A Michigan basketball point guard has announced his transfer to Miami, marking his second offseason move in two years.
L.J. Cason, a rising junior, was in the midst of a breakout season before a torn ACL cut his campaign short in February. He is now returning to his home state of Florida to join the Miami Hurricanes, according to recent reports.
A Lakeland native and graduate of Victory Christian Academy, Cason was originally committed to play under coach Dusty May at Florida Atlantic. However, after May accepted the Michigan coaching position in April 2024, Cason flipped his commitment to the Wolverines.
Michigan guard L.J. Cason (2) attempts a free throw against the Ohio State during the first half at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on Friday, Jan. 23, 2026.
Following May’s departure from Michigan in June to join the Dallas Mavericks, Cason faced a pivotal decision. Ultimately, he was the only player among Michigan’s 14 scholarship athletes to enter the transfer portal.
“I’ll be honest, even for L.J., as disappointed as I am that I won’t be able to coach him, I wanted him to be able to make that choice for himself,” Michigan coach Mike Boynton Jr. stated on a recent episode of the “Defend The Block” podcast. “That kid’s given this program a lot. He’s a champion. He’ll forever be a champion at the University of Michigan. We wish him great success moving forward.”
“We hope he gets as healthy as possible and continues to be the type of player that we all know he can be. We’ll miss him, for sure, but he had an opportunity to make the choice that he thought was best for him, and we wish him well moving forward.”
Cason averaged 8.4 points and 2.4 assists per game last season. He was trending upward before his injury, scoring in double figures in four of his final five games while averaging 11.8 points per game. In his final appearance against Illinois, where he suffered the ACL injury, he recorded nine points in 13 minutes.
Expectations are high for his return in the latter half of the 2026-27 season. Under new NCAA rules eliminating medical redshirts via the five-in-five rule, there is no reason to hold him back once he has fully recovered.
His role at Michigan likely would have been highly competitive following his injury, given a crowded backcourt featuring senior Elliot Cadeau and projected first-round talents Trey McKenney and Brandon McCoy Jr.
Michigan currently maintains 13 scholarship players and is expected to seek an additional addition to their backcourt.