Lendeborg vows to play in NCAA final despite MCL, ankle sprains

INDIANAPOLIS — Just over 11 minutes into the first half of Michigan’s national semifinal romp over Arizona on Saturday, star forward Yaxel Lendeborg somersaulted backward in pain on the baseline, punctuating his tumble by slamming his palms in frustration on the floor.

On a Final Four night mostly devoid of compelling theater, Lendeborg’s gutty return after suffering a left MCL sprain and left ankle sprain gave Michigan’s blowout an adrenaline shot of drama.

Lendeborg played just 14 minutes, as he got into early foul trouble and then retreated twice to the locker room before halftime. The injuries came from stepping on the right foot of Arizona’s Motiejus Krivas on what he later called an ill-advised dunk attempt.

Through it all, Lendeborg finished with 11 points on just four shots in Michigan’s 91-73 win. He also promised he will return to the floor for the Wolverines in Monday night’s national title game against UConn.

“I will be on that floor in that game,” he said.

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From crying in Michigan’s injury tent behind the bench to two first-half trips to the locker room, Lendeborg spent a lot of time with trainer Chris Williams. Lendeborg admitted he got emotional because he saw everything he had worked for this season flash before his eyes.

Once Williams examined him, however, the trainer wasn’t too worried. He said the injury “presented” well, as there was limited swelling and it didn’t appear serious.

Williams told ESPN he’s “very confident” that Lendeborg will play Monday and stressed that there will be furious treatment on the knee and ankle from now until tipoff.

“He might move into my room,” Williams told ESPN, catching a reporter chuckling at the idea. “You’re laughing, but he might move into my room. We have two beds in there, so we might have to find another room for my wife and my son.”

After an initial examination during Saturday’s game, Williams said he was confident Lendeborg would be able to return for the second half. His return to the court in the first half and quickly exiting back to the locker room was a maneuver for practical purposes, according to Williams.

There were only about five minutes left in the first half, and Michigan assistant coach Mike Boynton said it made more sense for Lendeborg to return to the locker room and get more treatment to get him ready for the second half.

Lendeborg returned to the court a few minutes before the second half started, a minute or two after his teammates came back to the court to warm up. He wore a compression sleeve over his left knee that he didn’t wear in the first half, and he was moving gingerly as he warmed up at midcourt.

After going through a series of movements and having a short conversation with coach Dusty May, Lendeborg started the second half for the Wolverines. He admitted to being limited, particularly on defense, and appeared to be alternating smiles with grimaces from the pain.

“I was very scared to guard out there,” Lendeborg said. “And once I did a little bit, it didn’t feel well.”

He added: “I didn’t feel much pain on the plant. So I mean … when I play Monday, I’m going to be a corner 3-point shooter.”

Lendeborg drained two second-half 3-pointers within four minutes, the second one sending the Wolverines’ lead to 22 points and prompting a giddy reaction from Michigan’s assistant coaches on the bench.

“We knew both teams were pretty evenly matched,” Boynton said. “We felt like we had the best player. And he was in that moment showing that he’s the best player at 50% or whatever he was at the time.”

Lendeborg watched much of the second half on an exercise bike adjacent to the Michigan bench. His halogen grin lit up after every basket, more noticeable from his high perch.

Michigan’s lead ballooned as high as 30, and when that got trimmed to 21 with 7:10 left, Lendeborg returned to the game. The Michigan staff checked with Williams, who said Lendeborg was fine to return.

May had a fitting reason for putting Lendeborg back in, saying he wasn’t confident Michigan could “just put the kids to bed” at that point.

“Apparently you guys missed the UConn-Duke game,” May said, pointing out that the Blue Devils blew a 19-point lead to the Huskies.

Lendeborg’s night started strange when he got two fouls five seconds apart in the game’s first 90 seconds. He returned, and things got worse when he attempted to leap toward the rim about eight feet from the hoop — “I was going up to try and dunk it” — and his left foot landed on Krivas’ right foot as he tried to explode.

The contact happened in the middle of the lane, and Lendeborg’s momentum ping-ponged him into Arizona forward Koa Peat before he landed on his backside near the baseline.

After somersaulting over, Lendeborg clearly looked pained. By the time he hobbled to midcourt, he let out a primal scream to the roof of Lucas Oil Stadum before he bent over and appeared to be processing the pain. He made both free throws after the foul on Krivas and exited the game.

“I tried my best to get up as quickly as possible to try to not dwell with the pain, try to walk it off,” he said. “It didn’t get walked off, but you live what you learn, man. Next time [don’t] take off in front of three people.”

From the tent to the locker room (twice) to the floor to the bike, Lendeborg’s night ended with him in one more unconventional place — sitting on the floor on the baseline next to the still photographers as Williams iced Lendeborg’s knee and put a wrap around it.

That was seemingly the start of the intensive work to get Lendeborg as healthy as possible for Monday.

“Just 24 hours, around the clock,” Williams said. “So there’ll be a lot of ice and compression, a lot of massage. We use a machine called the Hivamat Mat and another machine called a Class 4 laser, which will help with healing. So it’s just going to be a lot of treatment.”