Yaxel Lendeborg Dominates in Michigan's Win Over Gonzaga

Yaxel Lendeborg's decision to stay in college and withdraw from the 2025 NBA Draft has been paying immense dividends early this college basketball season. The 6-foot-9 senior, now with the Michigan Wolverines, is leading the No. 7 team in the country to new heights, most recently with a Players Era Festival championship.

Michigan absolutely dominated Gonzaga in the final game of the tournament, 101-61, as Lendeborg led the way with his third double-double of the season. The 23-year-old put up an efficient 20 points and three assists on 6-for-9 shooting from the field.

Lendeborg stole the show on the other end, though, with 11 rebounds, four steals and two blocks. The Wolverines held the Bulldogs to 34% shooting from the field and 14% from three, in a game that will surely boost their ranking in the AP Top 25.

The New Jersey native opened the game with his only two threes, but quickly made an impact on the glass and in the paint. Lendeborg finished with six of seven free throws made and a few baskets in the paint, doing so in just 27 minutes of action. He threw down a couple of highlight dunks, running the floor in transition.

The UAB transfer is a prototypical two-way wing that many NBA teams would love to have. Lendeborg's height and 7-foot-4 wingspan give him a high floor on defense, but he can play well off the ball and score at all three levels.

Ranked No. 27 in Draft Digest's preseason big board, Lendeborg is averaging 16 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.4 blocks per game on 61-39-82 shooting splits, showing little to no weaknesses in his game. Michigan's star player could take them all the way to a National Title if he and the team continue to play at this high of a level.

Nov 26, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Michigan Wolverines forward Yaxel Lendeborg (23) drives while defended by Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Emmanuel Innocenti (5) in the first half in the 2025 Players Era Festival championship game at MGM Grand Garden Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

After this win, the Wolverines could be respected as arguably the best team in the country. They've won each of their seven games by an average of 26.1 points, with Lendeborg leading the scoring in four, the rebounding in two, and assists in three. Michigan most recently knocked off two top-25 teams in Gonzaga (No. 19) and Auburn (No. 21).

In terms of draft stock, Lendeborg is projected to be a mid-to-late first-round pick at the moment, given all of the freshmen bursting onto the college basketball scene. However, his strengths mentioned earlier could outweigh his age if he continues to string together performances like these.