Yaxel Lendeborg's Second-Half Explosion Offers Glimpse of His Potential | UM Hoops.com
The Unpredictable Rise of Yaxel Lendeborg: A Tale of Resilience and Talent
Among the players on the No. 7 Michigan men’s basketball team who were struggling after a shaky first half was Yaxel Lendeborg, a talented 6-foot-9 graduate forward who turned down the NBA draft to commit to Michigan this offseason. His performance in the first half was a stark contrast to the dynamic, athletic shot-maker and play-creator that the Wolverines saw in practice and on film when they recruited him. With only five points scored on six shots in 15 minutes, Lendeborg looked like a player who had never played an actual game together, with Michigan trailing 52-34 and a 5-to-14 assist-to-turnover ratio in the first 20 minutes.
But here's where it gets controversial... As Lendeborg walked from the bench to the locker room at halftime, he turned to Aaron Johnson, his trainer from UAB, for advice. "He just said it to me straight," Lendeborg said. "You know, 'I'm playing soft, and I should be dominating these guys.' When he says it, it just puts it in a different perspective for me. And I tried it one time, it worked. (I) looked at him, said, 'Thank you,' and then just kept going."
In just a few plays, Lendeborg went from being relatively uninvolved to the focal point of the Wolverines' offense. After a missed three from Cincinnati and a steal from junior point guard Elliot Cadeau put Michigan in transition, Lendeborg made his first 3-pointer of the second half on an assist from Cadeau. He didn’t slow down from there, taking the ball on a fast break a few possessions later and driving to the rim twice for consecutive and-one finishes. Less than three minutes had transpired in the second half, and Lendeborg had already scored 9 of Michigan’s 12 second-half points to cut the deficit to 11.
"It just got to a point where they need me to be more, or do more," Lendeborg said. "And I just thought 'attack and be more aggressive,' and just using my physical talents to make extra plays and get extra points up for our team."
And this is the part most people miss... While Lendeborg's performance in the second half was impressive, it also highlighted a larger issue: the team's lack of consistency and cohesion. Despite the win, Michigan still has a long way to go to become a true contender, and Lendeborg's explosion in the second half serves as a reminder that the team needs to find a way to play together more effectively. So, what do you think? Do you agree with Lendeborg's assessment of the team's performance? Or do you think there's more to it than that? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
