Michigan basketball dominated Saint Louis, beating them 95-72. The Wolverines were the far more physical team, and they were unstoppable on offense. The Wolverines will play in Chicago on Friday against either Texas Tech or Alabama in the Sweet 16.
Arguably the biggest part of Michigan's dominance against Saint Louis was Yaxel Lendeborg. Michigan's first team All-American had 25 points, shooting 9/13. That's along with his usual elite defense. What doesn't show up on the stat sheet is how energizing Lendeborg's scoring is for the rest of the team.
Lendeborg makes big plays that give Michigan tons of momentum. His posterizing dunk, for example, came when Michigan's lead was just seven early in the second half. That was a huge turning point for the Wolverines, giving Michigan basketball the momentum it needed.
Likewise, after multiple Wolverines passed up open threes to find Lendeborg for an even more open three, his making that shot was worth far more than the three points that went on the stat sheet.
With Michigan's ability to score from anywhere on the court, teams can't typically afford to double team Lendeborg, especially when they're already doubling Aday Mara in the post. That gives Lendeborg the opportunity to work one on one. And when he decides to be aggressive, it's almost certain that he's going to score.
If Michigan can get the aggressive version of Lendeborg for the rest of the tournament - which there's nothing to suggest they won't - they're going to be very difficult to beat. When Lendeborg is a threat to make a logo 3-pointer, but also a threat to dunk on you, it's nearly impossible to guard.
We know that Michigan is going to be elite on the defensive end. The question following the Big Ten Tournament was whether or not the Wolverines could find their rhythm on offense again. So far, they have. And Lendeborg has been a huge part of that resurgence. If Lendeborg continues to play as he did against Saint Louis, this Michigan team is going to be very tough to beat.