Michigan Basketball announced on Saturday that sophomore point guard L.J. Cason tore his ACL and will miss the remainder of the season. The injury occurred in Friday’s Big Ten championship-clinching victory over Illinois. Cason had emerged as the best backup point guard in the country, averaging 8.4 points per game on 50% shooting from the field and 40.2% from three. He made a significant jump from his freshman season where he shot only 36.8% overall and 24.6% from three.
Cason’s injury is a substantial loss for Michigan ahead of the NCAA Tournament. In conference play, Dusty May entrusted Cason with substantial minutes in critical games. He spearheaded a comeback against Northwestern, scoring a season-high 18 points, to erase a 16-point deficit in the second half. More importantly, Michigan did not see a dropoff in production with Cason on the floor in place of Elliot Cadeau. In games where Cadeau struggled with turnovers or found himself in early foul trouble, Cason came off the bench and the team didn’t skip a beat.
Now, Dusty May has to figure out how to replace his best player off the bench. Not only does the rotation shrink to eight players, but Michigan no longer has a proven point guard to come in and lead the offensive attack with Cadeau off the floor. With two games to go in Big Ten play, and the title already locked up, the coaching staff has some runway to find solutions.
The Path Forward
Much of the pressure is now on Elliot Cadeau to play his best basketball of the season. Staying on the floor, and out of foul trouble, is priority number one. There is no longer a safety net off the bench if Cadeau commits early fouls. Expect more minutes from the starting point guard, who is now the obvious X-factor in Michigan making a national championship run.
Cadeau has looked the part of a national champion starting point guard for much of the season. He averages 10.1 points and 5.5 assists on 43.1% from the field and 38.4% from three in just over 25 minutes per game. But, he has been very streaky on the offensive side. He was 1/8 shooting against Duke, missing several wide-open shots in the second half. Against Northwestern, he turned the ball over five times and did not play late in the game as Cason anchored a comeback. But, Cadeau has had more good performances than bad on the season. He excelled on the road against Michigan State and Purdue, scoring 17 points in each game. The pressure is on Cadeau to play over 30 minutes a game going forward, but he has shown he can handle it throughout the season.
The biggest question Dusty May faces is what happens when Cadeau is not on the floor? I expect Yaxel Lendeborg to handle the ball in a “point forward” role that has been popularized in the NBA. Lendeborg is Michigan’s best player and the second-most assists on the team at 3.3 per game, behind only Cadeau. This scenario would see Trey McKenney and one of Roddy Gayle Jr. or Nimari Burnett at the two and three with Morez Johnson Jr. and Aday Mara at the four and five. This lineup would play 5-10 minutes a game, allowing Cadeau to rest while still presenting a size and shooting challenge for opposing teams.
It also opens up minutes for one of the aforementioned guards to take on a bigger role. Trey McKenney is the obvious answer here. The five-star freshman is shooting 38% from beyond the arc, averaging almost 10 points in 21 minutes per game. His role has increased as the season has gone on and, like Cason, has been on the floor to close out games over Gayle and Burnett. The door is open for one of the guards to step up.
While Cason’s injury is significant, it does not take Michigan out of national championship contention. Yes, the road is more difficult without one of your breakout players, but Michigan’s now eight-man rotation is still one of the best in the country alongside Duke and Arizona. The final two games of the regular season, along with the Big Ten Tournament next weekend in Chicago, give Michigan time to figure out the new rotation before the NCAA Tournament starts on March 19th.
