Michigan

Yaxel Lendeborg’s biggest shot shows why Michigan basketball needs him

Published

2 months ago

March 14, 2026

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Yaxel Lendeborg’s biggest shot shows why Michigan basketball needs him

CHICAGO – Where was Yaxel Lendeborg?

The Big Ten player of the year was nearly invisible on the scoring sheet in Michigan basketball’s quarterfinal opener against Ohio State, and then again in the first half of a tight semifinal against Wisconsin at United Center on Saturday, March 14.

Then Lendeborg emerged. The true Lendeborg who has had so many big moments this season had one more, perhaps his biggest, when he appeared at the elbow with the clock ticking down.

Lendeborg took Elliot Cadeau’s pass and calmly launched a 3-pointer that swished in for the winning score with 0.4 seconds left. The Wolverines won, 68-65, improved to 31-2, and advanced to Sunday’s final against the winner of the Purdue-UCLA semifinal.

A day earlier, Cadeau said the Wolverines were the best team in the country even when Lendeborg wasn’t scoring. But on this day, it was clear U-M needed its best player in a showdown with the hot-shooting Badgers, who made 16 3-pointers (besting the 15 3s they made when they beat Michigan in Ann Arbor in January).

Austin Rapp led Wisconsin with 18 points and took over the game late, making five consecutive 3-pointers to pull Wisconsin ahead, 62-58, with 3:50 left. The Australian almost single-handedly erased the 54-39 lead Michigan built by coming out hot after from a 28-28 tie at halftime.

Wisconsin should have come in tired – and probably too tired to make so many 3s – after going to overtime against Illinois in Friday’s quarterfinal.

But feisty point guard Nick Boyd refused to even entertain the idea of fatigue or the need for rest.

“Ain’t no rest, you know what I’m saying? No rest,” he said Friday. “You’ve got to keep going. You get to play –Michigan, right? No. 3 or No. 2 team in the country. By the time you get out there and the lights is bright, ain’t nothing to think about.

“You talk about rest? We’ll play X amount of games and you’ve got to come out fighting. If you’re not excited and ready to go for a game like tomorrow, don’t even lace ’em up.”

Well, the Badgers laced ’em up, all right. And their footwear looked more like jackboots than sneakers as they started putting their foot on the Wolverines’ throats early, burying 3 after 3.

Even though the first half felt a lot more like a brick show to start off, Wisconsin established its perimeter offense early and started to distance itself from Michigan midway through the first stanza.

The Badgers were again spectacular on 3-pointers, hitting seven of 17 attempts – 41.2% – compared to the Wolverines’ 26.7%: four makes on 15 attempts.

Aleksas Bieliauskas led the Badgers with nine points in the first half, all courtesy of his 3-for-4 shooting from beyond the arc. He was also effective in Wisconsin’s January win, when he was 5-for-10 on 3s.

After Cadeau got into foul trouble – his second came just 8½ minutes in – and had to sit, the Wolverines looked less organized and the Badgers took advantage, pushing their lead to 18-11 with 9:43 left, then to eight, 26-18 with 4:26 left.

It was almost a miracle the Wolverines managed to enter halftime tied, 28-28. But they clawed back by going on a 10-2 run in the final 3:52 and playing tighter defense, led by Morez Johnson Jr.’s steal and block down the stretch, which was punctuated by Lendeborg’s 3-pointer with 11 seconds left – for his first points of the half on 1-for-5 shooting.

Contact Carlos Monarrez at cmonarrez@freepress.com and follow him on X @cmonarrez.

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Michigan

The Michigan man who purposely ran over, killed groomsman on his wedding day

Published

12 hours ago

May 16, 2026

Press Room

The Michigan man who purposely ran over, killed groomsman on his wedding day

Groom sentenced to 30-45 years in prison

FLINT, Mich. – A Michigan man found out how long he’ll spend in prison after he purposely ran over and killed a groomsman on his wedding day.

According to authorities, Terry Lewis Taylor Jr. was intentionally struck by a speeding SUV after getting into an argument at a Flint wedding in 2024. Police said he was severely injured and later died at a hospital.

