Myron Medcalf
Apr 7, 2026, 01:00 AM ET
INDIANAPOLIS — Before he could become the star of Michigan’s second national championship team, Yaxel Lendeborg had to choose between the NBA and another college season. After two years at UAB and a late first-round projection, Lendeborg opted for Michigan because the staff promised to develop him into an undeniable pro prospect — and backed that with a seven-figure NIL offer.
“We said, ‘You’ve got to get good at some of these other things, and we’re going to help you learn it,’” assistant coach Mike Boynton Jr. said of recruiting Lendeborg. “And when you do it well, we’re going to be damn unstoppable.”
They were right. The 6-foot-9 forward helped the Wolverines cap a dominant 37-3 season by beating UConn 69-63 in the national title game — the Big Ten’s first men’s basketball championship since 2000. Lendeborg, playing through a knee injury that limited him in the Final Four, scored 13 points despite an early shooting dry spell and limited mobility. His energy, defense, screening and passing were as important as his scoring.
Michigan’s roster was built around transfers with something to prove: former North Carolina guard Elliot Cadeau seeking a fresh start; Morez Johnson Jr. wanting to expand beyond his dunking role at Illinois; and 7-foot-3 Aday Mara leaving UCLA for more opportunity. The group embraced coach Dusty May’s belief that being in the right situation matters more than staying at one school for four years. May, who learned the value of fitting players to roles while a student manager at Indiana, assembled talent from the portal and trusted that a cohesive system could make them special.
“When I landed Lendeborg, it all came to fruition,” May said. Lendeborg put it bluntly at a November event: “I feel like we’re the best team in college basketball. We might be the best Michigan team ever.”
Michigan’s approach emphasized freedom and trust rather than rigid sets. They switched defensively, trusted one another to handle different matchups, and played an unselfish, ball-movement offense that looked more like a pick-up game than a single-elimination tournament under pressure. “The freedom that we have as players, the confidence that he gives us, it’s probably one of the keys,” Mara said. “We don’t play with sets or plays. We just hoop.”
Two rule changes helped make the starting lineup of transfers possible: the NCAA’s 2025 blanket waiver extended eligibility for former junior college players like Lendeborg, and NIL deals made staying in college for another year attractive for fringe first-round prospects. Lendeborg, Johnson and Mara now project as first-round picks in ESPN’s mock draft, all ascending from lower expectations at their previous schools.
May’s history of maximizing transfers goes back decades. He watched Bob Knight use juco talent at Indiana and later saw transfers flourish at programs where he coached or assisted — Murray State, UAB, Louisiana Tech and Florida Atlantic. At FAU he led a Final Four run in 2023; that success reinforced his view that players often reach peak potential when placed in the right environment.
Once the roster was set, May’s next task was melding disparate personalities into a cohesive unit. That began with simple team-building: He invited the squad to his house, arranged a Wood Fired Up pizza truck and let players bond over slices and conversation. The starters — three former centers from different programs — quickly found chemistry off the court that translated on it. Returnees like Will Tschetter, Nimari Burnett and Roddy Gayle Jr. helped newcomers adapt to Michigan’s culture. In the locker room at the Final Four, a Nintendo Switch 2 with non-stop Mario Kart underscored the team’s lighthearted, close-knit vibe.
Those relationships mattered during adversity. Against Arizona in the Final Four, Cadeau shot just 2-for-14 in the first half but was told to “keep shooting” and later scored or assisted on 37 of Michigan’s 91 points. The coaching staff’s steadiness and the players’ trust in one another turned early struggles into triumphs.
Lendeborg’s path to Ann Arbor included junior college and two years at UAB. UAB coach Andy Kennedy said he encouraged Lendeborg to consider options that might better position him for the NBA. Michigan provided that platform: Lendeborg became an All-American, Big Ten Player of the Year and a national champion in one season.
May’s player-first philosophy was never about renting talent for a quick run. He said he looks for how to use a player’s strengths as an advantage, not how to force them into a mold. That approach — coupled with modern realities of the portal, the blanket waiver and NIL — allowed Michigan to form a starting five of transfers who bought into a collective identity.
Critics may call such rosters mercenary, but the players reject that label. “I’ve had the best year of my life,” Lendeborg said. “We care for each other and put the team above ourselves. If that’s what they want to call a ‘mercenary,’ I would love to be a mercenary.”
After the final buzzer in Indianapolis, May admitted he didn’t foresee this exact outcome, but he always believed the right ingredients could lead to something special. Ultimately, Michigan’s title run was a product of recruiting vision, player development, chemistry-building and a system that turned transfers into teammates — and champions.
ESPN’s Jeff Borzello and Pete Thamel contributed to this report.