Following Dusty May's exit as the head coach of the Michigan Wolverines, UM's non-conference bout with the Blue Devils faced lots of uncertainty.
Michigan appointed assistant Mike Boynton as the interim head coach, then eventually signed him to a two-year contract as the next permanent head coach of the program. However, all Michigan players were granted a 15-day window to enter the transfer portal following May's departure for the NBA.
Michigan assistant coach Mike Boynton Jr. practices at open practice at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Friday, April 3, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
One of the reasons Michigan probably appointed Boynton quickly was to keep its incoming transfer class and retained talent with the program. Boynton did a pretty fantastic job keeping most of the rotation around.
However, the Wolverines still lost one key player.
Jan 6, 2026; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Michigan Wolverines guard LJ Cason (2) defends Penn State Nittany Lions guard Melih Tunca (9) during the second half at Bryce Jordan Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
LJ Cason is the only significant contributor from last season's national title team to hit the portal, but it is nonetheless a notable loss for the Wolverines.
Cason spent two seasons in Ann Arbor and wasn't widely expected to be such a major piece entering the 2025-26 campaign. However, the 6'2" guard quickly became one of the more exciting players in the Big Ten.
Mar 26, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer shoots a ball during a practice session ahead of the east regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Lakeland, FL native averaged 8.4 points and 2.4 assists per game in 18.6 minutes off the bench. Cason was set to be a major factor in Michigan's NCAA Tournament run before a torn ACL he suffered in late February caused him to miss the rest of the season.
Even after May left, several of Michigan's perceived top contributors for the 2026-27 season quickly announced their intentions to remain with the program. Obviously, that was not the case for Cason, who will transfer to Miami and sit out the entire 2026-27 season.
Even setting aside the relevant loss of Cason, there are still obvious questions about the Michigan program heading into next season with May's departure.
The Wolverines kept their stellar backcourt of Elliot Cadeau and Trey McKenney and brought in big-time transfers in JP Estrella (Tennessee), Moustapha Thiam (Cincinnati), and Jalen Reed (LSU). UM also retained 5-star commit Brandon McCoy Jr. and 4-star big man Quinn Costello.
On paper, Michigan probably has a top-10 roster in college basketball heading into next season. Still, there is always an unknown with a new head coaching hire, especially given that May was arguably the best coach in college basketball when he left for the Dallas Mavericks job.
Mar 27, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer reacts in the first half during a Sweet Sixteen game of the East Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Blue Devils will take on the Wolverines on Dec. 21 at loanDepot Park, home of the Miami Marlins. The game was originally supposed to be played at Madison Square Garden, but a media rights dispute involving the Big Ten caused the contest to be moved.
Ironically, May had a relationship with Marlins owner Bruce Sherman, which probably played a role in the game being moved to the franchise's home field. Now, May will not even be part of the matchup.
As of now, Duke and Michigan are still slated to face off despite May's exit. Although there will be slightly different expectations from Michigan's perspective with a new head coach, the battle is still poised to be a top non-conference game for the Blue Devils.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/duke as How LJ Cason Transfer Changes Duke Basketball Clash .
