LJ Cason, the Michigan guard, just made it official: he has entered the College Basketball Transfer Portal as of Monday. This isn’t exactly a shocker; whispers about Cason’s potential departure have been floating around for nearly a week, especially with head coach Dusty May leaving. College basketball insider Pete Nakos for On3 broke the news, but he didn’t stop there. Nakos also dropped the bomb on an early frontrunner for Cason, and if you’re a fan of teams *not* named Michigan, you’re gonna want to hear this.
Miami Emerges as Early Frontrunner Amidst Coaching Shake-Up
Sources from On3, courtesy of Pete Nakos and Joe Tipton, are pointing straight to Miami as the top early contender for Cason’s talents. And honestly, it makes a ton of sense. Cason is a Lakeland, Florida native, so he knows the Sunshine State inside and out. It’s a natural fit. This isn’t just some random pickup for the Hurricanes, either. Under head coach Jai Lucas, Miami has already assembled one of the nation’s best transfer portal classes this cycle. They’ve landed a beast in Somto Cyril, the mammoth big man from Georgia, who’s set to bring some serious muscle and interior scoring. Adding Cason, who’s a known sharpshooter, would be huge for their offense.
A Sharpshooter’s Move: What Cason Brings, and What Michigan Loses
Cason’s game is built around that deep three. He averaged more than 40% of his shots from beyond the arc, which tells you everything you need to know about his offensive strength. Last season, he put up 8.4 points, 2.4 assists, and 1.9 rebounds per game in 2025-26 before an ACL injury sidelined him. That’s a solid stat line, and his ability to stretch the floor is a massive asset. For Michigan, this is a significant portal loss, no doubt about it. They were the defending national champions, for crying out loud. The Wolverines were led by a frontcourt absolutely stacked with talent: Yaxel Lendeborg, who led the scoring, Morez Johnson Jr. providing a scoring spark, and 7-foot-3 big Aday Mara doing all the dirty work on the boards and swatting shots. That championship trio all landed in the first round of the NBA Draft on June 22. Now, Cason, another key piece, is gone.
So, what’s next? Michigan is turning the page with Mike Boynton Jr. taking over as the newest head coach after his coaching promotion. For Miami, landing Cason would mean adding a proven deep threat to an already stellar transfer class. This could be a game-changer for their upcoming season, giving them a serious boost from the perimeter. Michigan, on the other hand, faces the challenge of rebuilding after losing not just their coach, but their championship core and now Cason. It’s a whole new era for both programs.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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