Yaxel Lendeborg, at 6-foot-9, just capped a fantastic season leading the Wolverines to a 29-2 record and their first Big Ten regular-season title since 2021. Yes, Lendeborg is now a consensus first-team All-American and the Big Ten Player of the Year, but his path to Ann Arbor was anything but a straight line.
As a Dominican American, Lendeborg was born in Puerto Rico and raised in Pennsauken, New Jersey. Despite his U.S. upbringing, he chose to represent the Dominican Republic on the international stage. A decision that showed his tribute to his family heritage, as both of his parents were elite basketball players for the island nation.
This international connection came full circle in the summer of 2022. Suiting up for the Dominican Republic National Select Team, Lendeborg faced off against the Kentucky Wildcats in the Big Blue Bahamas exhibition tour.
While Kentucky cruised to victory with a 108-56 win, Lendeborg's game did not go unnoticed. He used the stage to prove his motor could match the highest level of Division I talent as he battled future NBA players like Oscar Tshiebwe and Cason Wallace. That was when Lendeborg flashed the rebound instincts that would later turn him into a household name.
Later years proved that the "Dominican LeBron" has lived up to every bit of the hype. Before joining Michigan, Lendeborg pulled off a statistical feat so rare that only one other player in NCAA history has achieved it: Larry Bird.
During his 2024-25 season at UAB, Lendeborg recorded over 600 points, 400 rebounds and 150 assists in a single year. He led the nation with 26 double-doubles and proved he was an asset to the team on both ends of the floor.
Lendeborg’s impact at Michigan has been anything but ordinary. He has averaged 14.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game while shooting a career-best 36.1% from beyond the arc. His defensive versatility is arguably his greatest asset, and he earned a spot on the Big Ten All-Defensive Team thanks to a massive 7-foot-4 wingspan and his defensive prowess.
Whether he is donning the Michigan "Maize and Blue" or the Dominican Republic jersey, the projected 2026 draft lottery pick is proving that elite talent and high-IQ play know no borders.
Lendeborg will lead the No. 1 seed Wolverines against No. 4 seed Alabama at 7:35 p.m. ET on Friday in the Midwest Regional in Chicago.