Police identified the SUV driver as the groom, 24-year-old James Shirah. He was taken into custody and charged with second-degree murder and denied bond.

Prosecutors argued Shirah had been drinking and got into an argument with Taylor before leaving the scene, then returned and struck him with the SUV.

In April 2026, Shirah pleaded no contest to second-degree murder, driving without a license causing death and failure to stop at the scene of a crash resulting in death.

On Monday, May 11, Shirah was sentenced to 30-45 years in the Michigan Department of Corrections.

The earliest Shirah would be eligible for parole is in 2054.

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Michigan

Police release 911 calls and video connected to fatal shooting of Michigan State student

Published

1 day ago

May 15, 2026

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Police release 911 calls and video connected to fatal shooting of Michigan State student

A Michigan State student appeared to be brandishing a knife and running toward officers when he was shot in multiple waves of police gunfire, according to body camera video of the deadly confrontation released Friday.

MSU senior Isaiah Kirby, a 21-year-old Maryland native, was killed on April 15, and Friday marked the first time video of the fatal gunfire was shown to the public.

East Lansing police were called to Lake Lansing and Abbot roads on a theft call that “evolved into a stabbing by a suspect, which turned into an officer-involved shooting,” the department has said.

The officers’ video showed them driving to the scene when a man, identified by police as Kirby, came running toward them in the middle of the road. Kirby was brought down by an initial hail of gunfire as he came in their direction, video showed.

Kirby, screaming in agony, was on his knees as officers ordered him to drop a knife, according to video. Police then shot Kirby in two more hails of gunfire, with the first and last shots coming about 17 seconds apart, video showed.

Three police officers face away from the camera and toward a man lying on the ground in front of them. — Body camera footage released by the East Lansing Police Department shows officers aiming their weapons at Isaiah Kirby on April 15.East Lansing Police Department

“I want to thank the officers and employees of the East Lansing Police Department for their continued professionalism during this investigation,” said East Lansing Police Chief Jennifer Brown, who narrated the video.

“Furthermore, I want to thank the East Lansing community for their patience and understanding as this investigation proceeds,” she said.

Karyn Kirby, the slain student’s mother, and family attorney Teresa Bingman did not immediately return calls seeking comment early Friday evening.

Kirby’s family was shown heavily redacted footage last week that the slain student’s loved ones said didn’t show why deadly force was necessary.

“Where’s my truth? Where’s my transparency?” Karyn Kirby told supporters earlier this week.

“We have asked from the onset, to see raw, clear, unedited video,” she added. “That’s all I ask. It’s not that hard, right?”

The Michigan State Police are continuing to investigate the use of force by East Lansing officers, officials said.

East Lansing police identified the four officers involved in the shooting: field training officer Beck Martin, who has been on the job for three years; two-year veteran officer Brennan Surman; officer Benjamin Saylor, who has been on the job for one year; and officer Zane Johnson Chasteen, who has been on the job for three months and was paired with Martin.

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Michigan

Michigan State roster reset: All eyes on Jeremy Fears Jr.’s return

Published

2 days ago

May 15, 2026

Press Room

Michigan State roster reset: All eyes on Jeremy Fears Jr.’s return

Tom Izzo is in wait-and-see mode for Michigan State basketball’s next roster. But on paper, it looks as though the Spartans will have one of his most well-rounded groups ever.

Izzo and others, including Andy Katz of the Big Ten Network, expect Jeremy Fears Jr. to return to MSU for his fourth season, even though the All-America point guard turned heads of scouts with his scrimmage performance at the NBA Scouting Combine on Wednesday, May 14. He posted 17 points, five assists, three rebounds and two steals with one turnover after measuring in at at 6-foot, 196.2 pounds with a 6-4 wingspan.

Fears told Katz in Chicago that his decision would depend on the feedback he gets during the evaluation process this week.

“I believe I’m a first-round talent,” Fears said. “A lot of players that’s in the first round [of mock drafts], I’ve played against or probably seen throughout the college [season]. But that’s a big thing, if I think I can get a first-round spot, I would love it.

