Zack Novak Brings Heart to the Wolverines Basketball Team

I have been a big fan of Zack Novak since he stepped on campus. 

He wasn't highly recruited out of Indiana, with his only other scholarship offer coming from Valparaiso.  He was a diamond in the rough that John Beilein found and added late to the 2008 class, which happened to be Beilein's first ever recruiting class in Ann Arbor.  The Rivals site didn't even have a photo of him up. Zack was a three star player with only one offer, and Beilein gave him an opportunity to play at a Big Ten school.  IU and Purdue had looked at Zack and both took a pass.

Since day one, Zack has left everything on the floor in every game. 

How many games have you watched where an announcer says, "I'm betting Indiana and Purdue wishes they kept Zack home" or "this kid is nails"?  

Zack is why Michigan Basketball is starting to be special again.  This team with no seniors and who most expected to be lucky to make the NIT is now on ESPN's last four in bubble list.  

Zack hasn't been very "offensive" lately, missing his last 14 shots in two games (before the Minnesota game) while still playing well on defense.  Agent Zero, as we like to call him around here, was 0-14 but missing open threes he would normally hit and even bricking a few layups, but it didn't seem to bother him much.   

On Saturday, he hit an early three and a late three to help Michigan get a much needed victory in the Barn against a team playing for their tournament life as well. 

I wasn't sure how the Wolverines would come out in this game after the devastating loss against Wisconsin on Wednesday.   I hinted in other posts that they couldn't let one shot beat them twice; they didn't and showed early they had come to play.  TH2 was "hot" early, hitting five three pointers in the first half and then in the second, "the Butterfly" took over by beating his man and driving to the bucket.  

Both of those guys are exciting to watch and, if they stay together, could be one of the best tandems in the country in a few years. 

That said, my game ball would have gone to Zack yesterday.  All he did was hit a long three when Michigan had one second on the shot clock and guard the 7'0" Ralph Sampson, Jr. for most of the game.  

I don't know too many coaches in college basketball that would send their 6'4" shooting guard/small forward down low to guard a 7'0" son of a legend.  Zack did and did it pretty well, even getting a late steal and outlet pass to Morris to seal the victory. 

Zack played 33 minutes and scored six points on his two made three pointers.  If you just saw the box score, you probably wouldn't be too impressed.  If you watched the entire game, you would have.

Michigan hasn't accomplished anything yet and still needs wins against rival MSU on Saturday and a couple Big Ten Tournament wins, but there is one thing for sure.  The excitement is back in Crisler Arena, which is worth smiling about, no matter what happens the next two weeks.