Michigan's Yaxel Lendeborg on title-game status after injuring his ankle, knee in Final Four win: 'I'm playing no matter what'

INDIANAPOLIS — Yaxel Lendeborg assumed the worst midway through the first half on Saturday night after he stepped on the foot of Arizona's Motiejus Krivas while attacking the rim off the dribble.

Michigan's first-team All-American wingfeared he would not play again in Indianapolisafter his left ankle rolled and his left knee buckled.

"I definitely felt like I did all this for nothing in the moment," Lendeborg said afterMichigan's 91-73 annihilation of Arizonain the second of Saturday's two national semifinals. "I definitely had to calm down for a little bit, speak to myself, get out of my thoughts."

Thankfully for Lendeborg, the diagnosis didn't turn out to be as bad as he expected. He said he sprained the MCL in his left knee and re-injured the ankle that he tweaked during the Big Ten tournament last month.

A hobbled Lendeborg returned after halftime, lacking his usual explosiveness but sinking a pair of 3-pointers. The 6-foot-9, 240-pound senior reentered the game once more with just over seven minutes to go when he sensed his teammates needed him after Arizona pulled to within 19.

When Lendeborg met with reporters after Saturday's game, he wore a black brace on his left ankle and had an ice pack wrapped around his left knee. Asked if there was any chance he would not play in Monday's national title game against UConn, Lendeborg grinned and said, "Absolutely not."

"I'm playing no matter what," he said, later adding, "Unless I wake up and I get up and fall off my feet, I'm going to be in that game."

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When Lendeborg wasn't in the game during the second half, he rode an exercise bike behind the Michigan bench, clapping and screaming as his teammates made big play after big play in his absence. The Wolverines led by 10 after six minutes, by 18 just before halftime and by as many as 30 midway through the second half.

What was billed as a showdown between college basketball's two best teams this season never materialized because Michigan imposed its will. The 7-foot-3 Aday Mara scored a career-high 26 points on 11-for-16 shooting, while 6-10 Morez Johnson Jr. added 10 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists. The massive Michigan frontline also walled off the paint and contested everything at the rim, making it difficult for Arizona to get its usual easy buckets inside.

The other difference maker was Michigan drilling 44.4% of its 3s. When a team with maybe the best frontcourt in college basketball is also hitting from behind the arc, the Wolverines go from elite to unbeatable.

"I think a lot of it is simply matchups," Michigan coach Dusty May said. "We just felt like if a team relies on scoring 15 feet and in, with Aday and Morez and Yaxel and Nimari Burnett and Roddy Gayle, because of our and length size, it's going to tough to score enough points 15 feet and in if we're making some shots and in a decent rhythm offensively. I think that's what happened tonight. I do think we matched up well with Arizona, better than some other teams we played."

That doesn't seem to bode well for a UConn team that is elite scoring in the paint but hit-and-miss from behind the arc. The Huskies will have to shoot better than they have all season from 3-point range and hope that they don't face a full-strength Lendeborg.

How will Michigan adjust if Lendeborg lacks his usual explosiveness or struggles to stay in front of his man defensively? After Saturday, it's safe to say the Wolverines aren't too worried.

"Yaxel at whatever percentage he's at, 80%, 70%, 60%, we'll take it," Michigan forward Will Tschetter said. "That dude, he's brought us so far this year. I have no doubt he'll give it his all on Monday night."

byNeo

in

April 05, 2026

Michigan's Yaxel Lendeborg on title-game status after injuring his ankle, knee in Final Four win: 'I'm playing no matter what'

INDIANAPOLIS — Yaxel Lendeborg assumed the worst midway through the first half on Saturday night after he stepped on the ...

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Michigan beat up Arizona and took its lunch money in a Final Four drubbing. Only UConn stands in the way of a title

So, this is the clearest way to explain what Michigan did to Arizona in a national semifinal billed as a battle between two heavyweights: Yaxel Lendeborg played the second half after spraining his MCL and rolling his ankle. Yet, upon draining a 3-pointer at the 16:27 mark, the one-legged Lendeborg had scored more points in the half (six) than the entirtey of the Wildcats' roster (four).

There are games that don't live up to the hype and then there is whatever this was. Meaner than the recess yard bully taking your lunch money, and crueler than being punked in the most embarrassing way possible, it was an annihilation so complete that you could practically see Arizona's guts spilled on the court like roadkill.

Michigan, which played with swagger, now meets up with the team built on swag in a fascinating matchup between the unstoppable force that is the Wolverines and the immovable object that is UConn, making its third national title appearance in four years.

