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Mark Pope Denies NIL Offer Claim as Michigan’s Yaxel Lendeborg Fuels Sweet 16 Push

The pushback highlights murky reporting around transfer-portal money in a tournament spotlight.

Overview

  • Michigan routed Saint Louis 95-72 in Buffalo to reach the Sweet 16, with Yaxel Lendeborg posting 25 points and six rebounds.
  • His coast-to-coast poster dunk over Quentin Jones drew wide attention, and teammate Nimari Burnett dubbed him the “Dominican LeBron.”
  • Kentucky coach Mark Pope said the reported $7–$9 million offer to Lendeborg was “100% categorically false” during his radio show, setting up a clear dispute over the claim.
  • The Midwest No. 1 seed Wolverines, now 33-3, will play fourth-seeded Alabama in Chicago in the regional semifinal.
  • Lendeborg is the Big Ten Player of the Year, a first-team All-American, and a Naismith semifinalist, and evaluators view him as a 2026 NBA draft prospect.