ANN ARBOR >> Michigan coach Dusty May called it “one of the great clichés” in college basketball.

In order for a team to make a deep run come tournament time, strong guard play is critical in March.

May isn’t necessarily a firm believer in that narrative — there were postseason games where the big men led the way and others when the guards took over during his tenure at Florida Atlantic — but he didn’t completely dismiss it.

“I think teams rise and fall with good play,” May said this week before heading to Indianapolis for the Big Ten tournament. “I don’t want to put that pressure on if we lose, it’s because of our guards; if we win, it’s because of our guards.

“We need to play much better as a unit. If we keep advancing and play many more games, it’s going to be because we had good guard play and we had good play up front.”

In recent weeks, the Wolverines have only been fulfilling the latter part of that equation. Sunday’s regular-season finale at Michigan State is the most recent example. Big men Vlad Goldin and Danny Wolf combined for 47 points on 14-for-27 shooting, while the rest of the team contributed 15 points on 5-for-25 shooting.

Against the Spartans, the starting backcourt of Tre Donaldson, Nimari Burnett and Rubin Jones totaled 10 points on 4-for-16 shooting. Donaldson sat the final 12:48, a decision May made partly because the Wolverines went on a run with freshman LJ Cason in the game and partly because he wanted to give the younger guards more reps in the last few minutes.

A move like that would’ve seemed unfathomable earlier in the season, when Donaldson played a key part in Michigan’s success. He was instrumental in the win at UCLA and over Penn State in January. Even last month, Michigan could ill afford to not have Donaldson on the floor in the win at Indiana.

“We need Tre to play like Tre if we’re going to be at our best,” May said. “When you look at our most productive games — UCLA, the first half at Indiana — it’s when Tre was running our team at a high level.”

It’s no coincidence Donaldson hasn’t played at the same level and with the same swagger during Michigan’s late-season slide. Over the past six games, Donaldson is averaging 6.7 points on 34% shooting. Before that stretch, where the Wolverines went 2-4, Donaldson was averaging 12.7 points on 46.5% shooting.

But it’s not just Donaldson who hasn’t been steady and whose production has dipped. Jones, who had lost 10 pounds due to an illness that sidelined him for two games late last month, has made two baskets in his last four appearances. Burnett had a two-point outing and six-point showing sandwiched around his season-high 20-point effort against Rutgers.

Roddy Gayle Jr. has been in a shooting drought over the past six weeks. He hasn’t made a 3-pointer since Jan. 24 and has missed his last 17 attempts from deep. He’s scored in double figures twice in the last 12 games and has tallied 12 total points in the last four games.

“Roddy Gayle hasn’t been the same player he was earlier in the year,” May said. “I still believe in Roddy, and there’s going to be some real bright moments for him.”

May reflected on his 2023 Final Four run at FAU when guard Michael Forrest was having a frustrating senior year. Forrest was struggling to knock down shots and tallied a meager eight points in five postseason games.

All of a sudden, Forrest snapped out of his funk, made three 3-pointers and turned in an 11-point performance in a Sweet 16 win over Tennessee.

“Something happened before the Tennessee game where he found his groove and his rhythm,” May recalled. “We don’t beat Tennessee to go to the Elite Eight if he doesn’t go off in the second half. He got one to go in and his eyes lit up.

“It’s part of being a basketball player. You’re going to go through tough stretches. … I believe that Roddy or one of those other guys will have a Mike Forrest moment if they stay the course, continue to believe and find whatever it is in them that makes them special and unique.”

That would certainly help. Outside of Goldin and Wolf, there hasn’t been another consistent scorer as of late. Goldin has scored 20-plus points six times in the last seven games. Wolf has scored at least 15 points in seven of the last 11 games.

Among Burnett, Donaldson, Gayle and Jones, meanwhile, one of the four has scored in double figures just five times over the last six games. The guards have struggled to generate and create offense, especially when it comes to getting in the paint. Cason, Gayle, Jones and freshman Justin Pippen are all shooting below 30% from 3-point range.

That’s not going to get it done. If Michigan is going to shake off its late-season slump and have a memorable March, more is needed from the backcourt.

“We haven’t lost faith. We know what type of players they are,” May said. “(We) also let them know that you don’t have to come out and score 30 to help this team win. Just make a hustle play, get an offensive rebound.

“Those guys have a big role on this team, we believe in them, and we need them, because if they don’t, then we’re not going to play very much longer. Our success is dependent upon them having a big role.”