March Madness is underway and right this moment’s faculty stars have an opportunity to cement themselves on this summer time’s NBA draft class. The 2026 draft is expected to happen in late June. In USA TODAY’s newest mock draft, Michigan’s Yaxel Lendeborg is expected to go within the first spherical.
Here’s how USA TODAY at present tasks the ahead’s draft night time will play out.
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Yaxel Lendeborg 2026 NBA Draft prediction: Pick No. 8 total, Memphis Grizzlies
All picks based mostly on Tankathon lottery projection
Kalbrosky’s Analysis:
The Grizzlies may add to their rebuilding core after buying and selling away Jaren Jackson Jr. by choosing Yaxel Lendeborg, who is maybe essentially the most NBA-ready participant on this draft class. The Big Ten Player of the Year gives a little bit of the whole lot on either side of the ball and has silenced skeptics who had been not sure how his sport would scale after transferring from mid-major UAB to high-major Michigan. The Grizzlies have drafted gamers with related trajectories like Jaylen Wells and Cedric Coward.
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See USA TODAY’s full mock draft here
Yaxel Lendeborg participant profile
(all stats as of March 15)
50.9% discipline purpose share
35.3% three-point discipline purpose share
Memphis Grizzlies 2026 projected draft picks
No. 8, No. 19 (by way of ORL) and No. 31 (by way of IND)
All picks based mostly on Tankathon lottery projection
This article initially appeared on USA TODAY: Yaxel Lendeborg NBA mock draft projection: Where Michigan star is expected to land