The big bucks Big Ten hasn't won a national championship since 2000; the rebuilt Big East has won four in a decade.

"It doesn't feel real,'' Lendeborg said. "But sitting here, it's like, man we can really do this.''

Ten years ago, Villanova beat up Oklahoma in the national semifinals, a bloodletting that ended with a record 44-point victory and Buddy Hield's head buried in a towel on the bench. Nothing could quite match that, but Michigan's 90-73 demoralization of Arizona got close.

In 2016, the Wildcats shot the lights out against the Sooners in a dizzying display that felt almost silly. This felt personal, like the Wolverines weren't merely trying to beat the Wildcats but use the Wildcats as some punching bag to eradicate a ghost, or vindicate some sleight.

"Don't ever doubt Michigan, man,'' Lendeborg said. "Don't add fuel. We do a lot better when we're on the ropes. People thought we weren't that good, so we were out there and just showed the world we're not finished until Monday.''

It doesn't require too much psychoanalysis to maybe figure out what Lendeborg was talking about. From November 19 through January 2, Michigan won each game by an average - average! - 34.5 points. The Wolverines went to Las Vegas for the Players Era tournament over Thanksgiving and in the span of three nights, torched San Diego and Gonzaga by 40, and Auburn by 30. They were the team to beat.

But it is a long season, and rare is the team that dominates from first tip to last. Challengers cropped up. The Wolverines lost to Duke, burnishing the Blue Devils' resume. Florida's guards caught up to their big men, giving rise to the possibility of a repeat national champion. And then there was Arizona, always Arizona.

The Wildcats hadn't lost since Valentine's Day. While the Wolverines stubbed their toes and lost to Purdue in the Big Ten Tournament, the Wildcats went out and won the Big 12. In four NCAA games, they won by an average of 22 points – mopping the floor with Arkansas and Purdue along the way.

Though Vegas favored Michigan by 1.5 – plenty of people leaned toward Arizona.

"We had a lot of motivation going into this game,'' Lendeborg said. "Nobody, pretty much had us winning this game.''

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Billed as the should-be national championship game, it instead devolved quickly into a 1-16 walkover. Fifteen seconds in, Aday Mara scored on a tip-in, and Michigan proceeded to hit the gas like it was down the road, prepping for the 500. Two-zip begat 10-1, which led to 16-5, that swelled to a 16-point lead at the half and ballooned at one point to a 30-point lead.

In the last 50 seconds, the starters sat on the edge of the raised court like they were chilling at a house party while the scrubs finished up the mop-up duty. The Wolverines danced their way off the floor, Mara flinging a towel around his head.

"During the season, we have had some type of mental lapses during games,'' Trey McKenney said. "But I think we came out, and we really knew how high the stakes were. And we just really wanted to leave it all on the floor."

The only hiccup was the temporary fear that Michigan might leave its leading scorer on the floor. Lendeborg rolled his left foot off of Motiejus Krivas' sneaker as he drove to the bucket early in the first half. He grimaced as soon as it happened, but kept moving, hoping if he didn't sit still, the pain wouldn't register.

It didn't work. Lendeborg checked out of the game and headed to the locker room, returning to the bench with a towel over his head.

"I definitely felt like I did all of this for nothing in the moment,'' he said. "I had to calm down a little bit, speak with myself and get out of my thoughts.''

The training staff assured him he would be OK, that a sprained MCL wasn't something he couldn't play through.

As his teammates warmed up for the second half, Lendeborg went through some drills with Matt Aldred, the team's strength and conditioning coach. He walked on his tiptoes, did some lateral movements and then started the second half, draining two threes in short order.

Watching the ball go through the net gave Lendeborg a mental pick-me-up and, though he admits his knee gave him issue when he tried to slide defensivel,y he felt good enough to play nine minutes.

Afterward, Lendeborg gingerly plucked his way through a packed locker room, carefully stepping over an open duffel bag to sit at his locker and greet the media swarm. His left knee encased in an ace bandage, Lendeborg didn't try to pretend he was 100%.

But the training staff has two days to get him if not right, right enough.

"Unless I get up and I fall off my feet, I'm gonna be in that game,'' he said.

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byNeo

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April 05, 2026

Michigan beat up Arizona and took its lunch money in a Final Four drubbing. Only UConn stands in the way of a title

So, this is the clearest way to explain what Michigan did to Arizona in a national semifinal billed as a battle between t...

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German police investigate 'dangerous bodily harm' after soccer fan unrest

DRESDEN, Germany (AP) — Police in the German city of Dresden have opened more than a dozen investigations into offenses, including causing "dangerous bodily harm" afterlarge-scale disorderinvolving fans at a soccer game.

