On Tuesday, No. 1 Michigan Wolverines face No. 7 Purdue Boilermakers in arguably the most important college basketball game this season. A controversy has been stirred up ahead of the encounter, with a video appearing on Monday that shows Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg making profane comments about Purdue.
In the video, Lendeborg can be heard saying:
“Gonna spank their f*cking a**. We gonna beat their f*cking a**. F*ck Purdue.”
Michigan’s coach, Dusty May, spoke with the press about the situation, saying that the player is profoundly ashamed of the entire episode.
“The most disappointing part of it is that he feels really bad about how he’s perceived by children and those who look up to him. He said, ‘Coach, I don’t even use that language in conversation. I don’t like the way it makes me look. I feel terrible about it.’ And then obviously how he’s perceived to our fan base and those that he cares about,” May said.
“Look, it’s a great lesson. It’s one of the reasons he’s here. He wanted to learn to be a better pro, and to be a better pro, you need to have the mindset that you’re probably always being recorded, and if there’s ever a moment that someone can use that information against you,” he added.
He also claimed that the video was recorded in the spring of last year, around the time when Lendeborg transferred from the UAB Blazers to Michigan. Lendeborg was the top transferee of the transfer portal last year in college basketball.
May said that it was simply a series of comments the player made during a night out, seemingly pointing out that it’s a mistake that anyone can make. He also said that this is a great lesson for Yaxel Lendeborg on how to be a better professional and that he doesn’t think that the video will have any impact on the game. May added that for the 23-year-old, the Purdue Boilermakers are difficult opponents.
Who Is the Favorite for Michigan vs. Purdue Tonight?
The game is almost a toss-up for the bookies, with DraftKings having Michigan as a 2.5-point favorite. The ESPN game predictor is equally skittish, giving the Wolverines a 52.2% chance of winning. An upset by Purdue could turn the top 25 on its head.
The game is set for 5:30 pm at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Indiana.
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