[The following scouting report is part of a series on potential 2025 draft prospects from Sports Business Classroom alumni.]

Yaxel Lendeborg
Frame: 6’9″, 230 lbs
Position: Forward
School: University of Alabama Birmingham Blazers
2025 Draft Age: 22
Stats via sports-reference.com

Offense

Lendeborg is the smooth-shooting, rugged wing/post player who has been doing it all this year for the UAB Blazers. He leads the team in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. Lendeborg handles the ball as the focal point of Coach Kennedy’s offense. His high basketball IQ enables him to make pinpoint passes to teammates in motion and act as a one-man fast break.

Lendeborg’s number from Synergy Sports backs up his high-level shooting prowess. He’s in the 89th percentile in points per shot and has a true shooting percentage over 80 within five feet of the basket. Lendeborg combines a strong frame with mobility and touch to be an impressive scorer. He can shoot over smaller defenders, has a high release point on his jumper, and pump fake and go move that frees him up heading to the basket.

He moves exceptionally well off the ball and is very fluid in finding his space on the court. Lendeborg knows the spots he has success from (many at this point), and he gets to them as a threat to score or create for others with his sharp vision and IQ to fall back on if a double team is coming. He has a strong feel for the game overall and can almost pick and choose when to exert his will on the game. Lendeborg will fill up the box score and force his will on the court to do whatever he can to impact winning.

Defense

Lendeborg is averaging 1.7 blocks per game paired with 1.6 steals per game. His defensive versatility helps him lead this Blazers team on the court. He guards multiple positions at a high level, can disrupt passing lanes with his length and reads, and can lead a break by himself from the rebound to the opposite basket. Most players have difficulty getting by Lendeborg. If he’s switched out on the perimeter, Lendeborg can use his 7-foot-3 wingspan to deter guards and keep them under wraps. While matched up in the paint, he sees the game quickly and almost reacts two or three steps ahead of the offense.

At the next level, Lendeborg will be a complementary piece in that 3-and-D role. Though he can successfully defend the perimeter and post, he can also be a solid rim protector in spot minutes if utilized in a smaller lineup configuration. Again, his processing of the game on both ends allows him to foresee and anticipate things when defending. He is very vocal and communicates well with his teammates to call out actions and picks to help them navigate what he sees.

Looking Ahead

Only two active players led their teams in all major offensive and defensive statistical categories through the most recent week of the season. One is Cooper Flagg, and the other is Lendeborg. If there is another player who has such an impact on his team’s direction and wins and losses, one would be hard-pressed to find them. Lendeborg is the do-it-all player the Blazers have relied on for success.

Finding a position at the next level is the most significant question mark, which could place him in the second round of the draft. Lendeborg’s wingspan and defensive skills (disrupting passing lanes, blocking shots, etc.) will undoubtedly translate. However, his positional size is more challenging as an undersized center who may be a step too slow to be featured solely on the wing. Quicker 3-and-D types would most likely be able to separate and blow by him, though he may recover and get the block from behind—that’s not consistently sustainable.

Lendeborg is a better three-point shooter, but his all-around game is like a combination of Brandon Clarke and Trayce Jackson-Davis. If he can bring consistency with his outside shooting to earn minutes, he could find time as a floor-spacer and secondary playmaker who doesn’t need the ball to flourish.