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USA Today
14-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Yaxel Lendeborg raves about Michigan basketball's unique culture
Dusty May had the big coup of the offseason in college basketball, managing to secure the rights to the top transfer in the portal in former UAB star Yaxel Lendeborg. However, most expected him to head to the NBA, so was May's gambit for naught? It turned out not so, as Lendeborg chose the Wolverines over his NBA dreams, setting Michigan basketball up for what could be a Final Four run in May's second year at the helm. For the first time since he officially signed with the maize and blue, Lendeborg met with the Michigan media, and he was quick to share what caught his attention in Ann Arbor when he was weighing out all of his options. "The culture," Lendeborg said. "Seeing what Danny Wolf and Vlad were doing, coming from basically the same level as me, has been great. The role that Wolf played, too, was just something that I wanted to be a part of." Now that he's getting acclimated, what stands out to him about being a Wolverine? You often hear recruits across all sports talk about how they're looking for a place that feels like home, or something resembling a family atmosphere. In a way, that's what Lendeborg seems to have found, but more, in that everyone is real, and everyone is together within the program. "How genuine everybody is," Lendeborg said. "Every day we lift, the whole staff is in there lifting with us, which is something I've never expected. That's amazing. There's a lot of energy coming in. Nobody's doing it like us, and nobody's doing it like us. It's interesting to be a part of. The music choice as well. Everybody still has the same kind of music, which is good, too. Nice little vibe in the weight room. It's all been great." With that in mind, how is he fitting into his new digs? One thing he learned really fast is that he cannot just rest on his laurels or his star power to carry him through each play. In fact, given the state of competition, he has to bring it every single time he has the ball in his hands. Otherwise, things don't exactly turn out so great. "This whole group is real competitive," Lendeborg said. "First day of practice, they kind of just dug into me. I was trying to go for a layup. I'm getting bumped up my spine. I'm like, 'Oh, you guys are on edge 100%.' It's just something that's been taking a little bit of getting used to. "I'm managing. I'm getting a little better. A lot of communication with the older guys has been great for me, too." But Lendeborg is far from the only star or budding player in Ann Arbor. Of course, he picked what he knew to be a favorable situation, as he was looking for the opportunity to win big on top of elevating his draft stock. What he's learned is that he's entered what appears to be a premium roster, especially considering how it's been bolstered by all of the transfers that have joined him with the program. "It's an A-plus. -- it's crazy," Lendeborg said. "I was speaking about Aday (Mara) earlier. His passing skills have been amazing. I'm still surprised how tall he is every single day. It's crazy. We do layup drills, and I'm trying to take a layup. I'm thinking it's a good layup. He comes out of nowhere, blocks it, and I'm like, OK. How do I score on him? "It's very interesting. I'm really happy. Morez (Johnson) as well, super athlete. My height jumping like 40 inches off the ground, it's been crazy."
Fox Sports
13-06-2025
- Business
- Fox Sports
Top 10 men's college basketball players with highest NIL valuations
Cooper Flagg has been one of the big winners of the name, image and likeness (NIL) era in college sports, reportedly earning a staggering amount of money during his one year at Duke. However, top recruits and NBA Draft prospects aren't the only winners in the NIL era. At least 50 early-entry candidates withdrew their names from the 2025 NBA Draft ahead of the late May deadline with plans to return to school and cash in on NIL opportunities. "This year's draft class, more than any ever, has been affected by the NIL and the new pay-for-play," Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens told NBC Sports Boston in May. "The money can be higher in some of these schools than the bottom of the 20s in the draft. Good for them." The former Butler coach's assertion seems to be correct when you look at On3's most valuable college athletes entering the 2025-26 academic year. Let's take a look at the 10 most valuable players in men's college basketball entering the 2025-26 season, via On3. 