Michigan's Yaxel Lendeborg ready for NCAA Tournament despite injury

Near the end of the Big Ten Tournament championship game, while not the worst news in the world, it wasn't good news for the maize and blue: star forward Yaxel Lendeborg got rolled up on and ended the loss to Purdue with a low-ankle sprain. Timing-wise, it's not ideal for the Michigan basketball star, but at the same time, it could be worse, as he appears to be able to go in the NCAA Tournament, which starts on Tuesday. On Wednesday, as the Wolverines prepare to take on Howard in the Round of 64, Lendeborg should be ready to go, but at the same time, he isn't entering the tournament at 100%.

"Yeah, I’m fine. I started moving, running around yesterday," Lendeborg said. "I had a little bit of issues cutting a little bit, but today I think I’m going to feel a lot better.

"When I get into the game mindset, I think I’ll be all right. " Having come from junior college and then UAB, this is the first time that Lendeborg is playing for a favorite in the NCAA Tournament. Because he got that earlier experience, he knows what it's like to be in Howard's shoes.

But now that he is where he is, he's determined to suit up and do everything he can to ensure that the season goes on as long as it possibly can. "Everybody is a threat. For them to get here, they have to win the championship," Lendeborg said.