Yaxel Lendeborg

[ComebackCats98]

https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-yaxel-lendeborg-michigan-a027582f0426503e84cd20a50fc48149

interesting article from the associated press this morning. We’ve talked about Pope’s recruiting struggles. People have said he needs to pay Stokes whatever. Yaxel on record says he turned down $7,000,000 - $9,000,000 from Kentucky

 

[FatCatMan]

WTF is wrong with us, man.

 

[TheResistance]

FRIGGIN NUTS!

 

[ComebackCats98]

He also says a big reason he chose Michigan was:


“I was thinking long term. What if I mess up my career because I chased the money instead of a future? Another big reason why I went with Dusty was he didn’t talk about money at all. It was all about making me better and helping me achieve my goals.”

He said the Kentucky offer started at $7,000,000 - $9,000,000 and they said they’d pay whatever took. All these people blaming JMI, but when you can’t get recruits you’re offering way more money for there’s a problem.

 

[FitchandMurray29]

The kid is extremely immature and a liar. A complete nonstory trying to boost himself and Michigan.

 

[Pygmy Sasquatch]

Michigan’s 6-foot-9, 240-pound point forward was the top prospect in the transfer portal last year and Kentucky was prepared to make him the highest-paid player in college basketball.

“They started the number with $7 to 9 (million),” Lendeborg said in an interview with The Associated Press. “They were pretty much going off on the route like we’ll pay him anything to get here.”

Instead, he chose to play for Dusty May and the Wolverines even though the former UAB star said he would have earned about three times more money if he suited up for Mark Pope and the Wildcats.

JFC

 

[Tri-Countycat]

It’s been stated on this board a million times, what can Pope sell other than money?

 

[ComebackCats98]

Think about this he had said on record Kentucky was offering 3x what Michigan was and it couldn’t convince him. Kentucky is rumored to be offering $2,000,000 or so more than Kansas and can’t convince Stokes. We have big problems folks. Nobody wants to play for this coaching staff no matter how much they’re offered.

 

[OliverSimmonsTwinBrother]

Holy crap. We are a dead program

 

[ComebackCats98]

The kid is extremely immature and a liar. A complete nonstory trying to boost himself and Michigan.

Source? What source you got better than Yaxel himself going on record?

 

[mdluk1]

All the guys making hundreds of millions after going to UK and he was worried about his future? Give me a f**king break.

 

[Pygmy Sasquatch]

It’s been stated on this board a million times, what can Pope sell other than money?

It looks like he might not be able to sell that very well, either.

 

[four_every_hour]

Yeah I’m not going to take this one specific case and run with it. 99% of kids want the most money. If he’s telling the truth he’s in the 1% that doesn’t care about money.
The other option could be that he’s not telling the whole story and he wants to act like “it’s not about money to me” while also not throwing Pope under the bus. Which is just smart media training.

 

[phunterd]

I don’t believe that.

 

[Kantucke_rivals]

None of this is good, why is Yaxel doing this to Pope?

 

[Anon1773430700]

Not buying it...at all!

 

[Catlogic1552]

If true, this really puts us at a dead end.

 

[FitchandMurray29]

Source? What source you got better than Yaxel himself going on record?

What does him going “on the record” have to do with anything?

Anyone can say anything to a reporter. He’s not under oath for goodness sake.

 

[BlueBloodKyFan73]

IF this is true there are 2 fools here the one who offered all that money and the one who didn’t take all that money.

 

[mdluk1]

If he could get 3x the money to go to one of if not the premier program in the country and turned it down, I question his intelligence.

 

[StuBlue270_uk]

If that's true, then that dude is an absolute idiot. Would have trippled what he's making now, gotten as much if not more media exposure for the upcoming draft.

 

[Tri-Countycat]

I would venture to say it’s true, I don’t see what a kid that is done with college, getting ready to play in the NCAA has to gain by making up a tall tale. Pope could come out and reject it and make a fuss out of it and make the kid look bad. I just don’t see the purpose of doing it, if not true.

