Lorenzo "L.J." Cason Jr. (born May 27, 2006) is an American college basketball player for the Michigan Wolverines of the Big Ten Conference. He was an NCAA national champion in 2026.
 Cason for the 2025–26 Michigan Wolverines | |
| No. 2 – Michigan Wolverines | |
|---|---|
| Position | Point guard |
| League | Big Ten Conference |
| Personal information | |
| Born | May 27, 2006 |
| Listed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Listed weight | 195 lb (88 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Victory Christian Academy (Lakeland, Florida) |
| College | Michigan (2024–present) |
| Career highlights | |
Early life and high school
editCason attended Victory Christian Academy in Lakeland, Florida. He was rated as a three-star recruit by 247Sports and committed to play college basketball for the Florida Atlantic Owls.[1] However, Cason flipped his commitment to play for the Michigan Wolverines, following FAU head coach Dusty May after he took the Wolverines head coaching job.[2]
College career
editIn his collegiate debut on November 4, 2024, Cason scored 14 points in a victory against Cleveland State.[3] In the finals of the 2025 Big Ten men's basketball tournament, he scored eight points in a victory over Wisconsin.[4] In the second round of the 2025 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, Cason recorded 11 points and three assists in a win versus Texas A&M.[5] He finished the 2024–25 season, appearing in 30 games, averaging 4.3 points, 1.4 rebounds, and 1.0 assist per game.[6]
As a sophomore, Cason notched ten points, three rebounds, and three steals in a victory over Auburn in November 2025.[7] He matched his career-high with 14 points, leading the Wolverines in scoring against Penn State in January 2026.[8] On February 11, Cason had career highs of 18 points (13 in the second half) and four steals, helping lead a comeback from a 16-point second half deficit against Northwestern.[9][10] Cason played point guard the final 15 minutes and operated an offense that scored on 21 straight possessions.[11] On February 27, Michigan clinched the 2026 Big Ten regular season championship outright against No. 10 Illinois. Unfortunately in that game Cason suffered a torn ACL and would miss the remainder of the season. He finished his sophomore campaign averaging 8.4 points, 1.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.0 steals per game, while shooting 50.3% from the field.[12] By early March, he decided to postpone surgery until the end of the season and redshirt for the entire 2026-27 season.[13][14] The team earned the championship at the NCAA Tournament and tied the Big Ten Conference record for single-season wins.[15][16]
International Play
editCason was among the 33 players nominated and to tryout for the United States men's national under-19 basketball team to compete at the 2025 FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup along with Michigan teammate Morez Johnson Jr. and future Michigan teammate Brandon McCoy Jr..[17] Cason did not survive the cut to 18 finalists for the 12-man team.[18]
References
edit- ↑ Kahn, Andrew (March 24, 2025). "The other player Dusty May brought to Michigan from FAU has been important too". MLive.com. Retrieved January 3, 2026.
- ↑ Garcia, Tony (April 23, 2024). "Former FAU commit Lorenzo Cason follows coach Dusty May to Michigan basketball". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved January 3, 2026.
- ↑ Garcia, Tony (March 13, 2025). "Michigan basketball coach Dusty May wants a re-do on L.J. Cason's season". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved January 3, 2026.
- ↑ Hawkins, James (August 17, 2025). "L.J. Cason taking 'professional' approach into sophomore season with Michigan basketball". The Detroit News. Retrieved January 3, 2026.
- ↑ Hawkins, James (March 24, 2025). "Freshman L.J. Cason proving to be a postseason 'spark plug' for Michigan basketball". The Detroit News. Retrieved January 3, 2026.
- ↑ Sayfie, Clayton (October 2, 2025). "What will L.J. Cason's role be for Michigan basketball? Here's the latest". TheWolverine.com. On3.com. Retrieved January 3, 2026.
- ↑ Goldstein, Zach. "L.J. Cason a spark plug off the bench for Michigan against Auburn". Michigan Daily. Retrieved January 3, 2026.
- ↑ Wywrot, Tom (January 6, 2026). "Michigan Holds Off Late Penn State Charge to Remain Unbeaten". MGoBlue.com. Retrieved January 6, 2026.
- ↑ "Cason leads second-half rally as No. 2 Michigan knocks off Northwestern, 87-75". ESPN. Associated Press. February 11, 2026. Retrieved February 13, 2026.
- ↑ Post, Charles (February 11, 2026). "5 Takeaways from Michigan Basketball's 87-75 comeback win at Northwestern". SBNation. Retrieved February 13, 2026.
- ↑ Hawkins, James (February 11, 2026). "'Electric' L.J. Cason sparks second-half surge, saves the day for Michigan". Detroit News. Retrieved February 13, 2026.
- ↑ Jacob Singer (February 28, 2026). "Michigan Basketball guard L.J. Cason tears ACL, out for season". SB Nation.
- ↑ Knoop, Trent (March 9, 2026). "Dusty May Gives Latest Update on Michigan Guard L.J. Cason Regarding '26-27 Season". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved April 9, 2026.
- ↑ Knoop, Trent (March 14, 2026). "Michigan G L.J. Cason Reflects on Decision to Redshirt in 2026-27". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved April 9, 2026.
- ↑ Wyrot, Tom (April 6, 2026). "Wolverines Triumph Over Huskies to Win Second National Championship". MGoBlue.com. Retrieved April 7, 2026.
- ↑ Borzello, Jeff (April 6, 2026). "Michigan holds off UConn, wins second NCAA basketball title". ESPN.com. Retrieved April 7, 2026.
- ↑ "U17 Champions Dybantsa, Peat, Stokes invited to USA camp". FIBA. May 21, 2025. Retrieved June 12, 2026.
- ↑ Johnson, Jerred (June 18, 2025). "One in, one out: USA Basketball delivers mixed news to Michigan duo". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved June 12, 2026.