1. BYU F AJ Dybantsa ($4.1 million) Dybantsa is the highest-valued non-football college athlete entering the 2025-26 academic year, coming in at No. 4 on the overall list. The incoming BYU freshman, who is ranked as the No. 2 prospect in the 2025 college basketball recruiting class (via 247 Sports), already has reported deals with Nike and Red Bull. But the bulk of his potential college earnings might have come with the deal he struck with BYU's NIL collective, reportedly securing a deal worth around $7 million . That's just scratching the surface on Dybantsa's potential career earnings, though, as many prognosticators have him being one of the top few picks in the 2026 NBA Draft. 2. Texas Tech F JT Toppin ($2.8 million) Toppin had Texas Tech on the precipice of its second Final Four appearance, leading the Red Raiders to the Elite Eight in 2024-25. As a result, the program rewarded him in order to ensure he wouldn't enter the transfer portal or 2025 NBA Draft. It was reported that Toppin is expected to earn $4 million in NIL after he announced his decision to remain in Lubbock in April. Toppin's reported deal with Texas Tech's NIL collective is the only reported NIL deal he has. Toppin won Big 12 Player of the Year and was named a second-team All-American after scoring 18.2 points per game in the 2024-25 season. He's the 12th-highest-valued player in college sports, per On3. 3. Michigan F Yaxel Lendeborg ($2.3 million) Michigan not only got Lendeborg to remain in college for another season, but it also made him one of the highest-valued players in the sport. After the UAB transfer removed his name from the 2025 NBA Draft in late May, CBS Sports reported that Lendeborg received an NIL package from Michigan worth around $3 million. Prior to his decision to remain in school, Lendeborg was viewed as a potential first-round pick in June's draft. Now, the two-time first-team All- AAC member will play his final year of college hoops in Ann Arbor, giving Dusty May's Wolverines the No. 1 player in the transfer portal this offseason, per 247 Sports. He's also the 20th-highest valued player in college sports, per On3. 4. Florida G Boogie Fland ($2.1 million) Fland also profited from his decision to remain in college, but transfer to a different school. The former Arkansas guard declared for the 2025 Draft, but removed his name from consideration and opted to head to Florida and receive an NIL package from its collective worth over $2 million, according to CBS Sports . Fland, who averaged 13.5 points per game as a freshman in 2024-25, was the 22nd-ranked prospect in the 2024 recruiting cycle, via 247 Sports, giving the defending champs another player with high upside. Fland is also the 22nd-highest-valued player in college sports, per On3. 5. UCLA G Donovan Dent ($2 million) UCLA didn't need to incentivize Dent to remain in school. However, Dent was incentivized to make the move from New Mexico to UCLA earlier this offseason. The 2024-25 Mountain West Player of the Year reportedly received a $3 million NIL deal to transfer to UCLA in March, according to The Santa Fe New Mexican . He received $2 million of that deal up front, while he'll earn the other $1 million during the 2025-26 season. Dent, who is the 23rd-highest-valued player in college sports, averaged 20.4 points per game as a junior last season. 6. Kentucky F Jayden Quaintance ($1.9 million) Quaintance is the youngest player on this list. Even though he won't turn 18 until July, Quaintance already has a year of college hoops experience, playing at Arizona State this past season. After being named to the Big 12's All-Defensive and All-Freshman teams, Quaintance entered the portal and landed at Kentucky. While he has a pair of reported deals with PSD Underwear and Panini America, Quaintance likely cashed in on Kentucky's growing NIL budget, too. Kentucky is rumored to be one of the three-highest NIL spenders in college basketball for the 2025-26 season , helping Mark Pope land a talented transfer portal class. Quaintance, who is also ranked No. 26 in On3's most valuable college athletes list, is rehabbing from an ACL tear, but he's hopeful to be back on the court early next season as he seeks to be a top pick in the 2026 draft. 