Yaxel Lendeborg outlines the unreal expectations he and his Michigan teammates have

At 25-1 and No. 1 in the country, Michigan has every reason to be confident, but even Wolverines fans might be surprised by the level of confidence that Yaxel Lendeborg and his teammates have after beating No. 7 Purdue 90-81 on Tuesday night at Mackey Arena. 

In a postgame interview with Jeff Goodman of The Field of 68, Lendeborg admitted that Michigan doesn’t just feel that it's the best team in the country, “we continue to think that we’re the best team ever assembled.” 

The assertion from the Wolverines’ leading scorer seemed to catch Goodman off guard, prompting a follow-up. Lendeborg responded with a smile, “That’s what we’re riding with, man, we’re going to continue to try to showcase that the best that we can, and stay together, stay within the group.” 

Yaxel Lendeborg and Michigan want to be, ‘the best team ever assembled.’

Goodman was smart not to simply concede the point to Lendeborg because Michigan has a long way to go before even entering that conversation. With the lack of elite future NBA prospects, it would be hard to imagine this particular group ever reaching such a distinction. Even Lendeborg seemed to be attempting to convince himself. 

While it may seem ridiculous for Lendeborg to make such a claim and heap the added pressure such a statement brings onto his and his teammates’ shoulders, it was an insightful glimpse into the way that Dusty May’s team is talking. 

Michigan could easily let its foot off the gas. Lendeborg seemed to indicate that’s what happened when the team struggled earlier in the season, including its lone loss to Wisconsin. However, when your locker room is talking with so much assurance, that confidence can’t help but seep into their psyche, and that belief demands excellence. You can’t speak in those terms and not handle your business in the regular season. 

Michigan is the best team in the country. That’s hard to quibble with at this point. That also doesn’t guarantee anything when the postseason comes around. Neither does making statements about being the “best team ever assembled,” but as a head coach, you’d rather your team enter each game with that level of confidence and swagger, especially in a hostile environment like Mackey Arena. 

May has done just about everything right since arriving in Ann Arbor, including assembling this year’s loaded roster. It may not be the best ever, but it’s certainly capable of winning it all, and his players certainly think they can.