 

[ComebackCats98]

What does him going “on the record” have to do with anything?

Anyone can say anything to a reporter. He’s not under oath for goodness sake.

Why would he make it up? He just decided to lie about Kentucky today to the media?

 

[ComebackCats98]

All the guys making hundreds of millions after going to UK and he was worried about his future? Give me a f**king break.

I don’t take it like it was Michigan vs UK as the issue. I take it as Pope developing players was his concern.

 

[BlueSince92]

The kid is extremely immature and a liar. A complete nonstory trying to boost himself and Michigan.

I sure hope you’re right.

 

[mdluk1]

I don’t take it like it was Michigan vs UK as the issue. I take it as Pope developing players was his concern.

Where do you see that?

 

[loublue22_rivals308424]

Tried to say, everyone has money. Recruiting is still recruiting, you still have to make them sign on the line that is dotted.

 

[ComebackCats98]

Where do you see that?

When he said:

“I was thinking long term. What if I mess up my career because I chased the money instead of a future? Another big reason why I went with Dusty was he didn’t talk about money at all. It was all about making me better and helping me achieve my goals.”

I could be wrong. Just how I took that quote from him.

 

[UKBB4Ever]

I’ve tried to tell everyone that JMI is not the problem. Never has been the problem.

That’s a made up Matt jones excuse because JMI smacked him down.

No player that thinks he’s NBA bound but just needs some polish is going to play for Pope.

Pope will get the guys that college is the best job they will ever have and he will pay the most. Touch money.

Our future pro prospects on this team will be outta here as soon as they can.

 

[mdluk1]

h

 

[ComebackCats98]

I’ve tried to tell everyone that JMI is not the problem. Never has been the problem.

That’s a made up Matt jones excuse because JMI smacked him down.

No player that thinks he’s NBA bound but just needs some polish is going to play for Pope.

Pope will get the guys that college is the best job they will ever have and he will pay the most. Touch money.

Our future pro prospects on this team will be outta here as soon as they can.

To me it starts adding up. People wondered why he took the risk on JQ off the ACL. Aberdeen didn’t really want to leave Florida, but Kentucky offered too much. It seems like he can’t get recruits and has to throw a ton of money to overpay for guys.

 

[true-blue1]

Kids, just don’t want to play for Pope!

 

[Anon1679859502]

It’s been stated on this board a million times, what can Pope sell other than money?

He could resign so we can get a coach that’s confident and competent. When a coach like Pope talks to these players, they know he’s not that.
This embarrassing regardless if it’s true or not… it’s out there.

 

[Cats4321]

If we can really throw that kind of money around, then we are only a decent coach away from being a perennial top 5 team again.

 

[MichaelGray]

I have no reason to say he's not telling the truth, however, there's always 2 sides to every story, I would love to hear the Kentucky version of what actually happened, but, that's probably not going to happen because of future recruiting. I know a few things for certain, we need more shooting next year & a few that can play defense & straight up take their defender off the dribble & 2 PG. Is that too much to ask lol?

 

[ComebackCats98]

I’m just sharing an article

The $22,000,000 stuff comes out. “That’s just a lie made up. Trying to make Pope look bad.”

Yaxel tells the media this “that’s just a lie. That young man is lying. Everybody out to get Pope.”

Maybe just maybe there’s some truth behind it and a reason Kentucky has 0 commits. Trent Noah probably growing up thought the opportunity to play at Kentucky would be the highlight of his career. A 5 star recruit from New York, Texas or California probably doesn’t want this to be the highlight and has professional aspirations.

 

[Johnnie Africa]

If it’s true it would show that Pope is an incredibly incompetent recruiter, there really isn’t any other way to spin it.

 

[FatCatMan]

Holy crap. We are a dead program

Pope is causing more damage in 2 years than Cal did in his last 5.

 

[Kantucke_rivals]

This story going to be picked up blasted around the world. Not exactly ideal

 

[darkshadesofblue]

Not buying it, pun intended