Freshman guard L.J. Cason nearly had the picture-perfect start to his career at the Crisler Center Friday night. In 19 minutes of play, he amassed 20 points and four rebounds for the Michigan men’s basketball team, missing only one of his seven total shots from the field. Those 20 points tied him with junior guard Roddy Gayle Jr. for most on the team, and even more impressive, Cason’s impact came almost entirely in the first half.
Entering the game as the fourth Wolverine sub of the evening, Cason saw his first action at the 14:42 mark of the first half. He nailed his first 3-pointer of the game almost exactly a minute later, subsequently followed by another deep ball and two layups. By the time he was called back to the bench just over five minutes into his home debut, Cason had 10 points and no misses.
“(I was) just reading the defense,” Cason said Friday. “… Not forcing it, just taking what the defense gave me, and that’s what it gave me, so I took it.”
The mentality that Cason brought, simply taking what was given and playing within the flow of the game, resulted in a fruitful evening. Although he had already accumulated an impressive first half in those five minutes, there was more to come.
Subbing back into the game toward the end of the first half, Cason’s offense was already established. And it didn’t wane in his second stint, he just added more variety. Instead of his stat sheet purely being scores, he cleaned the zeroes off of the defensive side with a steal and a block, as well as adding a couple of rebounds into the mix. His spark all over the court was palpable as the Wolverines attempted to get out in front of Toledo.
But his energy defensively still couldn’t compare to his fire with the ball in his hands. That second stint started off with another 3-pointer, and it was capped off by a dazzling three off the dribble. Cason caught the ball near the halfcourt logo, danced with three crossovers and pulled a contested jumper reminiscent of a player much more weathered than the young freshman. This shot made him 4-for-4 from three and turned his home debut into a truly special performance.
“I knew this kid was a baller when we were (in the) summer,” Gayle said. “… We (were) doing lifts, my body hurt, so I can just imagine what he’s going through being (in) his first year and going through weights, his classes … and he’s hitting me up trying to get into the gym (and) play one-on-one.”
Cason’s first half was a culmination of everything said by his coaches and peers leading up to the season. His fearless mentality, maturity for a youngster, pure scoring ability — these were all things he showcased in one half of play.
While throwing a freshman into the fire might typically deliver mixed results, Cason got the best of his home debut, proving to Michigan coach Dusty May why he pursued him in the first place.
“Did I expect him to go 6-for-7 and 4-for-4 (on threes) against a really good program in Toledo?” May pondered. “No. And those are results, but we asked him to join us at Michigan for a reason because he’s a special dude.”
A special performance from — as his coach described him — a special dude, created excitement around the Wolverines’ future. Withstanding the bright lights of his first home game, albeit an exhibition, Cason displayed for all to see his ability to impact games early in his career.
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