5 takeaways from Michigan Basketball’s Sweet 16 win vs Alabama

Here are 5 takeaways from the win:

Mar 27, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Michigan Wolverines forward Yaxel Lendeborg (23) looks on in the second half against the Alabama Crimson Tide during a Sweet Sixteen game of the Midwest Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images The 1-seed Michigan Wolverines beat the 4-seed Alabama Crimson Tide, 90-77, in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament on Friday night in Chicago. It was a tale of two halves, with pace and speed controlling the first half, while a slower-tempo controlling the second.

Here are five takeaways from the game. Yaxel Lendeborg has a legacy game This one isn’t up for debate — Lendeborg was the best player on the floor tonight, and it wasn’t particularly close. He finished with 23 points on 8-of-12 shooting, including 4-of-5 from three, with 11 rebounds, 7 assists and two steals.

In the first half, he single-handedly kept Michigan alive – seven of the team’s first nine points came from him, he finished 4-for-4 from the field in the first 20 minutes and he was the one player who matched Alabama’s pace. In the second half, he simply took over. He scored or assisted on Michigan’s first seven points out of the break, and his back-to-back threes to open the half swung the game’s momentum entirely.