Dusty May Reveals Big Plans for Nation's Top Transfer Yaxel Lendeborg

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Nick Meyer | Last updated Jun 3, 2025 3:27 PM ET

The Michigan Wolverines' basketball team had by most accounts a successful 2024-25 season under first year head coach Dusty May, finishing with a 27-10 record, 14-6 in the Big Ten Conference.

May cobbled together a team from transfers and freshmen during the 2024 offseason that resulted in a big payoff as the Wolverines won the Big Ten Tournament and made it to the Sweet 16 before losing to Bruce Pearl's Auburn Tigers.

This offseason brought with it a commitment from Yaxel Lendeborg, the nation's top transfer player, who joined May from Alabama-Birmingham.

On Tuesday, May's plans for the versatile power forward were revealed from a local Wolverines podcast.

"We'll just simply use him as a weapon, as a queen on the chess board, like Derik Queen at Maryland, like Danny Wolf," May said about Lendeborg on the 'Defend the Block' podcast.

"Guys that can create and make plays."

Lendeborg showed off his all-around game at the NBA draft combine, putting himself in position to be chosen in the first round before opting to play for Michigan next season on a reported multi-million dollar NIL (Name, Image and Likeness) Deal.

May added that Lendeborg raises the Wolverines' ceiling as a team "exponentially" heading into next season coming off of their Sweet 16 campaign.

"Let's goooooo," Lendeborg wrote with a 'M' and red heart emoji Monday as he signed on the dotted line to play with May's team next season.