Zakarie Tyler Irvin (born September 5, 1994) is an American professional
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...
player who is currently a free agent. He played
college basketball
In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...
for the
Michigan Wolverines.
He earned the 2013
Indiana Mr. Basketball and Indiana Boys Basketball
Gatorade Player of the Year while playing for
Hamilton Southeastern High School
Hamilton Southeastern High School (HSE or HSHS) is a public secondary school in Fishers, Indiana, United States. It is a part of the Hamilton Southeastern School District.
History
During the 2003–2004 school year, the Hamilton Southeastern sch ...
. At Michigan, he was twice recognized as Big Ten Conference Freshman of the Week for the
2013–14 team, which won the
2013–14 Big Ten Conference regular-season championship outright. He was a
2015–16 Big Ten Conference men's basketball season
The 2015–16 Big Ten men's basketball season began with practices in October 2015, followed by the start of the 2015–16 NCAA Division I men's basketball season in November. Conference play began in late December and concluded in March, 2016.
...
All-Big Ten honorable mention honoree by the coaches and the media as well as a
2016 Big Ten Conference men's basketball tournament
The 2016 Big Ten men's basketball tournament was the postseason men's basketball tournament for the Big Ten Conference held from March 9 through March 13 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. It was the nineteenth annual Big Ten m ...
All-Tournament Team selection as a junior. He was a
2016–17 Big Ten Conference men's basketball season
The 2016–17 Big Ten men's basketball season began with practices in October 2016, followed by the start of the 2016–17 NCAA Division I men's basketball season in November. The Conference held its preseason media day on October 13 in Washingt ...
All-Big Ten honorable mention honoree by the media as a senior as well as a
2017 Big Ten Conference men's basketball tournament All-Tournament Team selection for the champion
2016–17 Wolverines. He led the Big Ten in minutes played as a senior and tied the Michigan record for career games played (142).
Early life
Irvin was born in Fishers, Indiana to Marcia and James Irvin on September 5, 1994.
As a freshman at Hamilton Southeastern, Irvin played junior varsity basketball.
[ June 13, 2011 was the first day that Michigan offered scholarships to the class of 2013. On July 31, 2011, Irvin announced his non-binding verbal commitment to Michigan. At the time, he was ranked 97th in the class of 2013 according to ]Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting in the United States. The network was started in 1998 and employs more than 300 personnel.
History
Rivals.com was founded in 1998 by Jim Heckma ...
and 74th according to ESPN. Scout.com
Scout Media is an integrated sports publishing company that produces Internet content covering hundreds of professional and college teams across America. The company was founded in 2001 and was acquired by Fox Sports in 2005. In 2013, Fox Sports ...
ranked him as the 22nd best shooting guard. By the time of his commitment, he had scholarship offers from Purdue, Indiana
Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
, Baylor, Miami
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...
, Xavier, Tennessee
Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...
, Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...
and Butler. This commitment came one day before Derrick Walton
Derrick Walton Jr. (born April 3, 1995) is an American professional basketball player for the Sydney Kings of the Australian National Basketball League (NBL). After going undrafted in the 2017 NBA draft, he spent his first professional season ...
joined Michigan's 2013 recruiting class. During the summer of 2012, Irvin jumped in the Rivals.com ranking from 68th to 31st in the national class of 2013. On November 16, 2012, Michigan men's basketball received a signed National Letter of Intent from the Irvin. At Hamilton Southeastern High School, he earned 2013 Indiana Mr. Basketball[ and ''Parade'' All-American recognition. As Indiana Mr. Basketball, he succeeded former teammate, ]Gary Harris
Gary Harris (born September 14, 1994) is an American professional basketball player for the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Michigan State Spartans.
High school career
Harris atte ...
, and the duo became the state's first back-to-back winners from the same high school. He was also named 2013 Indiana Boys Basketball Gatorade Player of the Year. By the end of his high school career, he was ranked 24th by Rivals.
College
Freshman year
Irvin joined a team that had just lost Trey Burke
Alfonso Clark "Trey" Burke III (born November 12, 1992) is an American professional basketball player for the Stockton Kings of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Michigan Wolverines where in the 2012–13 season, he earne ...
and Tim Hardaway Jr.
Timothy Duane Hardaway Jr. (born March 16, 1992) is an American professional basketball player for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Michigan Wolverines and declared for th ...
to the 2013 NBA draft. The 2012–13 Wolverines had reached the championship game
In sport, a championship is a Competition#Sports, competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion.
Championship systems
Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship.
Title match sy ...
of the 2013 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2013 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament was a single-elimination tournament that involved 68 teams playing to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 19, 2013, and concluded wit ...
, losing to Louisville
Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border.
...
. Prior to his freshman season, '' Sporting News'' named him the second best Big Ten Conference newcomer. On November 8, the Wolverines opened the season against UMass Lowell
The University of Massachusetts Lowell (UMass Lowell and UML) is a Public university, public research university in Lowell, Massachusetts, with a satellite campus in Haverhill, Massachusetts. It is the northernmost member of the University of Mas ...
