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Posted on Sun, Feb 27, 2011 : 5:59 a.m.

Life as a zero: Big Ten basketball players explain the most personality-driven number out there

By Michael Rothstein

ZACK-NOVAK-0.JPG

Michigan guard Zack Novak: "You've got to be a little bit crazy to wear zero."

File photo

When Al Nolen watches a college basketball game on television, the Minnesota senior guard from will smile a little if he sees a certain jersey.

If a player on either team wears No. 0, he pays them more attention. He might even find himself silently pulling for the guy.

“It’s kind of like a brotherhood having zero,” Nolen said. “I see a lot of guys around the league with the number zero, and it’s starting to pick up. A lot of point guards, you’re starting to see it where they are wearing zero.

“It’s becoming a trend.”

Zero may be increasing in popularity, no doubt in part because of NBA star Gilbert Arenas and his nickname, “Agent Zero,” but it remains somewhat of an oddity.

Six players in the Big Ten wear zero -- Nolen, Michigan guard Zack Novak, Ohio State forward Jared Sullinger, Purdue guard Terone Johnson, Michigan State guard Russell Byrd and Indiana guard Kory Barnett.

“You kind of have to have a quirky personality to wear zero,” Novak said. “I think it fits me. I’m kind of different, I guess.

“You’ve got to be a little bit crazy to wear zero.”

Sullinger wears the number to honor his brother, J.J., who wore it during his college career at Ohio State.

Novak initially wanted either No. 32, his high school number, or No. 2, his AAU number. Before his freshman year, though, both were taken. Zack Gibson wore No. 32 and C.J. Lee had No. 2.

JARED-SULLINGER-0.JPG

Ohio State freshman Jared Sullinger wears No. 0 because that's the number his brother, J.J., wore in college.

File photo

So Novak searched for something else to be different.

“I’m surprised how much I still get the question, ‘Why zero?’” Novak said. “You’d think by now it’s like, ‘OK, I’ve been here forever, it’s been answered.’ But still, about once a month people are like, ‘Why did you pick the number?’”

Nolen hears the same question.

He selected zero because he wanted a fresh start when he arrived at Minnesota from Henry High School in Minneapolis. At the time, he felt zero would be the best place to start.

He didn’t, though, anticipate wearing zero his entire career.

“I thought about changing it, but zero was the number I picked out and figured I’d stick with it and stick it out,” Nolen said. “It’s really grown on me over the years.”

Barnett switched to zero, Novak said, after another player wanted the number he was wearing.

Then there’s Byrd, who didn’t like any of the numbers Michigan State initially mentioned to him. The Fort Wayne, Ind., native said he was then told that no one in Spartans history had ever worn zero. Players had worn double-zero, but just zero would make him the first.

The freshman jumped at it. Then on his way home to Fort Wayne - he selected this while still in high school - he found deeper meaning in the number.

“The more I thought about it I saw it as a cool little thing that nobody had ever worn it,” Byrd said. “From the ministry, as Christians we believe that Christ is everything and we are nothing and through him we have everything and that if we do it on our own, it ain’t going to happen.

“So I saw it as a ministry opportunity if I ever get good enough to have a voice.”

Besides Sullinger, Kansas State guard Jacob Pullen, a preseason All-American, wears the number as well. It is starting to pop up on more college rosters.

So the fraternity Nolen belongs to continues to grow.

“You kind of have to have a personality where you really don’t care what people think and you’re your own man,” Nolen said. “You don’t want to be like everybody else.

“There’s sort of a personality with it.”

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

Comments

tater

Sun, Feb 27, 2011 : 6:06 p.m.

Two points: 1. When Orlando Woolridge wore it with the Pistons, I thought it was his career assists stat. 2. Byrd's reasoning makes it really hard to "hate" MSU for game week, but I'll find a way.