Zack Novak: Academic All-American
Via U-M Media Relations:
Novak Named to Academic All-America Third Team
Feb. 23, 2012
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Senior forward Zack Novak (Chesterton, Ind./Chesterton HS) of the University of Michigan men's basketball team was named a 2012 Capital One Academic All-America third team member today (Thursday, Feb. 23), as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America. Novak becomes the first Wolverine to earn the prestigious honor since 1984.
Novak is the sixth Wolverine in program history to be named Academic All-America, joining three-time first-team member Steve Grote (1975, '76, '77), Marty Bodnar (1981 first team, 1980 third team), Mark Bodnar (1981 third team), Paul Heuerman (1981 second team) and Dan Pelekoudas (1982 fourth team, 1984 honorable mention).
Novak is one of three Big Ten players to earn Academic All-America status this season; Ohio State's Aaron Craft earned first-team honors and Northwestern's Drew Crawford is a second-team member.
A finalist for the 2012 Lowe's Senior CLASS award, Novak has helped the Wolverines to a 21-7 overall record and 11-4 mark in Big Ten play. He has started all 28 games this season and is averaging 9.5 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game.
Novak, who is just the second three-time captain in program history, ranks fourth in the school record book in career three-point field goals and fifth in three-point field goal attempts. He became the 40th member of U-M's 500 career rebound club earlier this season and the 45th Wolverine to reach the 1,000-point mark, making him the 28th player with 1,000 points and 500 rebounds in a career.
A business major at U-M's prestigious Stephen M. Ross School of Business, Novak is scheduled to graduate in May and has received numerous honors for his academic efforts, including National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Honors Court (2011), CoSIDA/Capital One Academic All-District first team (2010, '11, '12), Academic All-Big Ten (2010, '11), Old Spice Classic Scholar-Ballers (2010), U-M Athletic Academic Achievement (2009, '10, '11), and U-M's Bodnar Award for Academic Achievement (2009, '11).
To be eligible for Academic All-America honors, a student-athlete must be a starter or important reserve with at least a 3.30 cumulative grade-point average (on a 4.0 scale) at his current institution. A student-athlete must also have participated in at least 50 percent of the team's games, completed one full calendar year at his current institution, and reached sophomore athletic eligibility.
2012 Capital One Academic All-America Division I Men's Basketball Team
First Team
Aaron Craft, Ohio State
Matthew Dellavedova, Saint Mary's (Cal.)
Brad Loesing, Wofford
Mason Plumlee, Duke
Tyler Zeller, North Carolina
Second Team
Logan Aronhalt, Albany
Brian Conklin, Saint Louis
Drew Crawford, Northwestern
Ronald Nored, Butler
Scott Saunders, Belmont
Third Team
J.P. Kuhlman, Davidson
Zack Novak, Michigan
Brian Stafford, Denver
Matthew Sullivan, Brown
Chris Wroblewski, Cornell
February 23rd, 2012 at 12:26 PM ^
Awesome. He's my favorite all-time player for many reasons, and the fact that he is as driven off the court as he is on it is one of the biggest ones.
February 23rd, 2012 at 12:28 PM ^
Congrats to Nowak! Grit in the classroom and on the court. Couldn't think of a better way to honor his 4 years of service here (other than retiring his jersey).
The B-school isn't exactly on a 4 point scale, though...
February 23rd, 2012 at 12:30 PM ^
What is the scale?
February 23rd, 2012 at 2:43 PM ^
It's on a 4.0 scale, but any A+'s I think count as 4.3's for the B-school. This includes all LSA classes, such as English 125, Stats 250, and minicourses such as "Dinosaurs and Other Failures"
February 23rd, 2012 at 3:56 PM ^
Dinosaurs were around for 160 million years. Hardly a failure.
February 23rd, 2012 at 12:30 PM ^
This is a tremendous accomplishment for you and everyone on that list. You have set the bar very high for future captains of our hoops squad. Can't wait until they commence handing out the "Zach Novak _______ Award " (fill in the blank with one of many possible awards) at future post-season basketball banquets.
February 23rd, 2012 at 12:30 PM ^
He is going to make one hell of a prick CEO of a Fortune 500 company someday.
Like Kevin Spacey from Horrible Bosses (and Swimming With Sharks)... but with a Big 10 Champtionship ring on his finger.
February 23rd, 2012 at 12:33 PM ^
He will end up as an AD somewhere eventually. (U of M, please?)
February 23rd, 2012 at 12:48 PM ^
Regardless, he is going to take CHARGE of wherever he goes
Don't +1 me all at once, guys..
February 23rd, 2012 at 1:25 PM ^
maybe, Beilein's eventual replacement?
