Yaxel Lendeborg’s arrival at Michigan has generated plenty of fanfare when it comes to the impact he could have for the Wolverines this college basketball season.
The former UAB star been identified as a splashy add, part of a strong cast of newcomers for Michigan, and a first-round NBA talent, after testing those waters in the offseason.
More attention came Wednesday, with CBS Sports releasing its best college basketball players by position, a group that also includes Michigan State forward Coen Carr and former Birmingham Brother Rice star John Blackwell.
CBS Sports took its positions a step further than just the standard five, breaking it down into 10 roles. Lendeborg, for example, was ranked No. 2 among its top five “small-ball bigs,” while Carr checked in at No. 4 among “off-ball wings/4.” Blackwell, a junior at Wisconsin, ranked No. 2 among CBS Sports’ top five combo guards.
Michigan coach Dusty May has described Lendeborg as a “queen on the chessboard” in terms of how the offense could flow through the 6-foot-9, 240-pounder, a la 7-footer Danny Wolf the season before. Last season, Lendeborg averaged 17.7 points, 11.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists 1.8 blocks and 1.7 steals at UAB, shooting 54.6% on 2-pointers and 34.9% on 3-pointers.
“Dusty May, armed with a Swiss Army Knife like Lendeborg, is almost unfair,” writes Isaac Trotter of CBS Sports. “Lendeborg is at his best in transition, ripping it off the glass and kick-starting the fastbreak. Michigan’s transition offense should be elite with Lendeborg leading the charge, and May will put him in smart spots to dominate as a playmaking hub in the halfcourt. Having Lendeborg on your team opens up a potpourri of options on both ends of the floor.”
Carr, meanwhile, cracked the top five at a position described “wings (who) can guard multiple positions, but they tend to have a smaller role offensively, usually operating as a spacer, cutter or play-finisher.” Carr certainly qualifies as the latter, as one of college basketball’s top finishers and collector of highlight-reel dunks.Â
As a sophomore, Carr averaged 8.1 points on 61.1% shooting from the floor and 3.6 rebounds.
“Carr is one of the best pure athletes in the country,” Trotter writes. “With Jeremy Fears Jr. running it back, Carr has his lob-throwing point guard back in the mix. Fears wants to push it in transition and toss pinpoint lobs. Carr also wants to sprint like a gazelle and flush ’em home. His defense, play-finishing and offensive rebounding are all major assets for this Michigan State team, and if some of the skill level comes along, Carr might be in the NBA Draft mix next season. He breathes different air than the rest of us.”
Blackwell, meanwhile, averaged 15.8 points as a sophomore, good for second on the team.
“Blackwell flirting with All-American honors won’t be a surprise to anybody,” Trotter writes. “The fire-hydrant guard is a bulldozing driver who meshes perfectly with Wisconsin’s five-shooter lineups. Blackwell will build a tent and camp out at the charity stripe line all year, but he’s not a free-throw merchant. He’s good at just about everything.”
Other notable were a pair of familiar faces who didn’t quite crash CBS Sports top five at their positions, but were worthy of mention. Darius Acuff Jr., who starred at Detroit Cass Tech before transferring to IMG Academy and will now play at Arkansas, is a “dark horse” who could crack the top five at the “scorer/creator” by season’s end.
Former Michigan big man Tarris Reed, now at UConn, was identified for having a “strong case” for the top five at the “true 5” position.
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