Michigan Basketball Coach Dusty May Talks LJ Cason Injury, Moving Forward

Michigan’s late-season momentum took a significant hit when backup point guard LJ Cason tore his ACL against Illinois on Friday night. It's a blow that head coach Dusty May described as both unfortunate and largely unavoidable.

“At halftime, the training staff came and said he passed all of his jump tests… he said he’s 100 percent ready to go,” May explained. “Both of his knees are loose, so we didn’t feel like anything was torn. He comes back in, he lands funny again. So I don’t know when it happened — he doesn't know when it happened.”

For May, the most frustrating part is the randomness of it all.

“When you land funny on a quirky play, those are the ones… they’re not preventable,” he said. “It’s obviously unfortunate for him because he was playing so well.”

Cason’s timing couldn’t have been worse. May said the sophomore had been improving every single game, with his maturity and habits trending upward at exactly the right time. National pundits have called Cason the best backup point guard in the country — a label May definitely understood.

“I don’t know if he’s the best backup point guard in the country, but I can’t think of one that’s better,” May said. “We’re losing a lot.”

Now, with the regular season wrapping up and the Big Ten Tournament and NCAA Tournament on the horizon, Michigan must adjust on the fly.

May acknowledged that Cason’s absence removes an “insurance policy” behind Elliot Cadeau and forces others into expanded roles.

“This will force Elliot to be much more solid with his defensive decision-making… he doesn’t have that insurance policy anymore named LJ behind him.”

The silver lining? Opportunity.

“This is a great opportunity for Roddy [Gayle Jr.] and Trey [McKenney] and Nimari [Burnett] to play more,” May said. “Our rotation’s been nine, and nine I think is too deep if you want to optimize everyone. But we felt like we had nine guys who deserved to play.”

McKenney, in particular, could see more time with the ball in his hands.

“He’s a hell of a player,” May said. “He’s good with the ball in his hands, good without it… we have confidence.”

Gayle and Burnett also bring experience initiating offense, giving Michigan flexibility as it navigates postseason matchups.

“We have enough to overcome what LJ brought to the team,” May said. “It’s on us to find the right rotations and situations.”

Long term, surgery and even the possibility of sitting out next season remain on the table for Cason. For now, May wants him embedded with the team and using the setback as fuel.

“When adversity hits, our response is good,” May said. “He’s going to appreciate the game even more… dive into the film, get his body right, grow mentally.”

It stings — especially given how well Cason was playing — but Michigan’s message is clear. The Wolverines aren’t dwelling on what they’ve lost. With March approaching, they’re focused on who’s next.