
On Monday evening (Feb. 16), college basketball insider Jon Rothstein (CBS Sports), previewed the No. 1 Michigan Wolverines big week of basketball this week, with two top-ten matchups on the horizon. While doing so, Rothstein gave high praise to backup guard L.J. Cason.
“I have talked at length about Michigan’s bench and how good those four players are off the bench,” Rothstein said. “One of those four players is L.J. Cason… Cason has now separated himself as the best backup point guard in college basketball.”
L.J. Cason is the best backup point guard in America.https://t.co/c9JLel2QnF (Apple) https://t.co/EsZxIkca32 (Spotify)https://t.co/ac4YpUMqzR (YouTube) pic.twitter.com/0adxCX1M3v
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) February 16, 2026
That is high praise for the sophomore guard, who is averaging eight points in 19 minutes a game, while dishing out 2.4 assists. Last week, Cason had a couple of impressive performances, including a career-high 18 points in a 87-75 win over Northwestern on Wednesday (Feb. 11).
“Over the last four games, L.J. Cason is averaging about 13 points and 3.5 assists,” Rothstein said. “As I said last week, if there was one reason of concern for Michigan, it was Elliot Cadeau’s lack of ball security at point guard. Now Dusty May has two options… You have essentially another starter at the most important position in college basketball to back up Elliot Cadeau.”
Cadeau has been a key piece for Michigan all season, averaging 9.8 points, 2.7 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game. However, as Rothstein mentioned, at times he has struggled taking care of the ball, currently leading the team with 61 turnovers (2.4 per game).
Looking ahead, if the Wolverines want to finish strong with four ranked opponents on the schedule, they will need high-level production from both Cadeau and Cason down the stretch.
More must-reads:
+
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!