MICHIGAN’S YAXEL LENDEBORG RECIPIENT OF 2025 RILEY WALLACE AWARD
The most impactful transfer in division I college basketball

INDIANAPOLIS, IN -- Michigan’s Yaxel Lendeborg is the recipient of 2026 Riley Wallace award, which is presented annually to the most impactful transfer in division I college basketball.

The 6-foot-9 graduate transfer helped the Wolverines to a school record 35 wins and a record-breaking 19-1 record in the Big Ten. He heads into the Final Four averaging 15.2 points, and 7.0 rebounds, while shooting 52% on the season.

"No transfer was more impactful to his team's success than Yaxel Lendeborg," said Angela Lento, Vice President of College Insider, Inc. and member of the Riley Wallace award voting panel. "He was the final piece to an already loaded roster. This season few players have impacted winning more than Yaxel Lendeborg."

The transfer from UAB brought an all-around game to Ann Arbor. In addition to scoring and rebounding, Lendeborg ranked among the Big Ten leaders in blocks (1.3), steals (1.2) and assists (3.3).

He scored 15 or more points on 19 occasions, and ten times he has scored 20-plus, including three straight games with 23, 25 and 27 points heading into the Final Four. Earlier this season he had season-best 29 points against Maryland (Dec. 13). In that same game he racked up a career-high nine assists and had eight rebounds.

The Big Ten Player of the Year has 8 double-digit rebound games and has posted 7 double-doubles on the season. He has logged 4 or more assists on 16 occasions, 2 or more blocks 14 times and has had 12 games with 2 or more steals.

Lendeborg is the only current player in Division I college basketball with at least 1,700 points, 1,000 rebounds and 350 assists in his career.

The award is named in honor of the longtime Hawaii coach. During his coaching career at Hawaii, Riley Wallace welcomed many transfers into the program and became the winningest coach in program history. Wallace guided Hawaii to nine postseason appearances, including a school-record streak of four straight from 2001-04.

The Warriors appeared in the NCAA Tournament three times under Wallace and have been invited to the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) on six occasions. Prior to his arrival, the program had just one NCAA appearance and two trips to the NIT.

  RILEY WALLACE AWARD FINALISTS

PREVIOUS AWARD WINNERS
JT Toppin, Texas Tech (2025); Dalton Knecht, Tennessee (2024); Blake Hinson, Pittsburgh (2023); Brady Manek, North Carolina (2022); Fardaws Aimaq, Utah Valley (2021); Elijah Burns, Siena (2020); Rapolas Ivanauskas, Colgate (2019); Wes Clark, Buffalo (2018); Chima Moneke, UC Davis (2017); Grandy Glaze, Grand Canyon (2016); Mike Myers, UMES (2015).

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NOTE: Portions of the press release came from University of Michigan releases.