In the aftermath of L.J Cason’s season-ending injury, Michigan Basketball head coach Dusty May told Roddy Gayle Jr. and Trey McKenney they would have an opportunity to play even bigger roles and more minutes moving forward.
It’s very unfortunate for Cason to suffer an injury that could keep him out for over a year, but it’s forced Gayle and McKenney to become even more impactful than before — and they seem to be thriving with the increased responsibility.
“This gives them a chance to grow and develop,
and like anything else, we look at it as a positive,” May said. “L.J. was a big part of us getting to this point and now we all have to give a little more to get over the hump without him.
“When it happened, I went to Roddy and said ‘this is a great opportunity for you to get back to playing longer stretches and be more aggressive,’ and same thing with Trey. This is an opportunity to play a bit of a different role.”
Michigan has aspirations of winning a national championship for the second time in school history. In order for that to happen, everyone needs to play their role at the highest level, and that means certain guys like Gayle and McKenney replacing what Cason brought to the team.
Gayle Jr. and McKenney certainly stepped up in the two games without Cason by making critical plays in a road win at Iowa before scoring a combined 27 points to secure a season sweep over rival Michigan State on Sunday.
Even though they didn’t put up gaudy numbers at Iowa, Gayle and McKenney were a big reason why the Wolverines were able to survive a near upset — highlighted by Gayle making a pair of game-sealing defensive plays to clinch a win.
In the win vs Michigan State, the backcourt tandem was even better. Gayle scored his most points (15) in more than two months, while McKenney made a pair of pivotal three-pointers in the second half to help pull away from the Spartans.
“We looked better from game one to game two (without Cason),” May said. “We’re very encouraged by Trey’s poise. His second half was phenomenal. For a freshman to come into that environment and make those plays was impressive.”
McKenney has been one of the Big Ten’s best freshmen this season, recently being named to the All-Big Ten Freshman Team. Not only is he an elite shooter, but he also showed he can fill in for Cason as a ball-handler. He really seems to be coming into his own as the postseason approaches.
“He’s been really good and a big part of our success,” May said. “For him to have the impact he’s had on a winning team is that much more impressive. His off the court behaviors are even better than his performance on the court.”
Both Gayle and McKenney have been consistent contributors this season, but Cason’s injury put even more on their shoulders. However, they have flourished in their expanded roles so far, and we’ll see if they can keep it going in the Big Ten Tournament and NCAA Tournament.
It’s always key to have solid guard play in the postseason, so Gayle and McKenney stepping up in Cason’s absence is an important development for a Michigan team focused on cutting down the nets this April.
