Things to watch for in Michigan basketball's game vs. Wake Forest

The No. 6 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team (1-0) takes on Wake Forest (2-0) on Tuesday night at 6:30 p.m. EST on FS1 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.

Head coach Dusty May's team enters the contest as big favorites, but it will be the first test against a team from a Power 4 conference after the Wolverines cruised to a 43-point victory over Oakland in their opener last week.

Here are a few things to watch before the teams hit the floor.

Will Yaxel Lendeborg be 100% healthy?

Lenbeborg played against the Grizzlies during Michigan's seasoning opening win last week, but did not start as he has been nursing a bit of a recent injury. He played just 22 minutes in the victory and was highly efficient in those minutes, going 4-of-4 from the field for 12 points while grabbing four rebounds and dishing out three assists.

Chances are, if the game would have been tighter, the UAB transfer could have given the Wolverines more time. But with Michigan grabbing a big first half lead and holding a serious edge on the scoreboard for most of the night, there was no need to have him out there longer than that.

Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg (23) dribbles against Oakland guard Ziare Wells (2) during the second half at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on Monday, November 3, 2025. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

During his Monday press conference, May said Lendeborg "should be close to 100%, meaning it's very likely to see him make his first regular season start in a Maize and Blue uniform. Still, even as it seems like he is progressing, the Wolverines certainly won't want any setbacks on an inuury front from a player they will need in the long term. How Lendeborg looks and feels health wise will be a storyline after not starting last week to give validation that he is indeed fully healthy.

With L.J. Cason back, how does he gel with this team?

Sophomore guard L.J. Cason also missed last week's opener, but has had a week off to recover from a shoulder injury.

Cason was out with an ankle injury for most of October and has battled back-to-back injuries, but May said he has returned to form in practice and is ready to go.

"L.J., the last two days of practice looks like he did before his injuries,” May said. “He had a couple back-to-back injuries, which is tough. I’m excited to see L.J. play. He looked more in-rhythm the last two days. His conditioning has gotten back to where it was pre-injury."

Cason averaged 4.3 points in about 12 minutes per game as a freshman last season, but really came on toward the end of the season and showed flashes of excellent in the NCAA tournament.

Mar 28, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Michigan Wolverines guard L.J. Cason (2) grabs a loose ball against Auburn Tigers forward Johni Broome (4) in the second half of a South Regional semifinal of the 2025 NCAA tournament at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

With the depth and amount of offensive weapons the Wolverines have on this year's team, it should allow Cason to expand his game even more with his ability to get to the rim and play in transition situations. Tuesday will be the first look for Wolverine fans to see how the sophomore gels with some of the new additions to this year's team.

Can true freshman Trey McKenney build off his game one performance?

Usually, it takes at least a couple of games for a true freshman to adapt to the speed of the game at the college level. Although it's still likely McKenney has to go through some natural growing pains at some point, that was not the case at all against Oakland as the Orchard Lake St. Mary's product was electric all night long, going 7-of-10 from the floor, including 6-of-8 from three-point range, for 21 points is 27 minutes played.

McKenney looked comfortable all night long and didn't hesitate to let his shot fly. Getting off to that type of start is always key for the confidence of someone in their first year of college basketball, and it will be interesting to see how he builds off that performance in game two.

Michigan players celebrate around guard Trey McKenney (1) after 121-78 win over Oakland at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on Monday, November 3, 2025. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Will Yaxel Lendeborg be 100% healthy?

With L.J. Cason back, how does he gel with this team?

Can true freshman Trey McKenney build off his game one performance?

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