Dusty May had immense praise for his star player Yaxel Lendeborg, giving him a clear label after the No. 3 Michigan Wolverines' 90-80 win over the No. 8 Michigan State Spartans on Sunday evening.
May is going through the eighth year of his head coaching career, his second with the Wolverines. He has developed many players into stars, with Lendeborg being his latest to channel superstar talent.
Lendeborg shined throughout Michigan's rivalry duel with Michigan State. In 38 minutes of action, he finished with a stat line of 27 points, three rebounds, three assists, one steal, and a block. He shot 8-of-12 from the field, including 5-of-6 from beyond the arc, and 6-of-6 from the free-throw line.
May reflected on Lendeborg's performance after the contest on the game broadcast. Lendeborg has been crucial to the Wolverines' incredible success this season, prompting May to call the star forward the Big Ten's Player of the Year.
“I think it's pretty obvious why [Yaxel Lendeborg] is Big Ten POTY,” May said.
"I think it's pretty obvious why [Yaxel Lendeborg] is Big Ten POTY."
Dusty May says Yaxel can do it all on the court. @umichbball pic.twitter.com/bXI2G8ym8D
— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) March 8, 2026
How Dusty May, Michigan performed against Michigan State
Yaxel Lendeborg has gifted Dusty May and No. 3 Michigan the opportunity to be in the conversation of competing for the national championship. His performance against No. 8 Michigan State was another testament to his superstar talent.
Five players scored in double-digits for Michigan in the win, including Lendeborg. Morez Johnson Jr. delivered a solid performance of 18 points, seven rebounds, two blocks, and one assist. He shot 6-of-13 overall, including 1-of-3 from downtown, and 5-of-7 from the charity stripe. Roddy Gayle Jr. came next with 15 points and four rebounds, Trey McKenney had 12 points and two rebounds, while Aday Mara provided 10 points and five rebounds.
Michigan ends the regular season with a 29-2 overall record, going 19-1 in its Big Ten matchups. They won the Big Ten regular-season title outright, securing the top seed for the upcoming conference tournament.
As the top seed, the No. 3 Wolverines got a triple bye to the quarterfinals. It will be there when they begin their postseason journey, awaiting their future opponent on March 13 at 11 a.m. ET.