7. Purdue G Braden Smith ($1.9 million) Smith decided to forgo early entry into the 2025 NBA Draft, opting to play one more season at Purdue. Smith, who has reported NIL deals with Hey Dude Shoes and The NIL Store, also has a reported deal with Purdue's NIL collective, per On3. However, it wasn't reported if Smith agreed to a new deal with the collective when he announced his decision to remain in college for another year. Regardless, the Boilermakers will have the reigning Bob Cousy Award winner, Big Ten Player of the Year and one of the Naismith National Player of the Year finalists back on their roster for his senior season. That's something that was becoming a rarity in the pre-NIL era. Smith is ranked 28th in On3's most valuable college athletes list. 8. Cincinnati C Moustapha Thiam ($1.8 million) Another transfer, Thiam moved on from UCF to Cincinnati following his freshman season in 2024-25. Ranked 32nd in On3's most valuable college athletes list, Thiam doesn't have any reported deals with a brand, per On3. However, he inked a $2 million NIL deal to join Cincinnati, the Orlando Sentinel reported in April . Thiam averaged 10.4 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game this past season. 9. Purdue C Oscar Cluff ($1.7 million) Purdue is the only team with multiple players on this list. Unlike Smith, though, Cluff transferred into the Boilermakers' program in the offseason. The 34th-ranked player in On3's most valuable college athletes list, Cluff doesn't have any reported deals with any individual brands. However, Cluff's junior college basketball coach insinuated that he turned down a school that offered more NIL money to join Purdue in an interview with the IndyStar . Cluff helped South Dakota State reach the NCAA Tournament this past season, averaging 17.6 points and 12.3 rebounds per game. 10. Kansas State G PJ Haggerty ($1.7 million) A year after making Coleman Hawkins one of the highest-paid players in the NIL era , Kansas State dished out another rich deal for a top transfer. Haggerty, ranked 35th on On3's most-valued college athletes list, reportedly agreed to a $2.5 million deal ($2 million base, $500,000 incentives) with Kansas State, according to On3 . That's actually lower than what he was seeking, as his father believed he could've snagged a $4 million NIL deal, the Field of 68 reported . Haggerty doesn't have any reported NIL deals with a brand, per On3. He was third in the nation in scoring this past season, averaging 21.7 points per game at Memphis. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily. recommended Get more from College Basketball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
USA Today
05-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Yaxel Lendeborg discusses Michigan basketball roster, sets Final Four goal for 2025
Yaxel Lendeborg discusses Michigan basketball roster, sets Final Four goal for 2025 Yaxel Lendeborg isn't wasting any time getting acclimated to Michigan basketball. The No. 1 player in the transfer portal had committed to the Wolverines earlier in the process, despite still appearing to be NBA-bound as he departed UAB. Yet, he ended up withdrawing and will play in Ann Arbor for one season after all. As it turns out, he already has a pretty good idea of what the roster looks like, what it can do, and how it can help him improve as a player. "I feel like I have a pretty good knowledge of it right now," Lendeborg told Brian Boesch on the Defend the Block Podcast. "I know our bigs are really athletic, really long shot blockers. A lot of us are pretty good rebounders, so it's going to be a little bit of a battle on the boards. "We have Elliot Cadeau, who's -- I think they said, the best passer, the best passer in college basketball, which is amazing as well. Something that I could probably try to take from him, just see what he sees on the floor, something to learn about. And, we have a lot of good shooters like Nimari Burnett. I think they said he shot 45 percent, which is ridiculous. "We just got Trey (McKenney), (Mr.) Basketball -- you know, that's great. I haven't looked into many of the other guys as much, but I know that we have a good roster formulated, and we have a lot of length, which is something great as well." Coming from UAB, Lendeborg isn't used to his team having high and lofty expectations. But the Wolverines are coming off a Big Ten Tournament championship and a Sweet 16 run. Now, those expectations are risin,g and the program is aiming higher. With Lendeborg on the roster, that helps elevate the program, as well. And he's not shying away from heightened prospects when it comes to what the maize and blue can do in 2025-26. "Oh, yeah. I'm super excited," Lendeborg said. "You know, "I feel like it's giving me more of a chip on my shoulder to try to be the best that I can be, just not let the fans down, not let the people that support us down, you know. So I am super excited. I'm happy to get up to that stage. I made a promise as well that I want to at least take us to the Final Four. So, I'm going to do whatever I can to get us there." Lendeborg joins transfers Cadeau, Morez Johnson Jr., and Aday Mara, as well as freshmen McKenney, Winters Grady, and Patrick Liburd as new faces who will reshape the Michigan basketball roster in 2025-26.
