Michigan must win two more before Yaxel Lendeborg’s bold “best ever” take holds weight

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Michigan must win two more before Yaxel Lendeborg’s bold “best ever” take holds weight originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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Over the weekend, Michigan beat Tennesse 95-62 to advance to the Final Four. This is the first time for Michigan at the last stage since the 2018 season. The Wolverines won the game decisively in large part due to the production of star forward Yaxel Lendeborg.

The UAB transfer played 35 mintues with 27 points, pulled down seven rebounds, along with four assists, two blocks and was 3-of-9 from three-point range. Michigan had three additional players in double figures, but this game was largely "The Yaxel Show."

Lendeborg is likely to be a player of interest in the 2026 NBA Draft. He’s not likely to get drafted in the top 8, but fans could expect to hear his name called rather early. At 6’9" and 240 pounds, with the style of game he has, he’ll fit right in with what NBA teams are looking for.

On Friday, Michigan beat Alabama 90-77 to reach the Elite Eight. Lendeborg finished with 23 points and 12 rebounds. However, his stat line was not the story.

Confidence is one thing, but there’s history to consider

After the win over Alabama, it was only fitting that the TNT broadcast team would interview Lendeborg. The first 30 seconds of his comments were perfectly fine. No objections whatsoever. Then Lendeborg would say something that would provide plenty of reaction.

“I feel like we’re the best team in college basketball, we might be the best team in Michigan history” Lendeborg said.

Players, especially at this level, are wired to be confident. No one should question that aspect of his comments. However, there is history to consider. A point former Wolverine Jalen Rose was all too happy to provide. Rose didn’t invoke the Fab Five as his reference, even though he could have.

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The Fab Five might not be something one can simply explain. It was a moment in time, if not a basketball culture moment. That team not only reached the National Championship game, but that team also did things culturally that echoed in the sport for decades after that season.

Michigan made baggy shorts and black sneakers with black socks a thing that many consumers still pursue today. The Nike Air Force Max B (their team shoe in 92-93) is still considered a goated sneaker in 2026.

The Fab Five wasn’t Rose’ reference. It was four years earlier in 1989 when Michigan won the National Title with an interim head coach. Something still unmatched today, in any sport.

This team must be the champion to challenge 1989 

The 1989 Michigan Wolverines is the team the current Wolverines are chasing. If this year’s team falls short of a national title game, the best they can realistically hope for is 3rd all time. Behind the Fab Five. A team that had arguably the greatest recruiting class and a heck of a story that ESPN turned into a 30 for 30.

Lendeborg and the rest of the current Wolverines are not chasing Webber, Howard and Rose. If they want that top spot, they are chasing Rice, Robinson, Vaught and then interim head coach Steve Fisher.

Anything short of cutting down the nets after a title game and No. 1 is not on the table. Even if they make the title game and are not victorious, being remembered as better than the Fab Five is going to be a tough sell. Especially among those that remember 1993.  

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Its never easy to project a team today vs those players from decades earlier. The older guys have had their careers while the young guys have not begun that journey just yet. However, Michigan’s Fab Five year (1992-93) included teams and players they played against that are some of the best basketball players of that era.

The landscape in 1993 included names such as: Vin Baker, Anfernee Hardaway, Jason Kidd, Isaiah Rider, Lindsey Hunter, Glenn Robinson, Calbert Cheaney, Bobby Hurley and Sam Cassell just to name a few.

Just like thousands of times before today, Michigan has to do one thing. Beat the teams in front of them. If they do that, there is no factor or criteria that could prevent them from being in the conversation for best Michigan team ever. Anything short of winning their next two games, and history will remember them, just not necessarily in either of the top two spots.

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