Michigan loses L.J. Cason for rest of season with torn ACL

Michigan guard LJ Cason suffered a torn right anterior cruciate ligament and will miss the remainder of the season, the school announced Saturday.

The injury occurred during the Wolverines’ win over Illinois on Friday night.

“This isn’t how I wanted my season to end, but I trust God’s plan and I will attack rehab the same way I approach everything – with focus and determination,” Cason said. “We have many goals as a team, and I will be determined to support my brothers every step of the way.”

Cason, a 6-foot-2 sophomore, had emerged as one of the premier backup guards in college basketball this season, providing a consistent boost off the bench for No. 3 Michigan. He averaged 8.4 points and 2.4 assists in 18.6 minutes, making over 40% of his 3-point attempts. Cason had nine points and two assists in just 13 minutes against Illinois before going down with an injury.

He had scored in double figures in four of his last six games Friday night, including an 18-point performance in the Wolverines’ comeback win over Northwestern earlier this month.

“First and foremost, our hearts hurt for LJ,” coach Dusty May said. “You would never want to see a young man who has invested so much in this program see something like this happen. However, if there’s anyone who is equipped to handle this and the rehab process, it’s LJ. He’s resilient, he’s disciplined and he has an incredible support system around him.”

With Cason out, the point guard duties will fall almost solely on Elliot Cadeau. Cadeau has made major strides since transferring from North Carolina last spring, but Cason’s consistent play has limited Cadeau. He has only played more than 30 minutes twice since January. The junior guard is averaging 10.1 points and 5.5 assists, shooting a career-best 38.4 percent from 3.

Michigan, which won the outright Big Ten regular-season title on Friday, finishes the regular season with games against Iowa and Michigan State next week.