Insider Andy Katz crowns Michigan top five team in the nation following Yaxel Lendeborg's return to Dusty May's squad 

Dusty May's Michigan Wolverines received a significant boost to their championship aspirations after Yaxel Lendeborg announced his return to college basketball and committed to the program via the transfer portal.

On Tuesday, Lendeborg, a highly touted NBA prospect, declared his withdrawal from the upcoming draft to join the Wolverines for his final year of eligibility.

With his addition, Michigan has climbed to No. 2 in the transfer rankings, per 247Sports, and has become a legitimate contender to win the national championship.

NCAA insider Andy Katz reacted to the news by recognizing the impact of Lendeborg's move on next season's landscape.

"So, (Dusty May) is going to have Lendeborg, Aday Mara from UCLA, and Morez Johnson from Illinois. All three play a little bit differently, and yet all could play together," Katz said via an X/Twitter post by Big Ten Basketball. "That is going to be one of the best front lines in the country.

"Now you add North Carolina transfer Elliot Cadeau on the perimeter. You bring back Roddy Gayle, Nimari Burnett, L.J. Cason and Will Tschetter. It’s a really deep team that Dusty May thinks is going to have a lot of options.

"Michigan will enter the Big Ten season with Purdue as the two favorites ... Michigan is going to be right there in that top five nationally. And certainly, it's going to be one-two in the Big Ten next season," he added.

The Wolverines also added three freshmen: Trey McKenney, Winters Grady and Oscar Goodman, to complete their 2025 recruiting class. Coach May will have a lot of options to choose from heading into his second season in Ann Arbor.

Yaxel Lendeborg wants Dusty May to develop him like Danny Wolf

Yaxel Lendeborg spent six weeks testing the NBA draft waters. He was even projected as a first-round pick by ESPN, but decided to return to college for one more year.

At Michigan, he will replace forward Danny Wolf, who is also exploring NBA opportunities after averaging 13.2 points and 9.7 rebounds per game last season.

"It's amazing what Dusty May did with Danny Wolf," Lendeborg said via ESPN.com. "I would watch his games this season and say, 'Man, I wish that was me.' I'm trying to bring the same type of versatility he brought to Michigan."

Lendeborg, the No. 1 overall transfer in the country by 247Sports, will look to win a Big Ten and national championship and improve his draft stock playing under coach May.