At least Zack Novak won’t have to hear the jabbering.

You? You’re going to guard me? Are you kidding?

That’s life when you’re a not-actually 6-foot-5 Michigan basketball player facing guys like 6-foot-8 Ohio State forward Dallas Lauderdale and 6-foot-10 Purdue forward JaJuan Johnson on a regular basis.

And he heard about it, too.

Michigan's Zack Novak often found himself matched up against bigger players last year.

Lon Horwedel | AnnArbor.com

“Once, my freshman year, I don’t know if it was Oklahoma, someone said something,” Novak said. “They kept complaining to the refs about what I was doing.

“I was like, ‘Bro, I’m 6-2. What are you complaining about?’ I came back like, ‘You should score on me every time, what’s going on?’”

This was a common occurrence for the Michigan junior during his first two years in Ann Arbor. Although he started his freshman year playing guard, Michigan coach John Beilein needed him at forward.

So Beilein moved him during the Big Ten season in 2008-09. His first opponent - Wisconsin. His first matchup - star forward Marcus Landry.

Novak learned a lot - and his body felt it.

“That was welcome to the Big Ten,” Novak said. “Welcome to playing the four in college.”

Michigan has more size this year - it is inexperienced size, sure, but still more height - which allows Novak to return to his natural guard position.

Playing down low hurt his game. His shot was off last season - often times predicated on whether or not his first attempt from 3-point range went down. If it did, Novak had a good night.

If not, it was a long one.

Part of his shooting issues came from being beat up in the post more than he’d like, partially due to his intense style of play and partially due to his undersized spot playing forward.

One or two games he could handle. Being beaten for five months took its toll. He averaged 7.4 points and 4.3 rebounds, but often struggled to make shots.

Knowing the welcome change was coming, Novak worked on changing his shot after a late-season suggestion from Beilein. He also worked on his ball handling this summer.

“He’s back where he belongs in the backcourt,” Beilein said. “Still may have to put him a little bit in the frontcourt when we play four guards, which we may have to do sometimes.

“But his toughness, if you look at him and (Minnesota swingman) Blake Hoffarber and players like that, they may look like they don’t belong in the Big Ten; they belong in the Big Ten.”

Michigan began practicing last month for a season that begins with Friday’s 7 p.m. exhibition game against Saginaw Valley State. Novak has been Michigan’s most consistent player so far.

He’s actually the Wolverines’ only consistent player. The rest of Michigan’s players are either young - as in freshmen or sophomores - or, in junior Stu Douglass’ case, adjusting to another new role as a point guard.

So while Novak is on the move, too, he’s prepared for it. He’s been waiting to take the leadership role on this team. It showed when he led most of the off-season workouts. It came up, too, when he talks about how this team will surprise people this season.

Part of the reason - he’ll play a position that fits.

“It’s probably better for the team if I don’t have to (play the four),” Novak said. “I personally don’t care, but I think the team has a better shot to win if we can have an effective four in there.”

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