Germany Bundesliga 2 Soccer

Dozens of fans of Dynamo Dresden ran across the field toward supporters of Hertha Berlin during Saturday's second-division game before being chased back by police. Dresden fans then burned a Hertha fan flag.

The game was resumed after an interruption of nearly 20 minutes and Hertha won 1-0.

Police said in a statement late Saturday that they were investigating offenses including dangerous bodily harm, breach of the peace and property damage. Police did not immediately confirm any injuries or arrests.

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Dynamo Dresden finance director Stephan Zimmermann offered an apology to "all uninvolved people who were caught up in these unnecessary acts" and said the club had met with police.

"Our home games are known for a unique atmosphere. Pictures like we saw this evening are not acceptable and cause massive damage not only to our club but to soccer as a whole in Germany," Zimmermann said in a statement.

"We and many other clubs have spent recent months advocating for fans' interests and a safe stadium experience, and scenes like this are a heavy blow."

AP soccer:https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

byNeo

in

April 05, 2026

German police investigate 'dangerous bodily harm' after soccer fan unrest

DRESDEN, Germany (AP) — Police in the German city of Dresden have opened more than a dozen investigations into offenses, ...

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Missing service member rescued by US forces after jet downed in Iran, Trump announces

Amissing US service memberwhose fighter jet was shot down over Iran has been rescued by US forces, President Donald Trump said in a Truth Social post early Sunday.

"WE GOT HIM! My fellow Americans, over the past several hours, the United States Military pulled off one of the most daring Search and Rescue Operations in U.S. History, for one of our incredible Crew Member Officers, who also happens to be a highly respected Colonel, and who I am thrilled to let you know is now SAFE and SOUND!" Trump wrote.

"At my direction, the U.S. Military sent dozens of aircraft, armed with the most lethal weapons in the World, to retrieve him. He sustained injuries, but he will be just fine," he added. "WE WILL NEVER LEAVE AN AMERICAN WARFIGHTER BEHIND!"

The high-stakes search began this week after the F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet was shot down in the region. Another crew member was rescued alive shortly after the crash and was receiving medical attention, CNN previously reported.

Trump also touted this earlier rescue in his Sunday social media post, claiming that "this is the first time in military memory that two U.S. Pilots have been rescued, separately, deep in Enemy Territory."

It wasn't immediately clear where in Iran the jet went down.

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"The President was working in the Oval all day and was receiving constant updates from the Secretary of War," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement early Sunday.

The rescue comes after more than a day of uncertainty over the airman's fate, with Iranian state mediapromising rewardsfor his capture andreporting onIranian tribesmen shooting at US helicopters involved in the search effort.

The incident marked the first time a manned US aircraft was shot down over Iran during the conflict. Near the beginning of the war, three F-15s were mistakenly shot down in a friendly fire incident by Kuwaiti air defenses.

It comes as Trump administration officials have made repeated claims that the war is essentially won, and that the US has air superiority over the country.

The F-15 "has the capability to fight its way to a target over long ranges, destroy enemy ground positions and fight its way out," according to the Air Force. In the rear cockpit, the weapons systems officer monitors the aircraft's status, checks for possible threats and selects targets, an Air Force information page says.

Later Friday, a second US military plane — an A-10 Thunderbolt II — was struck by Iran, forcing the pilot to eject, according to a US official familiar with the matter. The pilot of the A-10, also known as a Warthog, was able to navigate the plane out of Iranian territory before ejecting from the aircraft and was subsequently rescued, the official said.

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April 05, 2026

Missing service member rescued by US forces after jet downed in Iran, Trump announces

Amissing US service memberwhose fighter jet was shot down over Iran has been rescued by US forces, President Donald Trump...

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Displaced by war, Lebanon's Christians mark Easter far from their homes and churches

JDEIDEH, Lebanon (AP) — It was not how the Rev. Maroun Ghafari had envisioned this Holy Week — for years, he had heldEaster sermonsin his predominantly Christian village of Alma al-Shaab in southern Lebanon, near the border with Israel.

APTOPIX Lebanon Good Friday

This year, he is preaching from a Beirut suburb, beside a cardboard cutout depicting his church in Alma al-Shaab, now caught in the crossfire between Israeli forces and Hezbollah fighters.

Since hostilities erupted last month between Israel and Lebanon'sIran-backed Hezbollahmilitant group — in the shadow of the wider,U.S.-Israeli war on Iran— over 1,400 people have been killed in Lebanon, and more than1 million have been forced to fleetheir homes.

