.”

Preseason All-Big Ten Team

2025-26 Preseason All-Big Ten Team
Bennett Stirtz, Sr., G, Iowa

Yaxel Lendeborg, Grad., F, Michigan

Nick Martinelli, Sr., F, Northwestern

Bruce Thornton, Sr., G, Ohio State

Nate Bittle, Sr., C, Oregon

Jackson Shelstad, Jr., G, Oregon

Trey Kaufman-Renn, Sr., F,

Purdue BRADEN SMITH, Sr., G, Purdue (preseason Player of the Year)

Donovan Dent, Sr., G, UCLA

John Blackwell, Jr., G, Wisconsin

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