An athlete from Pennsauken, New Jersey, is preparing to take the court in the Final Four. It's a moment years in the making that wouldn't be possible without his mom.

Standing 6 feet 9 inches tall, Yaxel Lendeborg, a forward at Michigan, is approaching one of the biggest moments of his basketball career.

As Michigan gets ready to face Arizona in the Final Four on Saturday, those closest to him are reflecting on the path that brought him there.

"You can do it. I always talk to Yaxel in a positive way. I know he's great. I always believe, look now," said his mother, Yisselinet Raposo.

His former coach, Harrison Carsillo, said Lendeborg has grown immensely over the years, and he couldn't be more proud.

"To see where he is now, no, I never saw the Final Four and being as big of a player that he is," Carsillo said.

Lendeborg's road to the national stage included setbacks. While in high school in Pennsauken, he missed several seasons because of his grades.

He eventually became eligible to join the varsity team for the final 11 games of his senior year.

"Did I expect him to go to the Final Four from that year? Absolutely not. Did we know he was a special talent? We did," Carsillo said.

While basketball was always part of his life, his mother recalled moments when it was time for him to get his act together- using a sound to get his attention. One she uses for him still to this day, and her other kids.

"When he was little, I'd say, 'Yaxel.' He never look at me. When I start to make the sound, he'd say okay" Raposo said.

It was during his senior year that a pivotal conversation helped shift his priorities.

"It was whatever was said between mom and him, and then he did it for her," Carsillo said.

She brought him to work with her one day.

"I said, 'That's what you want for your life?' He said no. I said, 'That's why you need to play basketball,'" she said.

His sister, Yisendy Lendenborg, said their family never gave up on him.

"My mom, too, she did an amazing job making sure he knew he was good. I know he doubts himself sometimes," she said.

Now, Lendeborg is two wins away from a national championship.

"When we was in Indiana, when they win, he say, 'Don't start crying.' I don't want you to cry,'" Raposo said.

But when asked if she cried?

"Yes. Yaxel, too," she said.

As Michigan prepares for its Final Four matchup, those back home in Pennsauken are cheering him on.