Wolverine Digest

Dusty May Says Backup Guard 'Deserves to Play More' After Statement Performance

After a career-high outing sparked Michigan’s comeback win over Northwestern, the Wolverines’ head coach praised the guard’s growth and reliability.
Justice Steiner|
Michigan Wolverines head coach Dusty May yells to his team during the first half of the NCAA men's basketball game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at the Schottenstein Center in Columbus on Feb. 8, 2026.
Michigan Wolverines head coach Dusty May yells to his team during the first half of the NCAA men's basketball game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at the Schottenstein Center in Columbus on Feb. 8, 2026. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Michigan Wolverines

Last night, the No. 2 Michigan Wolverines basketball squad overcame a potential upset in Evanston, Ill., taking down Northwestern 87-75. The Wolverines faced a 16-point deficit with just over 14 minutes remaining in the game, but a 14-2 run got the Maize and Blue back in the contest.

The hero of the game for Michigan was L.J. Cason, who scored a career-high 18 points in the win. The guard also had three assists, four steals and a three-pointer as the teams spark plug off the bench.

L.J. Cason drives against Ohio State
Feb 8, 2026; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Michigan Wolverines guard L.J. Cason (2) drives to the basket as Ohio State Buckeyes center Christoph Tilly (13) defends during the first half at Value City Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images | Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

Head coach Dusty May gave high praise to Cason in the postgame press conference following Michigan’s ninth straight victory. 

“Like a lot of our guys, he deserves to play more and he is a good basketball player,” May said. “We have challenged him to really expedite his process of being a guy that is reliable and dependable every single day… But he has the ability to do this on a regular basis.“

Michigan’s depth has been a bright spot for the Wolverines all season, leading the conference in bench points per game. They have four major contributors who came off the bench (Cason, Trey McKenney, Will Tschetter and Roddy Gayle Jr.), all of whom have the potential for a big game on any given night.

“He made big shots, he finished and he made his free throws, but I thought the difference was he started running our team,” May said. “We got Aday (mara the catches on the flash and then his cutting and screening created the majority of those opportunities and that’s how we found our rhythm offensively.”

With starting point guard Elliot Cadeau struggling, Cason stepping up in the second half was clearly a huge part of the victory and as May mentioned, it went beyond scoring the basketball.

“It started with LJ’s off-ball movement and Aday doing what he does with his passing and his vision,” said May.

Looking ahead, Cason and the Wolverines will host UCLA on Saturday at 12:45 p.m. at the Crisler Center in Ann Arbor, Mich.

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Justice Steiner
JUSTICE STEINER

A Battle Creek, Mich. native, Justice Steiner has been passionately involved in sports, currently as the sports information director at Davenport University, an NCAA Division II program, where he covers 12 sports. He also serves as the creative services director for the men's and women's baseball teams. Prior to DU, Steiner worked as a graduate assistant in the sports information office at the University of Louisville, working closely with the women's soccer, women's basketball, men's tennis and softball programs. While at Grand Valley State University, Steiner began his writing career at the Grand Valley Lanthorn. He graduated from GVSU with a degree in advertising and public relations.

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