The Bruins are riding a two-game win streak heading into their Michigan road trip, where they will face two top-10 opponents. UCLA men’s basketball (17-7, 9-4 Big Ten) will begin its trip to the Mitten State against No. 2 Michigan (23-1, 13-1) Saturday morning in Ann Arbor at the Crisler Center. Daily Bruin Sports editor Connor Dullinger analyzes the Wolverines’ roster, along with their strengths and weaknesses.
Personnel:
Coach: Dusty May
Starting lineup: Guard Elliott Cadeau, Guard Nimari Burnett, Forward Yaxel Lendeborg, Forward Morez Johnson Jr., Center Aday Mara
Best player: Yaxel Lendeborg
X-factor: Aday Mara
KenPom ranking: No. 1
Adjusted offensive rating: 126 (No. 5)
Adjusted defensive rating: 88.3 (No. 1)
Adjusted tempo: 72.4 (No. 10)
The Wolverines may have the most complete roster in the country.
Apart from the five starters that make up the best defensive squad and fifth-best offensive team in the nation, coach Mick Cronin said Michigan has four bench players who could start for any other team in the country.
Forward Yaxel Lendeborg – a projected lottery pick in the 2026 NBA Draft – leads Michigan.
An NBA player playing college basketball, according to Cronin, Lendeborg averages 14.3 points and 7.7 rebounds per game through 24 games this season. Lendeborg is an athletic phenom, standing at 6-foot-9 and weighing 240 pounds, despite moving like an athletic guard.
Lendeborg excels at the rim, dunking anything he can and finishing contested layups through contact. His size and speed make him a likely target for junior guard/forward Eric Dailey Jr. The UCLA wing will have a headache with Lendeborg and will have to respect his slashing ability. If Lendeborg gets the first step, it will likely turn into an easy flush for the forward.
The Michigan forward shoots an inefficient 28.7% from beyond the arc, but he’s a smooth and sure shooter who shot 35.7% from 3-point land last season. Lendeborg could make the Bruins pay if they give him space from deep.
Lendeborg matches his offensive prowess with incredible defensive tenacity, and he averages 1.3 steals and 1.4 blocks per contest this season. At the rim, the forward is an incredible shot blocker as a help defender once opposing players drive toward the rim. Lendeborg will be there when the Bruins get stuck in the paint or drive inside.
In the steal department, he mitigates entry passes into the paint with quick hands and uses his first step to intercept lazy passes on the perimeter that culminate in dunks on the other end.
Michigan’s height and length cement the squad’s juggernaut status, and joining Lendeborg in that effort is forward Morez Johnson Jr.
Johnson paces the teams in scoring and rebounds behind Lendeborg, averaging 13.5 and 7.3, respectively. Offensively, Johnson is ultra-efficient, shooting 66.8% from the field and 35.7% from long range.
The former Illinois forward excels in the pick-and-roll, often slipping the screen and using his 6-foot-9 and 250-pound frame to create space in the paint where he can elevate for a dunk or layup.
When he doesn’t slip the screen, he can rip and drive while using his bigger frame to create shooting space around the rim. When teams decide to double the forward off a screen, Johnson can stay at the top of the key or on the wings, where he is not afraid to knock down long-range shots.
His slower pace of play and wider frame will likely attract the defensive pressure of senior forward Tyler Bilodeau. The Bruin forward could struggle with the size and strength of Johnson defensively, but he may boast the quickness to keep up with him on the perimeter. However, in a one-on-one matchup in the paint, Johnson will win the majority of the time.
Joining Johnson and Lendeborg on the frontline is center Aday Mara. The former Bruin has had a breakout season in his first year in Ann Arbor and is a projected late first-round pick in the 2026 Draft. Mara is a versatile player despite his 7-foot-3 frame.
Mara can dominate from anywhere within three feet of the basket offensively. Wolverines driving into the paint often hit Mara for the alley-oop when his defender steps up to help, and he can clear out whole sides of the court with his length. If he gets a mismatch in the post, the Zarazoga, Spain, local can create space and either drain a hook shot or work his way around to net a free layup or dunk.
Mara excels as a shot blocker on the defensive end, using his long arms to stuff or tip shots even when he is not the primary defender or is recovering on defense, which accounts for his team-leading 2.8 blocks per game average.
Starters Elliott Cadeau and Nimari Burnett, along with bench options Trey McKenney, L.J. Cason and Roddy Gayle, lead the backcourt. Cadeau and Burnett average 9.9 and 9.1 points per game, respectively, with the former taking the point guard duties – leading the team with 5.5 per game.
Cadeau, a former five-star prospect and North Carolina transfer, has also improved on his shooting struggles from last season – he is shooting 40.2% from beyond the arc. Cadeau’s main job is facilitating one of the nation’s best offenses, but he is not afraid to let it fly from deep and boasts an effective floater and slasher package at the rim.
Burnett – along with Gayle – is an experienced Wolverine veteran whos provides leadership and strong role-player minutes. Burnett is a marksman from deep, shooting a plus-40% clip, while Gayle possesses just a 26.2% shooting percentage.
Michigan’s most effective bench player is McKenney, a true freshman, who averages 10.2 points per game – the fourth-most on the squad – and has scored double-digit points in seven straight games.
The Wolverines boast arguably the most depth in the country and dominate the perimeter and interior on both ends of the court.
UCLA needs to bring its A-game come Saturday morning, and even that may not be enough to dethrone the nation’s best.
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