Earlier this week, Michigan basketball was the benefactor of the biggest move in the college basketball offseason, at least in terms of player movement, and that's the commitment of Yaxel Lendeborg.
The commitment was always a big deal, however, there was an asterisk attached because it was unclear if Yaxel Lendeborg would ever play for the Michigan Wolverines.
Michigan basketball head coach Dusty May was willing to play the high-stakes game for Yaxel. It worked as Lendeborg turned down a chance to be a first-round pick to chase a national title with the Wolverines.
Lendeborg should benefit, too. He'll earn a hefty payday (NIL). It was reported that he was going to get something similar to the pay of a first-round contract. He'll also get the chance to win a Big Ten title, play in the Final Four, and become a lottery pick or at least close in that range.
And win a national championship. That's how good he is.
Yaxel Lendeborg makes Michigan basketball elite
Danny Wolf came to Michigan as a player with NBA potential. He left as a potential lottery pick. Lendeborg might have gone in the first round of the 2025 NBA draft, so just imagine where his stock could be with a successful season at U-M?
As far as Michigan basketball is concerned, he could be the missing piece. Lendeborg was ranked as the No. 1 player in the transfer portal via 247 Sports and analysts have raved about impact.
In a new top-25 ranking (post-NBA draft decisions) by Jamie Shaw of On3.com, the Michigan Wolverines are ranked sixth in college basketball behind just Purdue, Houston, UConn, St. John's, and BYU.
With Lendeborg, Morez Johnson, Aday Mara, Elliot Cadeau, Nimari Burnett, Trey McKenney, L.J. Cason, Winters Grady, Will Tschetter, and Roddy Gayle, Michigan basketball has a loaded roster.
Other pieces could be added, but Dusty May knew that he needed to adequately replace Vlad Goldin and Danny Wolf. He did that. He also needed more playmaking, offensive rebounding, and 3-point shooting -- all things addressed through a stellar transfer portal class, along with one of the best high school classes in 2025.
May will need to get all those players to gel, just like he did last season. It's not easy, but there are some key pieces back, too.
Still, it's hard to overstate the importance of Yaxel on the roster for 2025-26. Getting NBA-caliber players to come back to college is like finding a golden goose.
That's what Michigan basketball was able to do this offseason, and because of that, there is no ceiling on the 2025-26 Wolverines.
Everything is on the table, including a national championship.