Michigan Wolverines basketball guard L.J. Cason scored 11 points in an NCAA Tournament win over Texas A&M.
Michigan Wolverines basketball guard L.J. Cason scored 11 points in an NCAA Tournament win over Texas A&M.
Michigan Wolverines basketball added just one transfer guard to replace the three that left, bringing in former North Carolina starter Elliot Cadeau, one of the top passers in the country last season. The rest of the back court will be filled with returning players and two incoming freshmen — four-stars Trey McKenney and Winters Grady.
Michigan’s returning guards are all expected to take leaps forward, but sophomore L.J. Cason has the biggest jump to make. He was in and out of the rotation while showing flashes, before breaking out to become a key piece late in the year.
Michigan head coach Dusty May loves Cason’s aggressiveness and playmaking ability. Early in the second-round NCAA Tournament game against Texas A&M, May turned to his assistant coaches and said he’s “ready for some L.J.” Soon after subbing him in, May yelled up the floor, “Be aggressive, L.J.!”
“With L.J., he’s obviously showed that he has a great deal of talent, as far as playmaking and ability to impact basketball games,” May said on the ‘Defend The Block’ podcast. “Almost every game he came into, he had an impact on the game. You felt like he was in the game. Sometimes, guys can disappear and just be out there, where with L.J., he finds his way in the action the majority of the time.”
The 6-foot-2, 190-pound Lakeland, Fla., native got right back to work after his freshman season ended. He’s slated to try out for the Team USA U19 squad in Colorado Springs this month and will potentially earn a roster spot for the FIBA World Cup in Switzerland.
“For L.J. to take the next step, it’s the consistency of work, it’s taking care of his body, it’s getting the right amounts of sleep and just the overall self-discipline that it takes to become an elite player and an all-league type of competitor,” the Michigan coach continued.
“With him, he’s still working on himself. He’s come a long way. He’s in the gym a lot.”
May believes Cason’s time with USA Basketball, while it will take him away from the Michigan team for at least a few days and maybe longer, will be a positive.
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