Yaxel Lendeborg is best player in Final Four. Toughest, too.

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Yaxel Lendeborg is best player in Final Four. Toughest, too. | Opinion

Yaxel Lendeborg is best player in Final Four. Toughest, too. | Opinion

Nancy Armour, USA TODAY · USA TODAY Sports

Sun, Apr 5, 2026 ·

5 min read

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INDIANAPOLIS — Yaxel Lendeborg kept it together, barely, as he limped away from the court in the first half.

He'd worked so hard. Come so far. And now he feared it was all over, his hopes for a national championship ruined by an injured left knee and once-again throbbing ankle.

"As soon as I got in the tent, I started crying," Lendeborg said, his left knee heavily wrapped. "... I definitely felt like I did all this for nothing in the moment. I definitely had to calm down for a little bit, speak with myself, get out of my thoughts.

"The training staff, they were being very nice to me, just being genuine, assuring me that I'm going to be OK."

MORE: Michigan-Arizona was supposed to be game of the year. What happened?

OK? If Lendeborg isn't the best player in the country, he is for sure the toughest.

As his Michigan teammates got up a couple last shots before halftime ended, Lendeborg returned to the court with a trainer. He walked on his tip toes. He ran the width of the court. He hopped on both feet. And when the second half began, Lendeborg was on the floor with the rest of Michigan's starters.

Morez Johnson Jr. #21 of the Michigan Wolverines dunks the ball against the Arizona Wildcats during the first half in the Final Four of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium on April 04, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
(Patrick Smith, Getty Images)

Michigan Wolverines forward Morez Johnson Jr. (21) scores against the Arizona Wildcats in the first half during a semifinal of the Final Four of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium.
(Trevor Ruszkowski, Imagn Images)

Yaxel Lendeborg #23 of the Michigan Wolverines reacts with teammates against the Arizona Wildcats during the first half in the Final Four of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium on April 04, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
(Michael Reaves, Getty Images)

Yaxel Lendeborg #23 and Trey McKenney #1 of the Michigan Wolverines react while playing against the Arizona Wildcats during the first half in the Final Four of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium on April 04, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
(Michael Reaves, Getty Images)

Aday Mara #15 of the Michigan Wolverines shoots the ball against Motiejus Krivas #13 of the Arizona Wildcats during the first half in the Final Four of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium on April 04, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
(Michael Reaves, Getty Images)

Head coach Dusty May of the Michigan Wolverines looks on against the Arizona Wildcats during the first half in the Final Four of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium on April 04, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
(Michael Reaves, Getty Images)

Morez Johnson Jr. #21 of the Michigan Wolverines reacts while playing against the Arizona Wildcats during the first half in the Final Four of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium on April 04, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
(Patrick Smith, Getty Images)

Morez Johnson Jr. #21 of the Michigan Wolverines defends Motiejus Krivas #13 of the Arizona Wildcats during the first half in the Final Four of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium on April 04, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
(Michael Reaves, Getty Images)

Elliot Cadeau #3 of the Michigan Wolverines shoots a three pointer against the Arizona Wildcats during the first half in the Final Four of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium on April 04, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
(Michael Reaves, Getty Images)

Elliot Cadeau #3 of the Michigan Wolverines reacts while playing against the Arizona Wildcats during the first half in the Final Four of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium on April 04, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
(Patrick Smith, Getty Images)

Michigan Wolverines center Aday Mara (15) in action against the Arizona Wildcats in the first half during a semifinal of the Final Four of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium.
(Robert Deutsch, Imagn Images)

Arizona Wildcats guard Jaden Bradley (0) shoots over Michigan Wolverines guard Elliot Cadeau (3) in the first half during a semifinal of the Final Four of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium.
(Robert Deutsch, Imagn Images)

Michigan Wolverines center Aday Mara (15) shoots over Arizona Wildcats center Motiejus Krivas (13) in the first half during a semifinal of the Final Four of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium.
(Robert Deutsch, Imagn Images)

Michigan Wolverines guard Trey McKenney (1) in action against Arizona Wildcats forward Ivan Kharchenkov (8) in the first half during a semifinal of the Final Four of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium
(Robert Deutsch, Imagn Images)

Michigan Wolverines guard Elliot Cadeau (3) shoots over Arizona Wildcats guard Jaden Bradley (0) in the first half during a semifinal of the Final Four of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium.
(Trevor Ruszkowski, Imagn Images)

