Amid Yaxel Lendeborg's rise to stardom, college basketball fans have become familiar with the influence his mom has had on his career. The Michigan basketball star opened up on just how crucial she was to the beginning of his career ahead of his Elite Eight matchup with Tennessee.

While speaking with March Madness analyst Clark Kellogg, Lendeborg revealed that his mother convinced him to turn his life around by opening up to him one night before his senior year in high school. The 23-year-old said his mom calling herself a failure inspired him to vow to “be better” from that day on.

“My mom sits me down one night in the car, crying, being super emotional,” Lendeborg said. “She's saying she failed as a mother and that she should've never have put me in the position she put me in. That made me emotional as well. We had a conversation for like an hour or so, and from that day on, I pretty much vowed to just be better and try to give my all.”

Lendeborg has touched on the story before, revealing that he hardly went to class throughout his high school tenure and slept in the ones he did attend. His poor grades limited him to just 11 games with the varsity basketball team, which unsurprisingly hindered his recruitment.

Now in his sixth and final season of college basketball, Lendeborg has Michigan one win away from its first March Madness Final Four appearance since 2018. The Big Ten Player of the Year has also turned himself into a projected first-round pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.