“My dream is to play professional and play in the NBA. That’s for sure a big dream. And if not, then I’ll go back to college and try to work my way up and get that.”

The deadline for Fears (as well as incoming transfer center Anton Bonke) to withdraw from the NBA Draft and retain their college eligibility is May 27. Assuming Fears does return, he will give the Spartans a top-10 lineup and potentially better than that for the 2026-27 season – and a chance to chase the elusive second national title that Izzo has long craved.

“I think we got a good group with everybody coming back and bringing in a transfer,” Fears told Katz. “Just overall, a great group of guys and being able to kind of build what was started last year.”

Here’s a look at where MSU’s roster stands now”

Point guard

Starter: Jeremy Fears Jr., redshirt junior

Backup: Carlos Medlock Jr., freshman

Shooting guard

Starter: Jordan Scott, sophomore

Backups: Kur Teng, junior; Jasiah Jervis, freshman

Wing

Starter: Coen Carr, senior

Reserves: Kaleb Glenn, redshirt sophomore; Scott

Forward

Starter: Glenn

Reserves: Cam Ward, sophomore; Carr; Jesse McCulloch, redshirt sophomore; Julius Avent, freshman

Center

Starter: Anton Bonke, senior

Reserves: McCulloch; Ward; Ethan Taylor, freshman

Analysis

Versatility will be a premium for Izzo, particularly in the frontcourt.

He’ll be able to mix and match based on opponents, with the ability to move Carr around on the wing and power forward as MSU has done at times the past two seasons. The same goes for 6-foot-7 Glenn, who missed last season after suffering a June knee injury after spending his first two seasons at Florida Atlantic and Louisville.

Finding that right blend between the 2, 3 and 4 positions will be Izzo’s mission during summer workouts. Scott, who emerged as a starter midway through his freshman season, needs to find more consistency in his outside shooting and ball-handling to stay at shooting guard. But as he fills out his 6-8 frame, that could allow him to play more on the wing with Carr at power forward for an athletic lineup – particularly if Teng can build on his late-season 3-point shooting performance and improved defense.

Jervis will be the wild card and push all of them at shooting guard. The 6-4 incoming freshman and McDonald’s All-American took part in the USA Basketball Men’s U18 National Team training camp earlier this month and was the New York Gatorade Player of the Year. And Avent, with his ability to defend multiple positions, also arrives with a chance to carve out a niche early in his career.

The addition of the hulking 7-2, 270-pound Bonke from Charlotte (via Providence and junior college) gives Izzo the low-block size he’s rarely had, and combining him with the outside shooting potential of 6-11 McCulloch at power forward would give the Spartans a chance to put one of Izzo’s biggest lineups ever on the floor. And after a wrist injury slowed his fast start as a freshman, 6-9 Ward has star potential for a breakout second season as a flexible option at both post positions – a transition demon in an undersized lineup at center or a bull-in-a-china-shop rebounder at the 4. Taylor, the highest-rated incoming freshman recruit based on pure potential, can take his time for much-needed development of his raw skills thanks to the veteran depth in front of him.

But this group will go as far as Fears can carry it, assuming he comes back and doesn’t emerge from the combine like Jase Richardson a year ago. Izzo long has likened Fears to Mateen Cleaves, who also flirted with the NBA after his All-America junior season in 1999. The addition of Medlock will give Fears the traditional backup he lacked last season, particularly after the injury to Divine Ugochukwu. Ugochukwu’s departure to LSU via the portal will give Medlock the spare keys to the car.

But the primary driver will be Fears, if he does not turn pro. And his goal as a returning captain, along with Carr, will be to turn all those versatile pieces into a cohesive unit and get Izzo and MSU back to another Final Four in Detroit.

Contact Chris Solari: csolari@freepress.com. Follow him @chrissolari.

Subscribe to the “Spartan Speak” podcast for new episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or anywhere you listen to podcasts. And catch all of our podcasts and daily voice briefing at freep.com/podcasts.

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