February 23rd, 2012 at 1:17 PM ^
now, so why will he become a prick if he is a CEO of a Fortune 500 company?
February 23rd, 2012 at 12:32 PM ^
We're gonna miss his curly haired, bloody head out there so much, even if we do get the star power to win more.
February 23rd, 2012 at 3:40 PM ^
There is no denying his grit, heart and determination. Novak is by far my favorite Michigan basketball player ever. I love watching him play and fight for every rebound or loose ball. I will surely miss him and it will be tough not seeing him on the team next year.
February 23rd, 2012 at 12:37 PM ^
Bless that kid. The thing that makes me fear next season is his absence. His value utterly defies his statistics.
February 23rd, 2012 at 12:38 PM ^
... I am extremely impressed. Maintaining that level of academic success while (essentially) working a full time job is an amazing accomplishments. Congrats to Zack.
February 23rd, 2012 at 12:40 PM ^
Congrats to Zack. Great college career on and off the court. And it almost never happened at all, according to a quote in a Novak/Douglass feature at annarbor.com:
“I came very close to probably not even playing college basketball at all,” Novak said.
Kudos to John Beilein for recognizing his potential.
February 23rd, 2012 at 12:43 PM ^
Bravo to Zack and all of those players listed. That's a hell of an accomplishment, particularly in the B-school.
February 23rd, 2012 at 12:48 PM ^
To give the basketball program so much over the past four years AND receive an honor like this is truly impressive. Novak is once again showing the younger guys on the team how its done at Michigan. Thank you and congratulations, Zack.
February 23rd, 2012 at 12:55 PM ^
Congrats to Novak. And in Ross? Yikes.
February 23rd, 2012 at 1:03 PM ^
Couldn't be happier for him. Seems like a good kid and a great leader. He's the type of player that you LOVE if he's on your team, but you hate if he isn't. Glad he plays for the good guys!
February 23rd, 2012 at 1:07 PM ^
Zack Novak = Michigan Man.
February 23rd, 2012 at 1:24 PM ^
Man, I knew him at U-M and had classes with him, and that (let me be as discrete as possible) surprises me greatly.
but I also thought Les Miles was a punk with a mullet and a perpetually pulled hamstring, so I could be wrong.
February 23rd, 2012 at 1:52 PM ^
Exercise science major! Urban Meyer must be pissed...
February 23rd, 2012 at 1:53 PM ^
academic focus of the Big East and SEC is well represented by this list.
February 23rd, 2012 at 1:53 PM ^
Another reason to be proud about this amazing senior class!
February 23rd, 2012 at 1:56 PM ^
We need another Z-named Michigan Man to become the very face of a sport and dominate at Ross.
Lacrosse?
February 23rd, 2012 at 5:50 PM ^
It is interesting that while 61 percent of NCAA Division 1 Men's Basketball players are black, 13 of the 15 academic all-americans are white. Crawford and Nored are the only African-American players to make it which is good for 13 percent of the academic all-america team and a whopping underrepresentation by 48 percent. This should be seen as problematic......
EDIT: Yikes. I checked out the 2010-11 Academic All-Americans (University Division - D1 teams) and it's even more unfathomable. http://cosida.com/media/documents/2011/2/2010_11_AAA_MBB_All_District_Teams.pdf
Preliminary voting for the 10-11' Academic All-America teams were organized into 8 Districts, meaning 40 players were "regional" All Americans last year. Of those 40, 37 were white. Jalin Thomas (CMU), Drew Crawford (Northwestern), and Josten Crow (Sam Houston) were the only black representatives - 7.5 percent or a 53.5 percent underrepresentation. These 40 were narrowed to 15 (first, second and third teams) and only one - Thomas from CMU, made the cut - 6.5 percent or 54.5 percent less than black representation on D1 teams. How is this not an issue that gets discussed? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_NCAA_Men%27s_Basketball_All-Americans#Academic_All-Americans
February 23rd, 2012 at 5:17 PM ^
A fitting award for someone who will be one of my all-time (40-plus years) favorite players. Congratulations for a job well done.
February 23rd, 2012 at 6:11 PM ^
Not until I see his birth certificate!
February 23rd, 2012 at 6:39 PM ^
When is Novak taking over David Brandon's job? Will he have to wait until he graduates?
February 23rd, 2012 at 8:28 PM ^
He became the 40th member of U-M's 500 career rebound club earlier this season and the 45th Wolverine to reach the 1,000-point mark, making him the 28th player with 1,000 points and 500 rebounds in a career.
Even better factoid: according to the U-M Statistics Archive, Novak is just the ninth player in school history to record 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 200 assists.
(Granted, assists apparently weren't recorded in college basketball until the 1970s, so some guys like Cazzie probably should be on the list, but still, that's impressive.)