Michigan Wolverines forward Morez Johnson Jr. (21) shoots against the Arizona Wildcats in the first half during a semifinal of the Final Four of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium.
(Robert Deutsch, Imagn Images)

Arizona Wildcats forward Ivan Kharchenkov (8) goes to the basket against Michigan Wolverines center Aday Mara (15) in the first half during a semifinal of the Final Four of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium.
(Trevor Ruszkowski, Imagn Images)

Michigan Wolverines guard Elliot Cadeau (3) shoots against Arizona Wildcats center Motiejus Krivas (13) in the first half during a semifinal of the Final Four of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium.
(Robert Deutsch, Imagn Images)

Arizona Wildcats guard Brayden Burries (5) shoots over Michigan Wolverines guard Elliot Cadeau (3) in the first half during a semifinal of the Final Four of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium.
(Trevor Ruszkowski, Imagn Images)

A general view as Motiejus Krivas #13 of the Arizona Wildcats and Aday Mara #15 of the Michigan Wolverines jump for the ball during the first half in the Final Four of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium on April 04, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana
(Patrick Smith, Getty Images)

Despite spraining his left MCL and aggravating the ankle injury he suffered in the Big Ten tournament, Lendeborg would play nine minutes in the second half. He made two 3-pointers in an 80-second span and grabbed two rebounds as Michigan routed fellow No.1 seed Arizona , 91-73 .

At one point, Lendeborg had more points (11) than minutes played (10).

"We know what type of guy Yaxel is. If he can play, he's going to play," Elliott Cadeau said. "He told us when he got on the court, he was going to give it his all."

As for the national title game on Monday, April 6, Lendeborg laughed when asked if he would play. So long as he can walk, he said, he's playing.

"(The trainers) say they've got my back," he said. "They're going to make me feel good and we're going to spend a lot of time together tomorrow and Monday before the game."

Michigan has scary depth — of the eight players in its main rotation, all but two had nine or more points against Arizona — but Lendeborg is what transforms the Wolverines from a good team into a great one. He was the Big Ten player of the year and a first-team All-American. He also was on the Big Ten's all-defensive team.

A 6-foot-9 forward, Lendeborg is the basketball equivalent of a Swiss Army knife. He can score around the basket and make 3s from the logo. He can get rebounds and run the offense. He can shut down guards and big men.

He's unselfish, too. If Michigan needs him to score, he'll do it. If one of his teammates is on a heater, he's happy to help make their spotlight.

"Yax is about winning. And from day one, he's always just been one of the guys," Michigan coach Dusty May said. "When you have a first-team All-American potential player of the year that just wants to be one of the dudes, it helps everyone else fall in line and just accept their role."

So, too, when they see Lendeborg playing through the pain to make sure Michigan extended its season for one more game. The game that's been their goal since last summer.

Lendeborg had to take a seat after picking up two fouls in the first 90 seconds of the game. He came back in after sitting for about almost six minutes and quickly made a 3-pointer. But with 8:51 left in the first half, Lendeborg and Motiejus Krivas collided and Lendeborg stepped on Krivas' foot.

The pain, and the fear, was immediate.

"I tried my best to get up as quickly as possible to try to not dwell with the pain, try to walk it off," Lendeborg said. "It didn't get walked off."

Lendeborg made his free throws and then headed back to the locker room. When he returned to the Michigan bench six minutes later, he had a towel on his head and looked downcast. He didn't stay on the bench for long, returning to the locker room to get more treatment.

Though Michigan had things under control without Lendeborg, thanks in large part to Aday Mara's career night, Lendeborg knew he wanted to play in the second half. He owed it to his teammates.

More importantly, he wanted to prove to himself he could play before the title game.

"I told them I was going to stay to the 3-point line and not go into paint," he said, smiling. "I want to get a feel for the rim and try as best as I can because I want to play Monday. So those two shots going in were big-time for me and my confidence."

Lendeborg wasn't at 100% in the second half. Nowhere close. He won't be Monday, either. But nothing is going to stop him from playing.

Not when there's only 40 minutes standing between him and a national title.

"Watching the game back here in the locker room, it's like, man, we can really do this," Lendeborg said. "This is what we talked about all year, and we're really one step away from getting that goal."

Follow USA TODAY Sports columnist Nancy Armour on social media @nrarmour.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Yaxel Lendeborg didn't come this far to miss national title game

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