In a move which will bolster the frontcourt moving forward, St. John's University has received a commitment from JUCO All American Yaxel Lendeborg.

Unsung and unknown on the recruiting market following a brief, obscure high school career, the New Jersey native transformed his game at Arizona Western in the West Coast JC ranks.

Lendeborg averaged 12 points, 11 rebounds, and shot it at a blistering 60.7 percent from the field as a freshman last season.

Lendeborg is an aggressive rebounder and will add a post presence at 6-foot-9 and 230 pounds.

There is unique appeal in Lendeborg's ability to put the ball on the floor like a guard and step out and hit the outside shot. He brings above average IQ at his size and a passing arsenal, aspects which impressed St. John's.

Lendeborg wound up choosing St. John's over New Mexico and Xavier, as he had whittled his list down to those three.

While St. John's landed high-profile transfers in David Jones (DePaul) and homegrown LUHI product Andre Curbelo (Illinois) while subsequently landing a highly coveted and versatile 6-foot-7 wing in 2023 senior Brandon Gardner this off-season (currently at Christ The King HS), they've drawn some scrutiny during a frustrating fall recruiting period.

They couldn’t deliver on commitments from Christ The King forward Brandon Williams, who chose UCLA after narrowing a massive list down to the Bruins and St. John's.

Last week, a hyper-athletic and skilled big guard/wing in Carl Cherenfant of Calvary Christian (FL) chose Memphis after whittling it down to Memphis, St. John's, and UCF.

A commitment from Lendeborg suddenly has the momentum pendulum swinging back in St. John's direction.

Having improved as a floor spacer and outside shooter, Lendeborg has a similar style and make up as former St. John's forward Aaron Wheeler.

Lendeborg's multi-positional style was evident during multiple games last season, including a 26-point (9-for-12 FG, 3-3 3FG, 5-6 FT) performance during an 87-70 win over Pima.

Shooting the ball and dialing in from distance are areas of his game Lendeborg has devoted much focus to this off-season. He'll enter his sophomore year at Arizona Western as the focal point.

Lendeborg had nine games of 13 or more rebounds during his freshman season. He's added more polish to his all-around game. His mobility and fleet of foot aligns with the souped-up attack Mike Anderson is known to enforce.

The family atmosphere established by Anderson and the program's emphasis on defensive tenacity were positive draws factoring into Lendeborg's decision.

The fluid ball movement and the unselfishness which St. John's plays with were also selling points for Lendeborg, who committed after visiting the Queens campus with his parents this past weekend.

A classic case of a late bloomer on the recruiting market, Lendeborg's stock soared in a hurry this summer.

After his explosive finishing, length, and multi-tooled approach was discovered following a few JUCO national events, Lendeborg gathered offers from Cincinnati, Wichita State, Houston, the aforementioned New Mexico and Xavier, and others.

A fluid athlete with several chase down blocks last season, Lendeborg has the length and rim protecting mentality to adapt instantly to SJU's style.

He's improved with his ability to score between a defender and the rim and boasted thunderous finishing capabilities throughout his freshman season at Arizona Western.

As the reigning Arizona Community College Athletic Association Player of the Year, Lendeborg inherits some ownership of this team as a sophomore.

The 6-foot-11 Stepinac product Joel Soriano and 6-foot-10 Esahia Nwiye are both projected to increase in importance and productivity this season.

Both are seniors, however, and St. John's has secured a promising future interior presence with Lendeborg and the Gardner.

The commitment from Lendeborg doesn't come right just in time for St. John's, but it does occur while the buzz is heightening for the upcoming 2022-23 campaign.

While St. John's loyalists have attached an "NCAA tournament or buzz" label to this season, St. John's returns one of the conference's best point guards in Posh Alexander and features Jones and Curbelo as projected impact-heavy additions.

St. John's recorded a thorough 85-55 thrashing of Division-II Adelphi in the pre-season opener Wednesday night. AJ Storr, a 6-6 freshman wing who enters with lofty expectations as a highly touted recruit out of IMG Academy (FL), scored 13 (5-for-9 FG, 2-3 3FG) points in 19 minutes. Andre Curbelo and Joel Soriano each added 12 points. Alexander dished out a game best 10 assists.