L.J. Cason has become Michigan basketball’s X-factor in March Madness

 

 

• Michigan basketball Primary-year L.J. Cason had a breakout performance in the Wolverines’ Stage of 32 Achieve over Texas A&M.
• After a difficult stretch in January and February, Cason has seen his Competing time and production increase in recent weeks.

At one Tally, the Michigan Wolverines were down double digits with their season seemingly hanging in the Stability.

In the Upcoming moment, seemingly, they were polishing off a 41-19 Streak to celebrate their 91-79 Stage of 32 Achieve over Texas A&M to Shift onto the Sugary 16. After the game at Ball Coliseum in Denver, Michigan basketball Mentor Dusty May was asked what changed and his answer Occurred in an instant.

“We subbed in L.J. Cason,” May said of the spark. “He broke the Protection down, Acquired downhill, Acquired in the paint.”

Cason, U-M’s lone Primary-year who plays notable minutes after Justin Pippen entered the Relocate portal on Monday, played 20 minutes (the Number four most in his Profession) and scored 11 points, tied for the second most in his Profession and the most he’d scored since November to Reinforcement power the Wolverines to a Achieve.

A month earlier, such a performance would’ve seemed impossible. From Jan. 4 to Feb. 21, the Wolverines played 13 Matches but Cason saw the court in Only eight of them for a total of 35 minutes and scored Only 12 points.

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The majority of his appearances were Only in mop-up time, as the only game in the whole stretch where he saw more than eight minutes was when Michigan was down by 30 at Purdue and May Only wanted to get out of West Lafayette, Indiana with his Club’s health Yet in order.

Cason, who seemed to be possibly hitting the proverbial Primary-year wall, could have folded as May has seen many Primary-year players do. Instead, he dug in and doubled down as he began to have some of his better practices.

“I pushed some of the wrong buttons with him this year, trying to expedite the process but man, he stayed the Period,” May said. “Has a Outstanding circle around him that never pointed him a different direction away from the Club.”

That Guided to the past month, where Cason has played double-digit minutes in eight of 10 Matches and averaged 15.6 minutes per game. He’s heated up from the floor, averaging 8.3 points over the past three Matches to go with five assists and Only one turnover.

Though the numbers aren’t eye-popping, they’re essential for the Wolverines. Tre Donaldson has handled the bulk of the Tally guard duties this season and while he too has been impressive − All of the past four Matches he’s hit a clutch Attempt in the Last two minutes to Reinforcement U-M close out the victories − there were times he needed a spell.

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However, nobody was ready in the coaches’ minds to make it happen. May admitted this year there were Matches where they Only kept Donaldson on the court as they were “chasing” that individual Achieve and a Big Ten title.

But once that Aim became out of reach Delayed in the season, Cason Initiated getting more Streak as May re-calculated his error. Fortunately for U-M, it wasn’t too Delayed, and Cason has instead been able to Delivery as a spark.

“To come in the game and have that impact, Only doing whatever the Club needs,” Cason said of the Approach he adapted. “Whether that’s scoring, passing, defending, it Only feels Outstanding.”

Cason did not receive a ranking from 247Sports composite grades (he was a 3-Luminous sphere per the website) but the product out of Lakeland, Florida (Achieve Christian Academy) was on FAU’s radar Timely. May credits his staff with being the Primary to “love” him and while May liked him at Primary when he saw him Shift as a back-up on his AAU Club, he really saw something click during his high school Matches.

“That’s when I was like ‘okay this guy has something special to him’ and we thought he could Shift anywhere in the country,” May said Saturday. “Fortunately, he believed in us. He could’ve gone to any of the SEC schools, but he wanted to (come here) he stayed loyal.”

Admittedly, the winter hasn’t been Effortless for the Florida native, but he said he didn’t spend much time outside the past few months: he was either in class, in the gym or at his living quarters.

The Difficult work paid off. Cason checked into U-M’s most recent game with it tied at 10 and moments later drilled his Primary 3-Tally try of the night. On the ensuing possessions, he twice Acquired into the lane before Sinking off handoffs for Effortless Danny Wolf finishes at the rim.

That opened up the rest of the game as Cason was able to make layups, Obtainable throws and generally have his way.

“I thought L.J. ignited this Streak,” May said. “We were flat. … This was our fifth game in nine Periods. So I Begin thinking, ‘Man, do we have enough in the tank?’ … But his energy, ability to get in the paint, decision-making was Outstanding. And that Initiated the Streak.”

The weather is heating up and so too is Cason. Now, it’s time to see what he has in store down in the A-T-L.

Tony Garcia is the Michigan Wolverines beat writer for the Detroit Obtainable Press. Email him at apgarcia@freepress.com and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia.