Dusty May unveils why Michigan leans on Yaxel Lendeborg in March Madness

Depth is usually the name of the game during March Madness. The unlikely players become heroes for their clutch shots and immortalize themselves. Coach Dusty May and the Michigan Wolverines see this but they still funnel a lot of their production towards one guy — Yaxel Lendeborg. It was fairly evident in their Sweet 16 win over the Alabama Crimson Tide and their head coach has no problem with that.

Why does Michigan love running things through Lendeborg in March Madness?

For starters, Lendeborg is clearly one of the best players in college basketball. His imposing size and savvy smarts on the court made him a contender for the National Player of the Year award. Not to mention, he also delivers on a nightly basis. Against Alabama, he put up a massive 23-point performance while knocking down 66% of his field goal attempts and 80% of his shots from beyond the arc.

Coach May noted this and outlined why Michigan thrives when Lendeborg is on the court during March Madness, via CBS Sports.

"We needed our guy to be our guy and he did it all night. His ability to get downhill defensively, off the charts. He just played really well. I like it because we have another gear we can get into or two gears. We are not playing anywhere near as well as we can  or we have. We still have a ways to go," the Michigan head coach declared.

Lendeborg was not just great at getting the ball down in the hoop. Michigan saw him become an all-arounder in this guy. He notched 12 rebounds while also preventing Alabama from gaining momentum through grabbing two steals. On the offensive side, Coach May trusted him to become a floor general and he was paid handsomely as Lendeborg dished out seven assists.

There were some hiccups in this game against Alabama but those woes were patched up.

"I thought our intensity and our discipline around the rim. In the first half, we were in a good position to help our teammates, we were overhelping, and we were making undisciplined passes," Coach May added.

This strategy has worked for Michigan when they went up against Alabama, Saint Louis, and Howard. Will it continue to serve them well in March Madness once they face the winner between the Tennessee Volunteers and Iowa State Cyclones?

More March Madness News:

• Jon Scheyer's emotional Caleb Foster praise as Duke reach March Madness Elite 8

• Yaxel Lendeborg claims Michigan is the 'best team' in March Madness

• Purdue clutches up vs. Texas advance to another March Madness Elite Eight