Should Michigan rest its starters until the NCAA Tournament?

Five years ago, Juwan Howard had to deal with an injury to one of his core starters in Isaiah Livers. This time, (LJ Cason) it's arguably not Michigan basketball's most irreplaceable player, but one that is regarded as the best backup point guard in the nation by college basketball luminaries nationwide.

L.J. Cason was just tipping the scales in his development. Having a third ball-handler behind him has not been in the cards all season for the Wolverines, but they are not pigeonholed at the moment either.

With the Big Ten championship already won, Michigan basketball has two games left to pad its resume, which is already ironclad. Some might say that even if the Wolverines lose their final two games, at Iowa and Michigan State, they would still earn a No. 1 seed because of their elongated domination. So what if they rested their starters to prolong any more critical injuries?

Should Michigan basketball rest its starters?

Let's assume that Dusty May rests his starters for a minute and goes 0-3 into the NCAA tournament. Rust could linger by the time they return and vanish their unselfish chemistry that molded them into the powerhouse that they currently reside. To counterpoint that argument, May and his staff should already have a plan in place to use someone like Trey McKenney more at the point like he was used in the late stages of the Illinois win.

Therefore, resting the starters is not an option if this team wants to set new records and win the national championship. If you made it this far, then there is no turning back. Elliot Cadeau has to stay out of foul trouble, which is why Cason was plotted into the lineup in the first place. The group of Cadaeu, McKenney, Nimari Burnett, and Roddy Gayle Jr. can handle the duties for 11 more times. Don't forget that Michigan football was dealt an injury to its leader along the offensive line, and that didn't let them derail their aspirations.