When Mitch McGary committed to Michigan it was the first time the program had landed a promising five-star recruit of that caliber in a long time.  It really gave the program a boost in the recruiting scene they definitely needed. 

According to senior Wolverine guard Zack Novak, he urged head coach John Beilein to look at his former high school teammate McGary.  "I saw a kid with so much potential and raw talent that really wasn't using it.  Even when I (got to Michigan), I'd go home to see how he was doing, talk to him and say 'Mitch, you've really got a good shot here, you should get this going," said Novak.

When McGary transferred to Brewster Academy things changed as he went from a tall skinny kid to a 260lbs 6'11 power forward with HEMI of a motor.  Novak stated he stayed in McGary's ear throughout the whole recruiting process.  "I just told him the whole time, look, I actively recruit for Michigan and have helped get a lot of our guys here, but we go back much further than that," Novak recalled.  "I'm not going to tell you to go into a bad situation, I know what's at stake, I'm not going to tell you to come here just because."

The relationship of Novak paid off when Mitch McGary committed live on ESPNU last fall.  With the addition of McGary complimented by a backcourt of Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr., things look great for the Wolverines future.