USA Today
05-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Yaxel Lendeborg discusses choosing Dusty May, Michigan over NBA draft
Yaxel Lendeborg discusses choosing Dusty May, Michigan over NBA draft Michigan basketball made a big coup via the transfer portal, not only getting former UAB standout Yaxel Lendeborg to commit to the Wolverines, but also getting him to withdraw from the NBA draft after it appeared he'd likely be league-bound. But now it's time for Dusty May and the enigmatic forward to get to work. Lendeborg would have likely been a first-round NBA draft pick had he stayed in the process, but with something of a promise of further developing and being selected higher with a guaranteed contract. But that notion isn't the only thing that attracted Lendeborg to Ann Arbor. Initial impressions on Dusty May and Michigan Lendeborg's first impression of the Michigan basketball head coach and the program are two separate things. While May made the early push for the former UAB star to get him to Ann Arbor, Lendeborg's first impressions actually came before they met in the process of May working to get him to transfer. "The initial conversation was great. I already liked Dusty May as a coach," Lendeborg told Brian Boesch on the Defend the Block Podcast. "My first year watching basketball, me and my friends (in) JUCO, we were watching March Madness, we're watching FAU and then another team watching this so I just started to like how he coached his team, how he looked. "Obviously, when he was coaching, because a lot of coaches are always just fired up, angry. He just seems so cool, calm, and collected. That's how I try to be as a player as well. So it's kind of nice to have that. It's refreshing. But when he came out to visit me, it was amazing. It was big time. It was huge for me and just like my emotions, because I always wanted a coach to be like a father figure for me, someone I can look up to. I feel like Dusty May is going to be a real big part of that. He can for sure be a father figure for me and help me grow as a person rather than just a basketball player." As far as Michigan itself, the big move started when Lendeborg visited Ann Arbor in April and ended with the combine. Lendeborg was blown away by everything that the Wolverines have to offer once he got to see Ann Arbor in person. Knowing the level of development that the coaching staff could bring, seeing the facilities and the city, and meeting with the staff helped ease Lendeborg's mind when it came to the idea of staying in college for one more year. But when he got to Chicago for the NBA combine, he learned that it might be his best route to see his commitment through. "Well, there was two things: No. 1 was when I came out here on my visit, it pretty much turned everything around for me," Lendeborg said. "Because the NBA, I was like, oh my gosh, I can make it. But then when I came out here, it was like, he's promising me like next year, I can be better than what I was last year, higher ranking draft-wise than I can be if I come here and put the work in. "And then, two, was this: I spoke to NBA teams, the majority of them were saying that it wouldn't be a bad idea to come back here, develop a little bit more, play at a higher level, just to see what I'm capable of doing. And I've always asked that question to make sure because my mind was always like, I want to come to Michigan, but the NBA is the NBA. You have to go when you have the chance. So just hearing that type of feedback from NBA teams is pretty much what helped me more lean towards Michigan." More on his game and his expectations with Michigan Lendeborg is a walking double-double, averaging 17.7 points per game, 11.4 rebounds, while also managing an average of 4.2 assists per game -- all at the forward position. He told Boesch that the best part of his game is the facilitation. But now that he's joining the maize and blue, he hopes that his shooting improves, while he reshapes his body to become more NBA-ready. "Most confidence I have in my game, I would say my passing ability and my rebounding -- for like a natural gift with passing, my favorite thing to do as well," Lendeborg said. "Things that will get better with the help of Michigan, of course, is my shooting, just shooting off the dribble or shooting a little quicker, and just being on target -- and my defense as well. Just helping my body out, my strength, my speed. "I have a lot of faith that they'll get me right, body-wise. I didn't really put up the most athletic numbers at the combine, but I do feel like that's going to change." Lendeborg is one of four transfer portal additions that Michigan basketball made this offseason. He joins North Carolina guard Elliot Cadeau, Illinois forward Morez Johnson Jr., and UCLA center Aday Mara becoming new Wolverines this year.
USA Today
29-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
The 2025 NBA draft deadline has passed. Who are the college basketball winners and losers?
