The Michigan Wolverines found themselves in unfamiliar territory on Wednesday night - down 16 points on the road in a tough Big Ten matchup against Northwestern. But instead of folding, they fought.
And the spark didn’t come from the usual suspects. It came from the bench.
Sophomore guard L.J. Cason led the charge with a career-high 18 points and four steals, showcasing the kind of two-way impact that can flip a game on its head.
Freshman Trey McKenney added 12 points and five rebounds, bringing energy and poise well beyond his years. Together, they helped Michigan erase its largest deficit of the season and walk out of Evanston with an 87-75 win - a statement comeback in every sense.
What makes this performance stand out isn’t just the win itself, but how the Wolverines got it done. With the starting backcourt watching from the sidelines for much of the second half, Michigan leaned heavily on its depth - and that depth delivered.
In a conference known for its grind-it-out style and physicality, it’s rare to see a team claw back from a double-digit hole on the road, especially with key starters off the floor. But this Michigan squad isn’t built like most teams.
Head coach Dusty May has a luxury most coaches would kill for: a bench that can not only hold the line but take over a game. Cason and McKenney were the headliners on Wednesday, but they’re part of a larger group that includes Roddy Gayle Jr. and Will Tschetter - players who consistently make an impact when their number is called. That kind of rotation depth gives May the flexibility to mix and match lineups depending on the flow of the game, and more importantly, it gives him multiple options to close games.
“L.J. and Trey were playing so well, and that’s the beautiful thing about our team,” May said postgame. “A couple guys came in and had it going, and that’s who we are. We don’t have to go back to one guy because we’re worried another guy can’t finish it.”
That confidence in the bench isn’t just coach-speak. It’s grounded in results.
Analyst Jon Rothstein recently called Michigan’s nine-man rotation the best in college basketball - and Wednesday night was a perfect example of why. According to Rothstein, if you took the Wolverines’ four key reserves - Cason, McKenney, Gayle, and Tschetter - and paired them with a frontcourt presence like Morez Johnson Jr. or Aday Mara, you’d have a group that could not only make the NCAA Tournament but finish in the top half of the Big Ten.
That’s not hyperbole. It’s a reflection of just how deep and talented this Michigan roster is.
Take Cason, for instance. He could’ve looked elsewhere when May brought in Elliot Cadeau through the transfer portal and landed McKenney, a five-star prospect, out of high school.
But he stayed. And now, he’s thriving.
Over the last three games, Cason is averaging 12.7 points and 4.0 assists, culminating in his breakout performance against Northwestern. He’s not just filling minutes - he’s running the show.
“Like a lot of our guys, he deserves to play more and he’s a good player,” May said. “We challenged him to expedite his process of being reliable and dependable every single day.
He made big shots, but I thought the difference was he started to run our team. His cutting and screening created those opportunities, and that’s how we found our rhythm offensively.”
That rhythm - driven by unselfish movement, smart decisions, and defensive intensity - is what makes Michigan so dangerous down the stretch. As the regular season winds down and the stakes rise, the Wolverines are going to need contributions from all corners of the roster. And if Wednesday night is any indication, they’re more than ready.
With players like Cason, McKenney, Gayle, and Tschetter stepping up in high-pressure moments, Michigan isn’t just deep - they’re built for March.