The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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Team. That doesn't preclude an ad- justment period. "He was my roommate," fellow sophomore Derrick Walton Jr. noted. "I understand how difficult it was, going from being a focal point to not getting as much spotlight as you're accustomed to. He's a really good kid, so he handled it well. I expect him to have a good year. "We talked about it all the time. There were times when he was down, but he's a tough-minded kid. It didn't really faze him as much as some people think." The only adjustment Irvin requires this season involves returning to a familiar role — starter and key offensive player. He demonstrated unequivocally on Michigan's 4-0 sweep through Italy in August that he can be a marcatore supremo for the Wolverines. He toasted the Perugia Select Team for 27 points in Michigan's first out- ing in Italy, and never really let up. His scoring average of 20.8 points per game led the Wolverines, and only 6-9 true freshman Ricky Doyle topped Irvin's average of 7.3 re- bounds per game. "We caught a glimpse in Italy of a young man that has expanded his abilities to make plays," U-M assis- tant coach Jeff Meyer said. "What excites me the most about Zak is that he's invested in his development physically. He's gained weight, he's stronger, he's more explosive. "We went to Italy and he was able to become a more complete player. He was on the glass rebounding, he pushed the ball in transition to make plays for teammates. On the half- court, he shot the ball really well the first two games from three, nine out of 10. The last two games, he got two feet in the paint and was able to get to the free throw line. "His ability to continue that trend in development excites me." It excites a lot of people around Michigan basketball, including Beilein and his strength and condi- tioning guru Jon Sanderson. "Camp Sanderson" has become legend around Crisler Center for developing players into stronger, higher leaping, more rugged com- batants in the Big Ten conflagration and beyond. It built the legs of con- sensus National Player of the Year Trey Burke, who helped carry the Wolverines on to a national champi- onship game. It took a skinny Canadian kid and filled him out for the fray. Stauskas parlayed Big Ten Player of the Year honors and the ability to supplement sweet shooting with strong drives into top-10 NBA Draft status. Irvin's gains are ongoing. But from the time he arrived as an incoming freshman to now, his vertical leap has gone up five inches. He went from touching the 11-foot mark to 11 feet, five inches, which can make a huge difference in the rumble around the rim. Combine that with significant strength gains, and you have some- one well rounded for competing in the Big Ten, Sanderson pointed out. "It's a process," Sanderson said. "Your lower body strength and power development is what impacts