Zack Novak and the rest of the Michigan basketball team face an important week in Big Ten action. The Wolverines are 4-7 in the league, which is bunched tight this season.

Lon Horwedel | AnnArbor.com

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Zack Novak had no problem admitting how important every game is to the Michigan basketball team, even though it was probably easier because the Wolverines had beaten Penn State, 65-62, on Sunday.

For Michigan’s postseason hopes — NCAA, NIT or otherwise — the Wolverines needed to rebound from a loss to Ohio State and pick up a road victory.

“This was kind of a make-or-break game,” Novak said. “If you look at how the Big Ten is spaced out right now, even at 4-7, there’s about four or five teams that are 5-5, and they are going to start playing each other.

“Half of those teams are going to drop down. I think it’s just how competitive the conference is this year.”

Entering Monday night, when no Big Ten teams are scheduled to play, the difference between fourth and ninth place in the league is 1.5 games. Beyond undefeated Ohio State (11-0) and Wisconsin and Purdue (7-3), every other team in the Big Ten has struggled.

And every team has shown flaws, whether it has been injuries (Minnesota) or disappointment from early-season expectations (Illinois and Michigan State). Those problems have brought some of the stronger teams back to the middle with Northwestern, Penn State and Michigan.

“We’re disappointed,” Illinois coach Bruce Weber said. “We had expectations, but knew it wasn’t going to be easy.”

Part of the issue has been winning on the road. Just three teams — Ohio State, Purdue and Michigan — have won away from home multiple times in Big Ten play. Also, just one team, Indiana, has won no games on the road.

So it has left a muddled picture for the postseason, both in the Big Ten tournament and the NCAA and NIT.

“A lot of teams with five wins and some losses,” Penn State coach Ed DeChellis said. “February is obviously critical for everybody in our league.”

For Michigan (14-10 overall, 4-7 Big Ten), this week has even more urgency. Due to the road struggles most teams have had, Michigan needs to play well against teams in the middle-to-bottom of the league. Two of those teams arrive in Ann Arbor this week with Northwestern on Wednesday and Indiana on Saturday.

The night after Michigan and Northwestern play, 5-6 Michigan State and 5-6 Penn State in a game critical for NCAA tournament potential.

A sweep for Michigan would put the Wolverines in a good position heading into a tough five-game end-of-season stretch at Illinois and Iowa, at home against Wisconsin, at Minnesota and then in the regular-season finale at home against Michigan State.

Of those teams, Illinois, Minnesota and Michigan State are in that tight middle with Michigan. But the Wolverines can’t think too far ahead because Northwestern (14-8, 4-7) is in the same situation.

“I think this next game is real important to us and real important to Michigan also,” Northwestern coach Bill Carmody said. “They are two teams who have to go about their business because things are winding down a little bit.”

Michael Rothstein covers University of Michigan basketball for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at (734) 623-2558, by e-mail at michaelrothstein@annarbor.com or follow along on Twitter @mikerothstein