Yaxel Lendeborg shines at NBA combine, faces tough choice: Michigan or 2025 draft?

Michigan basketball got a commitment on Friday, and while there's no offense to the new addition to the 2025 class, Wolverines fans are more concerned at the moment with one name and one name only: Yaxel Lendeborg.The forward who starred at UAB before making a transfer commitment to the maize and blue this offseason is still testing the NBA draft waters.

Lendeborg participated in the NBA combine this week, which should give him some clarity as to whether he should stay in college or go off to the professional ranks.

He was torn, but leaning toward Michigan early in the week, but is supposedly getting more torn as time goes by.Now that his turn in Chicago has passed, multiple outlets across the college basketball landscape have weighed in with varying degrees of certainty as to what they believe Lendeborg's decision should be.

Here are some of the choice reactions to his NBA combine results, and if they believe he will end up in Ann Arbor or in the pros.ESPNThe 'worldwide leader' didn't give a full update as to whether Lendeborg is an obvious choice to stay in the draft or enroll in Ann Arbor, but did make it clear that he will be a first-round pick should he remain in.

Still, is it enough for Lendeborg to want to stick it out in the NBA draft?Yaxel Lendeborg, PF, UAB/Michigan: Lendeborg is the biggest name to monitor over the next two weeks.

He transferred from UAB after a second straight productive campaign, committing to Michigan during Final Four weekend.

Should he end up in Ann Arbor, coach Dusty May's team could be in the preseason top-five.

But Lendeborg is a projected first-round pick in ESPN's most recent mock draft and proved that while in Chicago.

He measured at 6-10 in shoes with a 7-4 wingspan and then performed well in the scrimmages.Lendeborg said Wednesday he wants to be drafted in the top-20, so it will be interesting to see whether he gets a guarantee before the withdrawal deadline.Hoops HypePart of the USA TODAY Sports network, Hoops Hype didn't have Lendeborg as a clear winner or loser (though it did include both of Michigan's combine entrants -- Danny Wolf and Vlad Goldin -- as losers) but simply said he has a tough decision to make.Yaxel Lendeborg (Michigan, Best Rank: 27 / Worst Rank: 28):TBD.

Torn between school and NBA after a standout combine, has a $2.3m NIL deal with Michigan.For the WinAnother sister site with USA TODAY Sports, For the Win does have Lendeborg as one of the combine winners, sitting at No.

4 in its list of five.

But isn't sure that it's enough to keep him away from Ann Arbor.

No one has a tougher decision to make than Yaxel Lendeborg, who was a UAB standout before using the transfer portal to commit to Michigan.While he stands to potentially make a ton of money NIL in the NCAA after a particularly dominant collegiate season last year, Lendeborg had an undeniably intriguing showing in Chicago.

He measured 68 12" without shoes at 234.6 lbs with a 74" wingspan and 90 12" standing reach.His first scrimmage was very good, recording 13 points (6-of-11 FG) with nine rebounds, two assists, one steal, and one block.The second was not as great with just 4 points, but even then, he was at least slightly productive in other ways.

Lendeborg added three rebounds and two steals.It seems like Lendeborg might want assurance he is a top-20 pick to stay in this class.

We have him projected at No.

22 overall in our most recent mock draft, so it will come down to the wire for him.CBS SportsCBS Sports has multiple parts on Michigan basketball and Lendeborg, first noting that Lendeborg was good enough where Dusty May might be 'scrambling' to find a replacement.Michigan is probably going to have to do the same after UAB star Yaxel Lendeborg also had a big week to catapult into the top-25 range of the first round (more on him in a bit).The more on Lendeborg in a bit, bit:Winner: Lendeborg rising up draft boardsMeasuring 6-8.5 with a shocking 7-4 wingspan and 9-0.5 standing reach helped Lendeborg, the UAB star who is committed to transfer to Michigan, stretch his way into a range in the draft that may be too tough for him to pass on.

He spoke at the combine this week and said he is legitimately torn on his decision to stay in the draft or go back to school and remains one of the biggest names with an unknown.

The sentiment entering the week was that returning to school was all but a guarantee but now, Wolverines fans have to hold their breath and hope.He did well for himself in addition to the measurements and looked the part of a first-rounder in scrimmages operating as a small-ball big.

In Wednesday's scrimmage he had 13 points, nine boards, two assists, one block and one steal, matching up nicely against the length of Team Lazare.

He was quieter on Thursday with four points, three boards and two steals.

Overall it was a big week for him -- but was it big enough for him to fully commit to the draft?USA TODAY SportsThe mothership doesn't have a traditional winners and losers post on Lendeborg, but instead has a full profile on his decision.

With NIL potentially helping Michigan basketball in this arena, the decision is essentially laid out -- in Lendeborg's words.He doesn't want to stay in school just because of the money.

But he also doesnt want to go to the NBA and not have a chance to be a rotation player quickly.

He only needs one team to promise he will get one to stay in the draft.

He just needs to know before May 28.If it doesnt happen by then," Lendeborg said, "then the decision is going to be really hard to make.ConclusionIt's quite unclear if Lendeborg's performance was good enough to warrant him staying in the draft or if it's murky enough that he'll stay in college.

He wasn't a clear enough winner where it made it obvious that he'll get what he's looking for -- a guaranteed contract -- but it was also clear that he was a winner this week.

We'll know more in 12 days.This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Will Michigans Yaxel Lendeborg stay or go pro after combine?.

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