Michigan's L.J. Cason to miss rest of season with torn ACL

James Hawkins, The Detroit News on Feb 28, 2026

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One day after Michigan captured the outright Big Ten regular-season title, it was dealt a brutal blow.

The program announced Saturday that sophomore guard L.J. Cason tore his right ACL in Friday’s 84-70 victory at Illinois and will miss the remainder of the season.

"First and foremost, our hearts hurt for L.J.," coach Dusty May said in a statement. "You never want to see a young man who has poured so much into this program have something like this happen. However, if there's anyone equipped to handle this and the rehab process, it's L.J. He's resilient, he's disciplined and he has an incredible support system around him."

Cason came up limping and favoring his right leg twice against Illinois. The first instance came in the final minute of the first half. Cason tipped a long rebound ahead and chased it down to create a four-on-one fast-break opportunity. But after he grabbed the ball in the air and bounced it backwards between his legs to a teammate all in one motion, Cason fell to the court. He got up hobbling, was subbed out and went back to the locker room.

At the 15:31 mark of the second half, Cason checked back in and scored a layup a minute later. But on Michigan’s next possession, he came up limping again after he drove, missed a shot just outside the paint and fell to the court. He motioned to be taken out of the game and exited for good with 13:09 to play.

"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," Cason said in a statement. "We've got many goals as a team, and I'll be locked in supporting my brothers every step of the way."