Michigan head coach Dusty May had the perfect way of describing Yaxel Lendeborg after the star forward struggled through the second half of Saturday’s national semifinal due to injury.
May announced Sunday that an MRI on Lendeborg’s knee came back clean, and the decision to play in Monday’s national championship will be made by him and the medical staff. The Michigan coach added that he anticipates that Lendeborg will play, even if he is not at full strength.
“He played the second half like a 38-year old at the YMCA. A really good 38-year old at the YMCA,” May cracked, via Pete Thamel of ESPN.
Lendeborg definitely moved gingerly during the second half of Saturday’s win against Arizona, but the Wolverines did not need that much out of him. He made a pair of three-pointers but was able to rest for the bulk of the half as the Wolverines had built up a huge advantage.
Lendeborg has made it clear he will be playing. If his teammates play anywhere close to the standard they set Saturday against Arizona, he might not need to be any more than a 38-year-old YMCA player for Michigan to win the game.
