ANN ARBOR, Mich. – No. 3-ranked Michigan Wolverines head coach Dusty May addressed lineup adjustments following L.J. Cason’s injury and the team’s mindset as they prepare to play at Iowa, return home for senior night, and head into the Big Ten tournament.
The Wolverines will travel to Iowa City to take on the Hawkeyes on Thursday (March 5) at 8 p.m. inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
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“Well, we’re excited to be where we are this time of year. Getting ready to go on the road and face a really tough Iowa team,” May said, previewing a short stretch that also includes senior night and tournament play.
May described uncertainty about Cason’s injury, saying medical staff initially reported promising test results before the best back-up point guard in the nation injured himself during Friday’s road game against the Illinois Fighting Illini.
“At halftime, the training staff came and said basically he’s passed all of his jump tests. He just did the bike. He says he’s 100% ready to go,” May said about Cason’s pre-injury status.
“He comes back in, he lands funny again. I don’t know when he doesn’t know when it happened,” May said, adding that some plays that cause noncontact injuries can feel unpreventable.
May said the injury to Cason will change how starter Elliot Cadeau defends and will open minutes for other players.
“As far as Elliot, yeah, this will force Elliott to be much more solid with his defensive decision- making when it comes to fouling. And he doesn’t have that insurance policy anymore named L.J. behind him, that’s because L.J. came in and carried the load several games for our group, and so that’s not there anymore,” May said.
May continued: “But um this is a a great opportunity um for Rody and and Trey and Namari to play more and and those guys are really good players, and um our rotation’s been nine and and nine I think is is is too. Deep. I mean, that’s playing too many guys if you want to optimize everyone. But we felt like we had nine guys that deserved a play that gave us a different element.”
“And there wasn’t any of those nine that we felt like we could cut out of the rotation because of how good they are. So we look at this as another challenge, but it’s also an opportunity for guys to play a little bit more, to play longer periods, to play through a mistake, to play in a little bit different role. And we do feel like these guys are a lot better than they were earlier this year. And so, we’re prepared to handle whatever comes at us,” May said.
May said the coaching staff views the situation as both a challenge and an opportunity, with more minutes available for rotation players such as Trey McKenney, Roddy Gayle Jr., and starting guard Nimari Burnett, and others.
“Trey’s got a great voice. He’s improved. Are we confident in Trey? Yeah, for sure. He’s good,” May said when asked whether McKenney can handle additional ball-handling and on-court leadership.
Redshirt
May described when he learned about Cason’s injury, how he notified the team and support network, and said the timing of surgery and a possible redshirt remain under discussion.
“No, I was actually here, and he was here when I found out, and I went and talked to him, and then when I found out, I texted the players, and that’s it. I mean, we called his people around him, called his mentors, called his coaches, his family. I mean, just typical stuff,” May said.
On the potential of Cason missing his entire junior season, May said, “It’s early, but where he could even possibly redshirt next year when you look at all that. That’s certainly been discussed as well, and then that impacts the recruiting decision-making, and you know all those things, but right now we’re still trying to figure out when he’s going to have it (surgery). What’s the timeline?”
May continued: “Does it make sense to go ahead and sit out next year? That’s certainly on the table, but right now we haven’t made any definitive decisions because all the information is so inconclusive. But that’s certainly on the table.”
May said he was on the Ann Arbor campus when he learned of the injury and spoke directly with Cason before notifying teammates by text.
May said the staff and Cason are still determining next steps, including the timing of surgery and whether a medical redshirt is appropriate.
He framed the injury as a chance for the player to develop other aspects of his game while rehabbing.
L.J. Cason
Cason tore his right anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in the Wolverines’ victory over the Illinois Fighting Illini on Friday (Feb. 27), announced the University of Michigan on Feb. 28, 2026.
He spoke about the news on Saturday, saying it is God’s plan.
“This isn’t how I wanted my season to end, but I trust God’s plan, and I’ll attack rehab the same way I approach everything, with focus and determination,” said Cason. “We’ve got many goals as a team, and I’ll be locked in supporting my brothers every step of the way.”
The sophomore guard was a key reserve during Michigan’s breakout season and helped the Wolverines secure the 2026 Big Ten regular-season title.
He came off the bench in every game and posted career highs in scoring (8.4 points), assists (2.4), rebounds (1.9), and steals (1.0).
He shot a career-best 50.3% from the field and made 33 three-pointers after making 15 as a freshman.
Michigan, which clinched the Big Ten’s No. 1 seed, earned a triple bye in the conference tournament and will open in the quarterfinals on Friday, March 13.
Culture
With a 27-2 start to the season, Michigan has won 10 straight road games and has a chance to make history if it beats Iowa on Thursday.
At 17-1 in the conference, they would also have the chance to win 19 games in the Big Ten, which hasn’t been done since 1976.
May repeatedly praised the locker-room culture and credited veteran role players for helping the program grow, saying players have accepted smaller roles for the team’s collective success.
“They play for stuff that’s real. They love playing with each other. They love supporting each other,” May said, describing the team’s chemistry and how it has helped Michigan win on the road and sustain high-level play late in the season.
On defense, May said he was proud of the recent effort, even when opponents finished strong late in games. He emphasized that the team will treat the remaining regular-season games as preparation for the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments.