L.J. Cason showed flashes as a freshman, and he’s working hard this offseason to be even better as a sophomore. But how much of an impact can he make in 2025-26 for the Michigan Wolverines? We evaluate:
The future of the Michigan men’s basketball program is bright, and L.J. Cason is certainly a part of that future.
While the Florida native wasn’t always consistent and went through a stretch with limited playing time midway through conference play, Cason flashed at times and showed upside to become a leading scorer at some point in his career.
In about 12 minutes per game, Cason averaged 4.3 points, 1.4 rebounds and 1.0 assists while shooting 36.8 percent from the field, 24.6 percent from three and 81.6 percent from the free throw line as a true freshman.
Those numbers don’t do his late-season impact justice. Cason had five points or more in five of Michigan’s six postseason games (three in the Big Ten Tournament , three in the NCAA Tournament), including 11 points in the Round of 32 win over Texas A&M .
Cason went through the growing pains that freshman guards often go through, struggling on defense and not playing much when he wasn’t hitting shots. But Cason’s ability to create his own shot proved to be incredibly valuable when the season stakes were raised.
He also possesses a valuable trait for young guards: fearlessness.
“Well, if you know L.J. Cason, he’s never going to be unaggressive,” head coach Dusty May said after Michigan’s Big Ten Tournament Championship win over Wisconsin. “He’s going to put the pedal to the metal, and we know him, and that’s the beautiful thing about him choosing to join us at Michigan is we know what his DNA is. We know his background. We know who he is to the core, and so we never lost faith. It’s tough to be a freshman, especially at this level, with the glut of older players. And the one thing with L.J. — he hit that freshman wall and it looked gloomy, I’m not going to lie. And he busted through that thing and found a new energy, and if he didn’t have that substance, we’re not sitting here — another team is on this podium now (as Big Ten Champions).”
With Tre Donaldson and Justin Pippen entering the portal this offseason, Cason is expected to have a larger role in 2025-26. He found his stride the last few weeks of the season, which can kickstart a sophomore leap.
“He’s really excited from the last couple weeks (of the season), and that just reconfirmed to him that he belongs at that level,” Steve Fitzgerald, Cason’s high school coach told The Wolverine’s Clayton Sayfie ($). “He will put the work in to make sure that he’s not only in the rotation but is an impact player next year…His shooting percentage was more due to the fact that he was just getting small doses of playing time. I don’t think it’s a true reflection. I have full confidence that if he’s in there for 15-plus minutes a game, he’s going to shoot 40 percent from three. There’s just no doubt in my mind.”
Fitzgerald compared Cason to Walter Clayton, a veteran point guard who just led Florida to the National Championship. While that feels a bit generous — KenPom’s Comparable Players tool said his freshman season was more aligned with Memphis’ Jahvon Quinerly in 2023, FAU’s Michael Forrest in 2023, and Louisville’s Tony Hicks in 2017 — Cason’s upside increases as he gets more playing time.
“But if the ‘leash’ comes off, I’m not saying he’s gonna be like (Auburn guard Tahaad) Pettiford or anything, but something similar where he’s gonna be on people’s scouting report,” Fitzgerald said. “He’s gonna be an impact player, for sure.”
Projecting Cason’s sophomore season
Here’s a look at Michigan’s scholarship situation as of the first week of May.
- North Carolina G Elliot Cadeau
- Illinois F/C Morez Johnson
- UAB F Yaxel Lendeborg
- UCLA C Aday Mara
- G L.J. Cason
- G Roddy Gayle Jr.
- G Nimari Burnett
- F/C Will Tschetter
- G Trey McKenney
- G Winters Grady
- F Oscar Goodman
A lot can change between now and November, and it’s always difficult to project a college basketball rotation on paper. But right now, Cadeau seems like the obvious starter at point guard, and I think Cason will be battling with Burnett and McKenney for the starting 2 spot.
The sophomore year is usually when young guards get used to their team’s system and the pace of play. Kobe Bufkin, who went from barely playing his freshman season to being one of Michigan’s best players and a first-round pick in his sophomore season, is perhaps the best recent example of how much guards can improve from Year 1 to Year 2.
Is it reasonable to expect Cason to average 14 points per game like Bufkin did as a second-year player? That much of a scoring jump would be surprising, but averaging 10 points per game while shooting 45 percent from the field and 37 percent from three feels reasonable.