Not everyone outside the Michigan basketball program understands the value of senior co-captain Zack Novak.

Sports Illustrated, however, does.

Michigan senior captain Zack Novak.

Jeff Sainlar | AnnArbor.com

The publication's web site honored Novak for the second straight year Tuesday, naming him a member of its 2012 "All-Glue Team."

Novak was joined on the team by Kentucky's Darius Miller, Baylor's Quincy Acy, Kansas' Travis Releford, Wichita State's Toure' Murray, UNLV's Anthony Marshall and Cal's Jorge Gutierrez.

SI.com's Seth Davis on Novak:

"As a senior at Chesterton (Ind.) High, Novak was pudgy and slow, which is why the main Division I schools who showed interest at first were Valparaiso, Oakland and IPFW," he wrote. "Novak, however, showed so much spirit and toughness that Beilein named him the team's co-captain when he was just a sophomore -- only the second sophomore in school history to be given that honor.

"Novak may have a lion's heart, but he also has an owl's mind. He carries a high grade-point average at Michigan's prestigious Ross Business School."

Nick Baumgardner covers Michigan basketball for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at 734-623-2514, by email at nickbaumgardner@annarbor.com and followed on Twitter @nickbaumgardner.

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