The 2025 NBA draft deadline has passed. Who are the college basketball winners and losers? Only 106 players declared early for the NBA draft, the league announced earlier this month, the smallest number of early entrants since 91 players declared as underclassmen in 2015. The reason is obvious: NIL. The ability for college athletes to land major-money deals for their name, image and likeness has changed the equation for many borderline draft picks, who now have the option of making more money in school than sitting near the end of the bench for an NBA franchise. The 106-player list of entrants has been trimmed in the past few weeks as many high-profile players have decided to spend at least one more season on the college ranks. That includes standouts who will compete for postseason hardware - led by new Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg, Florida forward Alex Condon and Kentucky guard Otega Oweh. In the bigger picture, the biggest winner of the declaration deadline has to be the SEC. After a record-setting year that established the SEC as the strongest conference in the country, the league could be even better this season with a deep collection of players opting out of the draft. Led by Michigan, the SEC and Duke, here are the biggest winners and losers from the deadline: Winners Michigan The Wolverines will start as the favorite in the Big Ten and one of the top-ranked teams in the preseason USA TODAY Sports men's basketball poll after convincing Lendeborg to follow through on his transfer from Alabama-Birmingham. The senior was one of the most productive players in the country last year, averaging 17.7 points, 11.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game, joining Larry Bird as the only players in Division I history to post at least 600 points, 400 rebounds and 150 assists in a season. (That pretty much says it all.) With Lendeborg in the middle and three additional impact transfers - former North Carolina guard Elliot Cadeau, former Illinois forward Morez Johnson and former UCLA center Aday Mara - joining the mix, coach Dusty May has constructed a roster built for a Final Four run. Florida Condon had an uneven NCAA tournament but came up huge in the championship game against Houston, illustrating his potential along with the need to hone his game before taking the next step into the NBA. Junior center Rueben Chinyelu also backed out of the draft, while forward Thomas Haugh decided not to enter the process and will see an increase in minutes with three key seniors, led by Walter Clayton Jr., gone from last year's team. The Gators also added one of the biggest transfers of the spring in former Arkansas guard Boogie Fland - another player that considered turning pro before staying in school. The SEC The bad news for the SEC: Florida is going to be really good, once again. But key draft decisions will help some of the top teams in the league bring down the Gators. Surprisingly, Alabama will bring back sophomore guard LaBaron Philon, who started 29 games as a rookie and was widely expected to land in the back half of the first round. Auburn guard Tahaad Pettiford will return in an effort to boost his draft stock, he said this week. Texas A&M forward Mackenzie Mgbako will stick with the Aggies after transferring in from Indiana. Karter Knox will return to Arkansas for his sophomore season, giving John Calipari's second team a big boost – though it's not all great news for the Razorbacks. And Oweh's decision to opt out of the draft is huge for the Wildcats, who can build an SEC contender around the all-conference pick. Houston The defending runners-up had counted on an elite recruiting class to stay in the mix for the national championship. But Houston will now bring back guard Milos Uzan, too, after the senior averaged 11.4 points and 4.3 assists per game in his first year in coach Kelvin Sampson's system following two years at Oklahoma. Uzan and returning contributors Emanuel Sharp and Joseph Tugler will be the building blocks for what should again be one of the top teams in the country. Losers Duke That Duke was dinged by early draft entrants was totally expected: Cooper Flagg is more than ready to shine in the NBA, sharpshooting guard Kon Knueppel has the toolbox to play major minutes as a rookie and center Khaman Maluach is a hugely promising but unfinished prospect who could develop into a menace on the defensive end. The Blue Devils hoped to replace a chunk of this lost production with transfer Cedric Coward, who began his career on the Division III level, spent two years at Eastern Washington and then played six games last year at Washington State before suffering a shoulder injury. But Coward blew up during draft workouts and should land somewhere in the first round as one of the draft's fastest-rising prospects. Arkansas Knox should take on more responsibility as a scorer and work on developing his overall game before hopping into the draft next spring. He'll be the centerpiece of a rotation that also will include guard DJ Wagner, two frontcourt transfers in Nick Pringle (South Carolina) and Malique Ewin (Florida State), and two five-star freshmen in Darius Acuff and Meleek Thomas. The bad news for Arkansas is the decision to stay in the draft by 6-foot-6 forward Aduo Thiero, who averaged 15.2 points per game after following Calipari from Kentucky. With Thiero, the Razorbacks might've been seen as the team to beat in the SEC.
