Following a stellar two seasons at UAB, forward Yaxel Lendeborg announced his intention to enter the NBA Draft. The 6-foot-9, versatile athlete was widely projected to be a first-round pick, but instead will be returning to college to play in the Big Ten.
On Tuesday morning, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Lendeborg had decided to withdraw from the 2025 NBA Draft and transfer to Michigan for his final year of collegiate eligibility. Lendeborg, who had entered the portal in order to preserve his eligibility, was the top-ranked transfer in this year’s cycle.
Lendeborg announced the move shortly after with a highlight reel set to A Tribe Called Quest’s “Check the Rhime.”
“I’ll see you at the Crisler Center,” Lendeborg wrote in the social media post. “GO BLUE!”
Lendeborg began his career at Arizona Western College, earning JUCO All-American honors twice before transferring to UAB in 2023. He then brought the Blazers to the NCAA Tournament in his first year in Birmingham, leading the team in scoring and rebounding as UAB won the American Athletic Conference Tournament.
During his senior season, Lendeborg averaged a career-high 17.7 points per game on a UAB team that finished first in the AAC in scoring. The two-time AAC Defensive Player of the Year also stuffed the stat sheet with 11.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.8 blocks and 1.7 steals per game in 2024-25.
Lendeborg now headlines a Michigan transfer portal class that ranks second in the nation, trailing only St. John’s. Wolverines head coach Dusty May has also received commitments from UCLA center Aday Mara, Illinois forward Morez Johnson Jr. and North Carolina guard Elliot Cadeau.
