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Posted on Wed, May 9, 2012 : 5:59 a.m.

Zack Novak: The world's smallest, toughest and most self-deprecating power forward?

By Kyle Meinke

After spending 4,357 minutes on a college basketball court, Zack Novak knows exactly what he is. "I'm just a kid who wasn't supposed to be any good, who turned out to be all right," he said this week.

That was good enough for the Michigan basketball team.

zack_novak_WesternIllinois.JPG

Zack Novak on his four-year basketball career at Michigan: "I'm just a kid who wasn't supposed to be any good, who turned out to be all right."

Jeff Sainlar | AnnArbor.com

Novak, an unheralded recruit out of rural Chesterton, Ind., became a four-year starter for the Wolverines. He also was a three-year captain, demonstrating just how much he meant to the program's revival.

He was honored for those feats Monday night by the Bob Ufer Quarterback Club, which named him one of three winners of the Spirit Award.

Hockey captain Luke Glendening and football safety Jordan Kovacs were the other winners.

Michigan basketball coach John Beilein paid tribute to Novak's ability to squeeze every bit of production out of his 6-foot-4 frame, introducing him as "the smallest and toughest power forward in the world."

“A great all-around athlete,” Beilein later added, gesturing along the table of 10 honorees at Barton Hills Country Club. “If he had chose wrestling, he’d be sitting next to (wrestling assistant) Sean (Bormet). If he had chosen hockey, a great defenseman, he would have been. (Hockey coach) Red (Berenson), don’t you think so? Knock some people around. (Football coach) Brady (Hoke), a cornerback? One of those other things -- a safety?

“(Golf coach) Chris (Whitten), that’s the one thing I know, he would not be sitting next to you -- unless Happy Gilmore can make a comeback, because every club would be broken by the end of the first round.”

Perhaps Novak's best alternative to basketball would have been football, although he wouldn't have played cornerback or safety. He recently booted a 56-yard field goal at Michigan Stadium, and has the video evidence to prove it.


"I kicked in high school, and like to go in there and mess around sometimes," he said. "I hit the 50 (yarder) pretty quickly, so I thought I could keep going back. I was trying 60, couldn't get it, so I went down to the block M. Just wanted to make one from the block M."

For the record, no actual Wolverines kicker has hit one that long in a game since 2001, when Hayden Epstein nailed a 57-yarder. The career long for Brendan Gibbons, Michigan's current kicker, is 43 yards.

Novak, though, said he's going to stick with his day job as long as it will pay him.

That means he plans to head abroad this year to begin his pro career. He has hired an agent, and expects to learn in July where he's headed.

As for the Wolverines, they will have to move on without Novak, a process that was assuaged by the return of star point guard Trey Burke and addition of a top-10 recruiting class -- which includes five-star forward Mitch McGary, who, like Novak, hails from Chesterton.

"All I'm going to say is I'm thankful we stopped getting the guys who are not supposed to be so good, but might turn out all right," Novak said. "He's definitely going to be good.

"We finally got a good player out of Chesterton. We've been waiting for this for a long time. The 80 people there deserve it."

Kyle Meinke covers Michigan football for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at 734-623-2588, by email at kylemeinke@annarbor.com and followed on Twitter @kmeinke.

Comments

rocco

Thu, May 10, 2012 : 4:30 p.m.

Futhermore, when did we become the basketball program of the little engine that could. Wrong image for the leaders and best. More Beilein nonsense.

rocco

Thu, May 10, 2012 : 3:18 p.m.

I like Zack because he is self-depricating and honest unlike his coach who is just the opposite.

observer

Thu, May 10, 2012 : 1:06 p.m.

Ohio U.......and the fourth seeds Wolverines.....is what I will remember...

Susie Q

Thu, May 10, 2012 : 12:58 a.m.

Go Zack! A three year captain, a win against MSU AT Breslin after years of futility, a 56 yard field goal AND a degree from the UM Ross School of Business in four years???? You rock. Best of luck, we are very proud of you. Hope you'll come back and talk to the b-ball teams in the future.

UlyssesWrong1

Wed, May 9, 2012 : 11:32 p.m.

I was a fan of Zack Novak despite all of his flaws. The kid played with huge heart vs. some much better competition. He also hit some huge shots for us in his career at Michigan. And I know Michigan's rebounding was weak but I recall Novak finishing in the top 5 in rebounds in the Big 10, which is a testament to his hustle on the court. That being said, Stu Douglas and Zach Novak paved the way for the program recently and regardless of how much they sucked, you have to respect their work and dedication.

semperveritas

Thu, May 10, 2012 : 12:04 p.m.

'all his flaws'--------not sure what they ALL were. the only one i'm aware of is that he spent four years at 6'2 masquerading as someone 6'4 and defending guys that were 6 / 8 / 10 inches taller. stu and zack helped lead the program out of the wilderness.

BuckFanHater

Wed, May 9, 2012 : 4 p.m.

I love Zak Novak....But I do have a question that's nagging at me now....When Rich Rod was scouring the campus for someone- ANYONE- who could kick a field goal for his beleagured team, why didn't Novak step out and raise his hand?? I'm sure it would be difficult to do both basketball and football, but if all he had to do was show up on Saturdays and kick the darn ball it certainly would have helped. Ahh but that's all in the past now....on to the next season, team 133 Go BLUE!!!

Calvert T. Hoskins I

Wed, May 9, 2012 : 1:57 p.m.

Great article! Zack Novack and Stu Douglas are class acts and I am so proud that they represented the Maize and Blue. The culture in Ann Arbor is among the nation's best, world dominance is next lol! MGOBLUE!!