WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – No. 1-ranked Michigan Wolverines players Yaxel Lendeborg and Elliot Cadeau discussed the team’s 91-80 road victory over the No. 7-ranked Purdue Boilermakers following some controversy that preceded the matchup.
The victory on Tuesday (Feb. 17) marked Michigan’s first inside Mackey Arena since January 2021.
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Cadeau spoke about his performance, saying, “There were a lot of openings in the ball screen. I have really talented teammates, and if I get them the ball in the right place, they’ll make the shot.”
He added about his scoring in the second half, “I felt like I was being aggressive in the first half. The shots just weren’t falling, and they started to fall in the second half. I had the same mindset in both halves.”
Lendeborg reflected on the intense atmosphere and defensive attention he faced.
“It was fun. The atmosphere was great. My teammates had my back like they’re supposed to. Super proud and grateful to have those guys behind me, and we just did what we had to do,” said Lendeborg.
Lendeborg commented on the hostile environment and how the team stayed composed.
“We already have experience with this from playing at Michigan State. This one was even crazier. We preach staying together, being unselfish, and staying composed and not letting anything get us too high or too low,” Lendeborg said.
Cadeau said, “I feel like we have a lot of players that have been in situations like this, and our freshmen act like veterans, and we have a lot of level-headed players. We’ve been through this before at Michigan State, so it was kind of just a little bit easier for us.”
Regarding their length on defense that frustrated Boilermakers point guard Braden Smith, Lendeborg said, “Our whole game plan was to limit their threes. I tried to make Braden Smith move more, force him into the paint, and use my length to bother him on passes and shots.”
Lendeborg also shared his personal development since returning to school and coming to Michigan.
“This experience is way better than I thought. Coach Dusty has been molding me to be a better professional. I still have work to do on my approach and mentality, but the game situations are amazing. Guarding guards is something I wanted to showcase, and I think I’m doing a good job,” Lendeborg said.
The Wolverines had seven players make a three-pointer, with nine players scoring in the first half alone.
Cadeau spoke about the team’s free-flowing offense and what it was like bringing the ball up the floor knowing he had teammates ready to score.
“Yeah, for sure. Just having so many weapons on offense, like towards the end of the game, I didn’t even bring the ball up,” Cadeau said. “We had Yax bringing the ball up, Trey McKenney, and L.J. Cason, and it just adds another aspect to my game. I think with the threes, we were just getting a lot of confidence from our offensive rebounding. We knew that if we missed the three, we were going to get it back, so we just kept shooting.”
Cadeau and Lendeborg reflected on a big week ahead featuring two top-10 matchups with Duke waiting in the wings on Saturday (Feb. 21) in Washington, D.C., and discussed how the team maintains energy and focus as another top-three game looms in four days.
Cadeau said, “Just shifting our mindset to the next game. Every time we have a big game, we’re all locked in with an intense mindset, and we’re going to keep that going for the next game.”
Lendeborg added, “We’ve been in this predicament before, earlier this year, with a lot of hype around games like the Gonzaga one. Nobody got too excited about it. We know what we signed up for, and we’re just going to continue to stay within our circle, cover ourselves, and play within the group.”
Cadeau led the men in maize with 17 points while dropping seven assists and four rebounds.
Lendeborg had 13 points, seven assists, and two rebounds in a hostile environment he brought on himself.
Controversy
A controversial video resurfaced over the weekend showing Lendeborg at an after-hours establishment.
He was asked about the No. 1 team in the country (last season), and he said things he now wishes he hadn’t.
In the video, Lendeborg says, “When we see Purdue, we are going to beat their f------ a--. F--- you, F--- Purdue, F--- people that like Purdue, ‘This is Michigan, m------------”
Dusty May said he spoke at length with Lendeborg about the incident.
“The most disappointing part of it is that he feels really bad about how he’s perceived from children and those that look up to him,” May said.
He said Lendeborg told him, “Coach, I don’t even use that language in conversation. I don’t like the way it makes me look. I feel terrible about it.”
May explained that the video is old, from around May 0f 2025, shortly after Lendeborg signed with Michigan.
When asked whether the team had collectively addressed the video, May said Lendeborg has spoken extensively with his teammates.
“I just met with one of the other guys. We talked about it. He’s talked to his team extensively. I’m sure it’ll be brought up,” May said.
May added that the team is focused on bigger priorities.
“We’re not going to cancel our travel plans and go to the day of the game so we can. I think there’s a lot bigger things to be worried about,” May said.
May concluded, “He made a mistake. This is a learning lesson. We can’t go back in time and change it. I think there’s a lot of people in our profession saying things that they’re in a clear-headed state of mind probably wouldn’t say. Chalk this up to one of those. He’s a wonderful human being. He’ll be better because of this. And on to the next.”