. Michigan played six freshman and Irvin was one of five who came off the bench in his debut that night; he scored 10 points. When 2013–14 Wolverine team leading scorer Stauskas sat out the November 29 game against , Irvin posted 24 points on 9-for-13 field goal shooting, including 6-for-10 three point shooting as Michigan won in an 87–45 rout. He was recognized on December 2, with a Big Ten Conference Freshman of the Week honor. On December 21, he posted 12 points (on 4–8 three point shooting) and 6 rebounds
'Rebound' is a term used in sports to describe the ball (or puck or other object of play) becoming available for possession by either opponent after an attempt to put the ball or puck into the goal has been unsuccessful. Rebounds are generally ...
against Stanford. On December 23, he earned co-Freshman of the Week honors with Noah Vonleh
Noah Vonleh (born August 24, 1995) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Indiana Hoosiers.
High school career
Vonl ...
from the Big Ten Conference. Michigan clinched its first outright (unshared) Big Ten Conference championship since 1985–86. The 2013–14 team advanced to the elite eight round of the 2014 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2014 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament involved 68 teams playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 18, 2014, and concluded with the ...
before being eliminated by Kentucky
Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...
.
Sophomore year
After coming off the bench in all 37 appearances as a freshman,[ Irvin started in the opening game of the season as a sophomore on November 15 for the 2014–15 team against and was one of three 20-point scorers for the team (along with Walton and ]Caris LeVert
Caris Coleman LeVert (born August 25, 1994) is an American professional basketball player for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Michigan Wolverines. As a freshman for the ...
). On December 22, 2014, Irvin posted a career high of seven rebounds and tied his career high with 3 assists against Coppin State
Coppin State University (Coppin) is a public historically black university in Baltimore, Maryland. It is part of the University System of Maryland and a member of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. In terms of demographics, the Coppin State st ...
. On January 9, Irvin tallied a career high of nine rebounds against Penn State. On January 27, Irvin recorded his first career double-double
In basketball, a double-double is a single-game performance in which a player accumulates ten or more in two of the following five statistical categories: points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocked shots. The first "double" in the term ...
and the team's first of the year with 14 points and a career-high 12 rebounds as Michigan defeated Nebraska
Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the sout ...
. He also tied a career high with 3 assists On February 8, Irvin had a career-high 3 steals and season-high 23 points against Indiana
Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
. On March 3 against Northwestern, Irvin posted his and the team's second double-double of the season in a double overtime
Overtime is the amount of time someone works beyond normal working hours. The term is also used for the pay received for this time. Normal hours may be determined in several ways:
*by custom (what is considered healthy or reasonable by society) ...
loss with a career-high 28 points and 11 rebounds. Irvin played a career-high 49 minutes in the game. On March 12, Irvin tallied 14 points and a career-high 6 assists against Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...
in the second round of the 2015 Big Ten Conference men's basketball tournament to help Michigan extend its streak of opening round wins in the tournament to 9. In the third round against Wisconsin
Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
, Irvin posted his third double-double of his career and of the season with 21 points and 11 rebounds.
Junior year
On September 9, 2015, head coach John Beilein
John Patrick Beilein ( ; born February 5, 1953) is an American professional basketball coach who currently serves as the Senior Player Development Advisor for the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Before being hired b ...
announced that Irvin would be sidelined for 6–8 weeks, but that he was expected to be available near the beginning of the season for the 2015–16 team. In preseason top 100 player rankings Irvin was unranked by ESPN
ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). Th ...
and ranked 77 by NBC Sports. He did not appear in the November 13 season opener against . On November 16 against Elon, Irvin made his season debut with three assists and one rebound but no points. On November 20 against Xavier, Irvin made his first start of the season, posting seven points and one rebound. On December 8, Michigan lost 82–58 to (#19 AP Poll
The Associated Press poll (AP poll) provides weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling 62 sportswriters and broad ...
/unranked Coaches Poll
The Coaches Poll is a weekly ranking of the top 25 NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) college football, Division I college basketball, and Division I college baseball teams. The football version of the poll has been known officiall ...
) SMU despite 9 assists from Irvin. On January 12 with leading scorer LeVert sidelined, Michigan defeated (#3/#3) Maryland
Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...
70–67 behind a season-high and game-high 22 points from Irvin. On January 20, Michigan defeated Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
74–69 with Irvin's fourth career double-double (a 19-point, 11-rebound effort). On January 27, Irvin tied his career high with 12 rebounds as Michigan defeated Rutgers
Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College, and w ...
for the eighth time in eight all-time meetings against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights
The Rutgers Scarlet Knights are the athletic teams that represent Rutgers University's New Brunswick campus. In sports, Rutgers is famously known for being the "Birthplace of College Football", hosting the first ever intercollegiate football ...
. On February 13, Michigan defeated (#18/16) Purdue, 61–56. Irvin scored 16 of his game-high 22 points in the second half, including a three-point shot and the go-ahead basket in the final three minutes as the Wolverines finished the game on an 11–0 scoring run after falling behind 56–50. On February 16, Irvin posted 15 points, nine rebounds, three assists, and two steals, becoming the 50th Wolverine to eclipse 1,000 career points. Following the 2015–16 Big Ten season, he was listed as an honorable mention All-Big Ten selection by the coaches and the media.
