Mar 01, 2026
3 min read
The Wolverines sophomore was averaging 12.1 points per game in seven games before he was injured Friday night against Illinois.
The injury woes overtook college basketball and bit another top team on Friday night.
Michigan announced Saturday night that key backup quarterback L.J. Cason tore his ACL in the Wolverines' win at Illinois on Friday, ending his season.
Although Cason didn't start, it was a big loss for one of the presumed title favorites.He averaged 8.4 points and 2.6 assists in 18.6 minutes per game, shooting 50.3 percent from the field and 40.2 percent from 3-point range.He provided the Wolverines with lightning off the bench many times when needed.His most impressive performance came during Michigan's win over Northwestern on Feb. 11, when he scored 18 points in a game where the Wolverines looked lifeless on offense in the first half.
The sophomore is also playing his best ball of late.He averaged 12.1 points per game in seven games before the injury, and had nine points and two assists in just 13 minutes against the Illini before going down with the injury.
Cason's shooting -- he made 44.6 percent from 3 in Big Ten play -- will be missed the most, but losing his game will also hurt.He provided a layer of security if opener Elliott Caddo had an erratic game, but now the pressure on Caddo's shoulders is mounting.
According to CBB's analysis, Michigan had essentially the same point differential with or without Cason on the floor.He and Caddo are very different players, but both have made an impact on both ends of the floor.Now the problem is how to replace Cason's minutes.One option is to allow freshman Terry McKenney to handle the ball more while increasing his minutes.Roddy Gayle Jr. should also see his role grow.Stylistically, the Wolverines may need to run their offense more often through big men Yaxel Landborg as a forward and Adi Mara as a post facilitator.
Thanks to their dominant frontcourt and blocking defense, the Wolverines remain a top championship contender along with Duke and Arizona.But without Cason's topsy-turvy microwave off the bench, their margin for error becomes thin.Michigan will play its first game without Cason on Thursday, when Dusty May's team travels to Iowa City to face Iowa.
