L.J. Cason in position to make an impact as a freshman

All throughout the preseason, Michigan men’s basketball coach Dusty May and players alike have raved about freshman guard L.J. Cason — his aggressiveness, his offensive prowess, his ability to create for himself. But his performance in practices is one thing, and translating that into actual in-game action is an entire other beast, especially for a young guard.

With a deep roster full of experienced guards, though, it wouldn’t have been surprising for Cason to be buried in the rotation as he develops and acclimates to the college game. Further, as a more 1-on-1 centric shot creator in a movement-centric offensive system, his role in the offense wasn’t clear-cut.

“He’s been as good as anyone on a roster at creating offense,” May said of Cason Friday at Michigan Media Day. “You never know if they can do it in a game, but he’s a guy that’s very confident.”

But Sunday in a scrimmage against Oakland, the upside Cason displayed in practices shone through. His shooting numbers didn’t jump off the page, but the attention he commanded on the court was telling of his impact.

In his 13 minutes of play, he packed his stat sheet and hunted his shot, garnering eight points on eight shots, grabbing five rebounds and swiping two steals. The bones of a big-time contributor were present.

Midway through the second half, graduate guard Nimari Burnett grabbed a rebound and shuttled the outlet to Cason on the right side. Cason turned on the jets and, in three dribbles, got to the bucket for a physical right-handed finish. But he wasn’t satisfied. He peeled himself up off the ground and sprinted back on defense. Cason, sensing the Oakland guard didn’t realize he was still behind him, poked the ball loose from behind and took it straight back to the basket, getting fouled in the process.

Cason isn’t just a scorer. He tracks down loose balls and is a relentless hustler — rare traits from a freshly-minted 18 year old.

“I’ll be surprised if there aren’t loose balls in his area — and he gets what’s called a 50-50 ball — I would say he’ll get 70, 80, 90% of them over his career,” May said Sunday. “Just because there’s something in his hands, his instincts, whatever it is, he just gets the loose basketball.”

Whether he was crashing the defensive boards, diving for a loose ball or poking it loose from behind, nothing kept him away from the basketball. Scoring is certainly an important aspect of the game, but for a freshman trying to crack a college rotation, showing hustle, heart and poise on the court tends to be just as important.

Cason exemplified that philosophy. Michigan’s coaches know that he can score, but the biggest question swirling over his potential immediate contributions surrounded his ability to remain poised and confident at the college level. Sunday, Cason didn’t look like a freshman on the court. He was decisive and aggressive while remaining within the offensive system.

“He looked very confident for a freshman in an NBA Arena in his first live environment,” May said.

Even though Sunday’s matchup was just an exhibition, Cason took his first steps to solidify his position within the Wolverines’ rotation. But it wasn’t just his scoring prowess — which his coaches and teammates are so quick to point out — that set him aside. It was how comfortable and confident he looked on the court, impacting various facets of the game. For a freshman trying to find consistent playing time, Cason is making a solid case for himself.

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