The Michigan Wolverines head coach Dusty May didn’t hesitate to highlight Yaxel Lendeborg’s impact after Michigan football's convincing 86-72 win over the Indiana Hoosiers on Tuesday night at Crisler Center, especially given the context surrounding the graduate forward’s recent health battles.

Speaking postgame, May emphasized that Michigan’s approach with Lendeborg is rooted in trust, both in his decision-making and his long-term projection.

“We put the ball in his hands and then he's a playmaker and these guys, like all of us, I'm sure they're all getting a lot of unsolicited advice that you need to do this and you need to do that,” said May, via FOX College Hoops. “I was talking to an NBA president yesterday that was in practice and he said ‘the way he's playing for you is the role he's going to play in our league next year and so he really doesn't need to overthink it. He just needs to play good basketball' and I think he's improving. He looked like he had some pop around the rim coming off of his calf injury and that's a welcoming sight and I thought the second half he played really well offensively but in the first half was his, definitely at his best, those were his best minutes defensively in the first half. I thought he was flying around, blocking threes, deflecting passes. So we're gonna need more of that.”

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May’s comments came after a performance that looked far closer to the version of Lendeborg, Michigan, envisioned when the season began. The graduate forward has spent much of the year managing injuries, first dealing with a hand issue early on and more recently working back from a calf injury suffered against USC Trojans on Jan. 2.

Against Indiana, the defensive presence was immediate. Lendeborg’s length and activity disrupted passing lanes, challenged perimeter shooters, and helped Michigan hold one of the Big Ten’s best three-point shooting teams below 30 percent for much of the night.

Offensively, the breakthrough came after halftime, when Michigan ran more sets through him. The results were noticeable — quick assists, trips to the free-throw line, an offensive rebound putback, and a highlight-reel one-handed lob dunk.

Lendeborg finished with 15 points, seven rebounds and four assists, earning KenPom MVP honors in a balanced effort that also saw Elliot Cadeau score 19 and Aday Mara add 13. With Ohio State up next and March looming, Michigan (13-0) will need exactly what May outlined — Lendeborg playing freely, defending with intensity, and letting the game come to him.