Lendeborg, Coleman declare for the NBA Draft, enter NCAA Transfer Portal

By Steve Irvine

BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA - March 31, 2025

UAB basketball standouts Yaxel Lendeborg and Christian Coleman are declaring for the NBA Draft as well as entering the NCAA Transfer Portal.

Both Lendeborg and Coleman played for two seasons for UAB after transferring from junior college. They both participated in Senior Day festivities before UAB’s win over Florida Atlantic on March 6. However, each has a year of college eligibility remaining because of the Diego Pavia ruling that allows former junior college athletes one more year of eligibility.

Lendeborg is considered to be a possible first round choice in the NBA Draft, which is on June 25. Lendeborg will also be targeted by some of the premier programs in the country if he decides to come back for one more college year. In two seasons at UAB, the 6-foot-9, 240-pound Lendeborg had 1,136 points, 790 rebounds, 157 assists,138 blocked shots and 88 steals in 72 games with 68 starts. He was a two-time AAC Defensive Player of the Year, two-time All-AAC first team selection and the AAC Preseason Player of the Year this past season. He put together one of the best single-game performances in college basketball history when he had 30 points, 20 rebounds, eight assists, five steals and four blocked shots in an AAC Tournament quarterfinal win over East Carolina.

After the AAC Tournament championship game loss to Memphis, Lendeborg was asked what UAB head coach Andy Kennedy and the program meant to him.

“It's been the world to me,” Lendeborg said at the time. “I feel like AK really like just saved my life, to be honest, because coming out of Juco I was just expecting to come here and be a role player, just fill in whatever he needs. But he turned me into kind of a superstar. And next year I actually could have a chance of playing for the NBA, you know. And me, before I came down, I never would have thought that ever. His awesome belief in me really made me the player I am today and I'm very grateful and proud that I got to play for UAB for these last two years, so thank you and, yeah.”

Coleman also made huge strides in his two seasons with the program. The 6-foot-8, 205-pound Louisiana native, who came to UAB after two seasons at South Plains College in Texas. Over the past two seasons, Coleman had 698 points, 421 rebounds, 70 assists, 56 blocked shots and 49 steals in 72 games with 42 starts. He closed his UAB career by averaging 19 points and nine rebounds in three NIT games.

It appears that Kennedy and his staff could possibly have to fill an entire roster, which is not uncommon in the NIL world of college athletics. Ja’Borri McGhee, Tyren Moore, Marquis Hargrove and RJ Kennedy have all announced they are entering the portal. Efrem “Butta” Johnson, Alejandro Vasquez, Makhi Myles and Bradley Ezewiro have not announced their intentions. Vasquez and Ezewiro participated in Senior Day. Tony Toney is the only player on the 2024-25 roster with no remaining college eligibility. Greg Gordon and Will Shaver left the team during the season.