NBA Draft

Yaxel Lendeborg has been a force for the UAB Blazers all season long, but his performance in the Conference USA championship game really put NBA scouts on notice. The 6'9" junior forward from New Jersey dominated the glass, pulling down 16 rebounds to go along with 14 points and 4 assists in the Blazers’ 85-69 rout of Temple. Lendeborg’s rebounding prowess has been his calling card. He was named the Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year after averaging a double-double with 14.

In a move that has left many basketball analysts scratching their heads, the Los Angeles Lakers’ general manager Rob Pelinka reportedly overruled his scouting department’s preference and drafted Jalen Hood-Schifino with the 17th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. This decision came at the expense of passing on the highly touted Cam Whitmore, who had been projected as a lottery pick by numerous mock drafts. According to sources, the Lakers’ scouting department had Whitmore as their top choice once Keyonte Bufkin was off the board.