Jason Burgos
Duke and Michigan were just gifted a great replacement option for their top stars, Carlos Boozer and Yaxel Lendeborg, in the transfer portal.
This is a big week for both the Blue Devils and Wolverines men’s basketball programs. The pair of top-five schools has reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament and has a real chance to move on to the Elite 8 on Friday night.
While both teams have strong rosters, Duke and Michigan don’t reach this point in the season without ACC Player of the Year Cam Boozer and Big Ten POTY Yaxel Lendeborg. Unfortunately for fans of the program, they need to enjoy the ride and the talents of both because they will be gone after this month.
The Duke freshman could be the No. 1 pick in June’s NBA Draft, while Lendeborg will be forced to head to the pros since this is his final year of eligibility. Although both programs are laser-focused on their Sweet 16 games, they must also look ahead to replacing their best players. Well, a very interesting option just hit the transfer portal.
Should Duke & Michigan target Paulius Murauskas in the transfer portal?
This week, Saint Mary’s star Paulius Murauskas revealed to ESPN that he will enter the portal and be available to the highest bidder to max out his final season of eligibility in 2026-27.
The Gaels have turned into a force in the West Coast Conference under head coach Randy Bennett, and the 6-foot-8, 225-pounder emerged as his best player this season. In his second year with the program, the Lithuanian had a breakout campaign as he led the team in scoring (18.4) and rebounds (7.6), and was second in assists (2.1).
It won’t be easy for Duke or Michigan to replace Boozer and Lendeborg. However, the former Arizona recruit is an intriguing option who could be a Player of the Year contender next season in their program.
