[Left: Patrick Barron/MGoBlog; Right: Bryan Fuller/MGoBlog]
Zak Irvin's transformation from unabashed gunner into complete player has become especially apparent over the last month as he's arguably become Michigan's most important player on both ends of the floor in Caris LeVert's absence. In seven Big Ten games, Irvin is averaging 13 points and five boards per contest; more importantly, the man who never tallied more than three assists in a single game until last February is doling out four assists per game over that span.
While Irvin's rediscovered outside shot has opened up the rest of his game, he's also become adept enough as a ballhandler and passer that he can make a significant impact even when he's not scoring much. That came to the forefront in Saturday's victory at Nebraska; Irvin had eight points on seven shots, deferring to the hot hands of Duncan Robinson and Derrick Walton, but when asked to run the offense he excelled, dishing out five assists—all coming off some form of screen—with no turnovers.
I went to clip highlights and ended up cutting videos of each of his five assists; while they all utilized a pick, they all took slightly different forms.
1. Cut, drive, and kick.
On his first assist, Irvin started in the far corner, took a handoff from Mark Donnal that acted as a screen, and drove hard into the teeth of the defense. This is something relatively new from Irvin: a drive clearly intended to draw in defenders to set up a pass instead of a drive directly to the hoop for a layup attempt. A couple hard dribbles towards the paint are enough to freeze the defender tasked with defending Duncan Robinson in the corner, giving Irvin an easy dumpoff that results in about as automatic a three points as you'll find in the college game.
[Hit THE JUMP for the rest of the post.]
2. Finding the off-ball cutter.
Robinson again found himself the beneficiary on Irvin's second assist, which came off another dribble handoff that functioned as a high screen. Irvin gets the handoff, pumps, takes a step to test the defense's reaction, and keeps his head up—that allows him to find Robinson on a perfectly timed cut to the hoop. Irvin's patience on this play is impressive; he could've launched a pull-up three when Shavon Shield went under the screen, but instead created a better shot.
3. Over the top to a slipping big.
This might be my favorite play from Saturday. In a rare example of early halfcourt offense from Michigan, Donnal shows the high screen as soon as he gets up the court after a rebound, only to slip it and head directly for the basket. Irvin recognizes that Nebraska is late to rotate into the paint and lobs an inch-perfect pass over the defense that leads Donnal into ideal position for a layup.
4. The baseline kickout.
If the previous play wasn't Irvin's best, it's this one. He calls for a pick from Donnal, gets the desired switch onto a big man, and blows by him to gain the baseline. This normally draws in a defender from the corner, but in this case Nebraska is understandably hell-bent on staying home against Duncan Robinson. Instead, Derrick Walton's man sinks into the paint, and Irvin finds him all alone for a three-pointer with a tough jump-pass around the collapsing defense. That's impressive recognition on Irvin's part—as well as Walton, who spotted up in a place that gave Irvin a passing lane—and his size certainly helps make this play happen, as well. A point guard would have a tougher time hitting that pass.
5. Threaten midrange, kick out.
This is similar to the first assist, but plays off Irvin's developing pull-up jumper from the free throw line. Again, he gets a dribble handoff from Donnal, and at this point I should note these all involve Donnal for good reason—he's easily M's best big at finishing the pick-and-roll and knowing where to go after setting a screen. Irvin heads straight for the free-throw line, and when he's rebuffed by Walton's defender, who's wandered into the paint, there's an easy kickout for another three-pointer.
Of course, it's hard to create these plays without threatening to score on a frequent basis, and Irvin did that as well. When Shields ducked under a screen and Nebraska's big man didn't close out on the perimeter, Irvin punished them with a pull-up three of his own:
Irvin still has room to improve running these plays; he's better this season at getting to the basket but has had a difficult time finishing at the rim in Big Ten play. That part will hopefully come along, and in the meantime, his marksmanship and new-found court vision have played integral roles in Michigan's 5-2 start to Big Ten play. Even when LeVert returns to the court, expect a lot of the offense to continue to run through Irvin, who's become a matchup nightmare for many power forwards.