AAC TOURNAMENT MVP LENDEBORG RETURNS TO UAB FOR SENIOR SEASON
MARCH 28, 2024 - BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA
By Steve Irvine
The announcement that UAB fans were not-so-patiently waiting on came Tuesday afternoon.
Yaxel Lendeborg is coming back for another year at UAB. Listen to the 6-foot-9, 235-pound senior-to-be and you learn pretty quickly that the decision wasn’t nearly as suspenseful in his point of view than it was believed to be.
He never wavered on his desire to be a UAB Blazer.
“I knew from the moment that the season was over that I’m staying,” Lendeborg said. “There is no reason to leave here.”
Now, that doesn’t mean coaches and representatives from other programs didn’t try to pry him away from UAB. Lendeborg never considered entering the transfer portal but said he had “6 or 7” direct messages from people representing other programs. He added that people in his “circle” got messages from more than 20 people. He wasn’t specific on the money offered but indicated it was a considerable amount.
“Once I heard the numbers, I was like ‘Oh my gosh, I can get that?’” Lendeborg said. “But you got to figure out where your (heart) is at and who really wanted you. Nowadays, there are a lot of (players) who would go anywhere that offered them big money. That’s not really going to help you out. Sure, you’re going to have money to buy whatever you want, now. But, afterwards, then what? What if you go there and you don’t play? Or, you don’t play as much as you want? Or, they don’t give you the amount of money they said? Then, now you’re in a bad situation and you’re rethinking it. You just got to think about the bigger picture and not just the money.”
The big picture for Lendeborg this season was unwavering progression as a player and a person. It wasn’t easy, for sure. At times, it was downright humbling for the former junior college All-American.
Remember his first Division I college basketball game? Lendeborg does. In fact, he used that game against Bradley, when he missed all six of his field goal attempts and was 3 for 8 from the line in 21 minutes, as a measuring stick for his progression.
“Once I started playing better, there were still some games I slacked,” Lendeborg said. “I’d look back at that game and say at least it wasn’t this bad or at least I didn’t suck as bad as people said I would. It does help me keep my head cool a little bit.”
Through eight games, Lendeborg had just one double digit scoring game and two double digit rebounding games. His lone double-double came in a 19-point, 10-rebound performance during a 92-86 win over Furman.
What he did over the final 27 games was remarkable. He had 23 double digit scoring games, 21 double digit rebounding games and 18 double-doubles. He averaged a double-double with 13.8 points and 10.6 rebounds per game. He became UAB’s all-time single season leader in rebounds and double-doubles. He became the American Athletic Conference’s all-time single season rebounding leader and tied for the most double-doubles in AAC history. He was the AAC Defensive Player of the Year and selected on the all-conference first team.
Put all that together and he was a coveted target, obviously, by other programs and fan bases. So, why did he choose to stay in Birmingham?
It starts with UAB head coach Andy Kennedy, associate head coach Ryan Cross and the rest of the staff.
“I have full trust in Coach AK, Coach Cross,” Lendeborg said. “I love them. It really played a big role in my development and making me feel I’m even better than I am. The support here is really crazy. People are coming up with nicknames – ‘Lord Lendeborg’. The fan support is crazy – kids, dads, moms, now there’s a dog that really likes me. It’s really great to see and it makes me feel better as a person, as well. That, there, is really what helped the decision. The players here, as well, I feel like we’ve connected on a bigger basis than just teammates. It’s going to really help out on the court next year.”
Lendeborg said he began resting his body immediately following the NCAA Tournament first round loss to San Diego State. He will take a few more days off before going back to work. Lendeborg said that Aaron Johnson, UAB’s Director of Player Development, is helping him come up with an offseason program that will help his growth as a player. Lendeborg also said he will probably declare for the NBA draft so he can be evaluated as a player, but will do so with the clear intent of returning to UAB.
“The main thing for me is going to be building a jump shot or just working on the thought process where I can shoot it more often,” Lendeborg said. “I need to be better as a ball handler. I want to be more than just a one move and go player. I want to be able to capitalize on defensive mistakes and get back to what I’m normally good at pretty much. I just need to get better at lateral quickness. My athleticism has taken some hits with the weight gain.”
Most importantly, he will do all of that as a member of the UAB program.