Among those displaced from the war-torn south are thousands of Christians. They now find themselves far from their ancestral churches in Lebanon, where Christians have maintained a strong presence through centuries of Byzantine, Arab and Ottoman conquest and plenty ofmodern-day crises.

Christians are estimated to make up around a third of Lebanon's population of roughly 5.5 million people. With 12 Christian sects, the country is home to the largestproportion of Christiansof any nation in the Arab world.

Huddling in a church, hoping for protection

Christian villagerswho stayed behind in southern Lebanon, ignoring Israel's blanket evacuation warnings for the area, have increasingly hardened into enclaves surrounded by fierce clashes.

And though villagers in Alma al-Shaab had been uprooted before, in the 2024 Israel-Hezbollah war, this time around, they were adamant they wouldn't leave, even as airstrikes came closer and closer.

The villagers huddled in their church for protection as Israeli warplanes pounded large swaths of southern and eastern Lebanon while Israeli troops stepped up aground invasionand Hezbollah kept firing rockets at Israel.

In his annual Easter homily, Patriarch Beshara al-Rai of Lebanon's Maronite Church blamed both Hezbollah and Israel for the suffering wrought by the war.

"The country is going through a critical situation due to Iranian interference through Hezbollah and Israeli aggression," he said. "Our hearts bleed for the victims of the conflict imposed on Lebanon."

Ghafari's brother, 70-year-old Sami Ghafari, was among the villagers who sought refuge at the church in Alma al-Shaab.

But he dashed out briefly on March 8 to tend to his garden, and was killed by an Israeli drone strike. His killing prompted the remaining villagers — including his brother — to pack up their belongings.

The U.N. peacekeepers in the area — aforce known as UNIFILthat has monitored the region for nearly five decades — evacuated them to the northern suburbs of Beirut.

"We wanted to stay, but it was always possible that one of us could be targeted or killed at any moment," the Rev. Maroun Ghafari told The Associated Press from St. Anthony Church in the northern Beirut suburb of Jdeideh, where the displaced from Alma al-Shaab came to worship on Saturday.

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"Everyone is tired, and we see that war brings nothing but destruction, death and displacement."

Missing the 'smell of home'

For many Lebanese Christians, it's a tradition on Holy Saturday — the day between Good Friday, which commemorates the crucifixion and death of Jesus, and Easter Sunday, which marks his resurrection according to the Gospels — to visit the graves of their loved ones.

This year, displaced Christians could only reflect from afar.

Nabila Farah, dressed in black for the Saturday service at St. Anthony Church, was among the last to leave Alma al-Shaab. She still feels heartbroken, a month later.

"You miss the smell of home, the lovely traditions and customs, the sounds of the bells of three churches ringing," she said, reminiscing about her village. "As much as we experience the Easter atmosphere here, it will never be as it is over there."

Those who remain face other challenges.

Marius Khairallah, a priest in the southern Lebanese city of Tyre, where much of the Christian community has hunkered down, says that he and his congregants are staying put "not out of stubbornness, but out of a sense of mission, to remain alongside their fellow faithful, as witnesses."

"A significant number of parishioners have been displaced or are absent," he said. "Yet churches still open their doors. Prayers are still raised — even with fewer voices."

Worries are mounting among Christians in the area as the Lebanese army — which seeks to stay neutral in the Israel-Hezbollah war — pulls out from parts of southern Lebanon, leaving them exposed to Israeli forces pushing deeper into the territory.

St. Antony's main priest, the Rev. Dori Fayyad, used his Good Friday sermon to take solemn note of the war's widening toll on the southern Lebanese Christians, as the faithful recited prayers in Arabic and Syriac, a dialect of the Aramaic language spoken by Jesus.

"Today, you understand what the cross means, not as an idea, not as a concept, but because you are going through it," he told the fully packed pews, the crowd so thick that dozens had to stand or crouch on the back stairs.

Some wiped away tears as Fayyad named one by one the southern churches, illustrated in the cardboard cutouts next to the pulpit.

"These churches in these villages are not only places of worship," he said. "They are silent witnesses to suffering and to faith."

Associated Press video journalist Ali Sharafeddine in Jdeideh, Lebanon, contributed to this report.

byNeo

in

April 05, 2026

Displaced by war, Lebanon's Christians mark Easter far from their homes and churches

JDEIDEH, Lebanon (AP) — It was not how the Rev. Maroun Ghafari had envisioned this Holy Week — for years, he had heldEast...

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