Since coming to Ann Arbor last offseason, star player Yaxel Lendeborg has been the game-changer for the Wolverines that was needed to get them to the very point they are at right now.
The National Championship game.
Did no one ever think, though, that Lendeborg would only play 14 points in the Final Four game? Well, maybe after seeing the score, they would believe it. However, it was because of the score that Lendeborg didn't play as much as he typically does; it was because of an ankle and knee injury suffered in the first half.
Nothing was keeping Yaxel Lendeborg off the court in the Final Four
The worst was feared, and right away, Michigan fans were wondering how they could play in a National Championship game without Lendeborg. However, to the surprise of everyone, Lendeborg returned to the court in the second half, even though he wasn't 100%. His teammates Elliot Cadeau and Trey McKinney weren't surprised in the slightest.
"We know what type of guy Yaxel is," Cadeau siad. "If he can play, he's gonna play."
Lendeborg made it clear that the only thing keeping him off the court on Monday night is truly being unable to walk. Elliot and McKenney, though, were able to keep things under control on the court until Lendeborg was able to join them again.
"I think it just shows who Yaxel is," McKenney said. "He just wants to put it all on the floor for Michigan, and he wants to give the fans what they came here for. So, I'm just really grateful to have him as a teammate."
In just 14 minutes, Lendeborg was still able to drop 11 points on Arizona, six of them coming after the injuries, when he hit back-to-back three-pointers, ensuring fans he would be just fine.
Now, Lendeborg certainly didn't look 100%; he just wasn't moving quite right, and defensively, he wasn't as aggressive as he usually is. Offensively, it was clear Lendeborg was mainly looking for the outside shot. Fans couldn't believe head coach Dusty May would even let Lendeborg on the court with such a large lead, but May reminded everyone that the lead was never safe.
Luckily, Lendeborg made it through the rest of the game unscathed, and now he turned his sights to getting ready for the biggest game of his career to this point.