Michigan men’s basketball head coach Dusty May told reporters that he expects AP first-team All-American Yaxel Lendeborg to play in Monday’s National Championship game against UConn after his MRI came back clean, according to ESPN Pete Thamel.
Dusty May said he expects star forward Yaxel Lendeborg to play against UConn. May said that Lendeborg had an MRI after hurting his knee and ankle against Illinois that came back clean. He said the decision will be up to Lendeborg and the Michigan medical staff.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) April 5, 2026
Lendeborg twisted his ankle during the opening half, then left for the locker room before rejoining the contest in Michigan’s 91-73 win over the Arizona Wildcats in the Final Four. Lendeborg finished the game with 11 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal in 15 minutes.
He was mainly limited to a corner spot-up shooter role, with nine of his points coming from three and him going 3-3 from behind the arc. At 23 years old, Lendeborg is one of the older players in college basketball. May joked that he played like that yesterday after his injury.
“He played the second half like a 38-year-old at the YMCA,” May said. “A really good 38-year-old at the YMCA. ”
This story will continue to be updated.
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