On March 10, in Michigan's first game of the 2016 Big Ten Conference men's basketball tournament
The 2016 Big Ten men's basketball tournament was the postseason men's basketball tournament for the Big Ten Conference held from March 9 through March 13 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. It was the nineteenth annual Big Ten m ...
at Bankers Life Fieldhouse
A bank is a financial institution that accepts deposits from the public and creates a demand deposit while simultaneously making loans. Lending activities can be directly performed by the bank or indirectly through capital markets.
Becaus ...
against Northwestern, Irvin scored the game-winning overtime basket in front of his hometown crowd with 3.3 seconds left. Irvin, who grew up in nearby Fishers, Indiana
Fishers is a city in Fall Creek and Delaware townships, Hamilton County, Indiana, United States. As of the 2010 census the population was 76,794, and by 2019 the estimated population was 95,310. A suburb of Indianapolis, Fishers has grown rapidl ...
had 19 points and eight rebounds. The game marked Irvin's 100th career game with Michigan, becoming just the 64th Wolverine to reach the milestone. The following day in the March 11, 2016 Big Ten Conference men's basketball tournament
The 2016 Big Ten men's basketball tournament was the postseason men's basketball tournament for the Big Ten Conference held from March 9 through March 13 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. It was the nineteenth annual Big Ten m ...
quarterfinals Michigan upset of No. 1-seeded (#10/#10) Indiana
Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
. In the game, 2013 Indiana Mr. Basketball Irvin scored a team-high 17 points, marking the third time in only three wins against a nationally ranked conference foe that he led the team in scoring. Irvin was selected to the All-Tournament Team. On March 16 in the First Four round of the 2016 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2016 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament involved 68 teams playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the men's National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I college basketball national champion for the 20 ...
, Michigan defeated Tulsa
Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with ...
, 67–62, behind a team-high 16 points from Irvin, including a go-ahead three-point shot with 53 seconds left and late free throws.
Senior year
He served as a co- captain with Derrick Walton
Derrick Walton Jr. (born April 3, 1995) is an American professional basketball player for the Sydney Kings of the Australian National Basketball League (NBL). After going undrafted in the 2017 NBA draft, he spent his first professional season ...
. In the final four of the 2016 2K Sports Classic
The Empire Classic, formerly known as the 2K Sports Classic, is an annual college basketball event played in November at the beginning of the season and televised by ESPN. Originally known as the Atlantic City Shootout and produced by the Gazel ...
held at the Madison Square Garden on November 17 and 18, Irvin posted 16 points against Marquette in the semifinal and 16 against SMU to earn tournament MVP as Michigan won the tournament. Following the season, he was an honorable mention All-Big Ten selection by the media. In the 2017 Big Ten Conference men's basketball tournament championship game 71–56 victory over (#23/#24) Wisconsin
Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
, Irvin contributed 15 points for eighth-seeded Michigan. During the Tournament, Irvin averaged 14.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.3 assist. After the tournament, he was named to the Big Ten tournament Team. The team reached the round of sixteen of the 2017 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. Irvin finished first in minutes played (35.4) in the Big Ten for the season. He finished his career tied for first in career games played in school history (142), third in career three-point shots made (241) and fourth in career minutes played (4,225). Irvin was one of five Big Ten players invited to participate in the annual Portsmouth Invitational Tournament for the top NCAA seniors (along with Bronson Koenig
Bronson Koenig (born November 13, 1994) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Erie BayHawks of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Wisconsin Badgers. Koenig attended Aquinas High School in La C ...
, Malcolm Hill, Marc Loving and Tai Webster
Tai Jack Webster (born 29 May 1995) is a New Zealand professional basketball player for the Perth Wildcats of the National Basketball League (NBL). Prior to playing college basketball in the United States, Webster won a New Zealand NBL champio ...
).
Professional career
Following the season Irvin went undrafted in the 2017 NBA draft
The 2017 NBA draft was held on June 22, 2017, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. National Basketball Association (NBA) teams took turns selecting U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players.
...
and signed to play with the Miami Heat
The Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami. The Heat compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The club plays its home games at FT ...
for the 2017 NBA Summer League
The 2017 NBA Summer League consisted of three pro basketball leagues organized by the National Basketball Association (NBA): the Orlando Pro Summer League, Utah Jazz Summer League, and Las Vegas Summer League.
Eight teams participated in the wee ...
. Ultimately, Irvin signed with Victoria Libertas Pesaro
Victoria Libertas (also known as "VL" or in Italian ''Vuelle''), full name Unione Sportiva Victoria Libertas Pallacanestro, is a professional basketball team that is based in Pesaro, Italy. The club competes in the top level Italian professiona ...
of the Lega Basket Serie A
The Lega Basket Serie A (LBA) is a professional men's club basketball league that has been organised in Italy since 1920. Serie A is organised by Lega Basket, which is regulated by the Italian Basketball Federation (FIP). It is the highest-tier ...
(the Italian League) in July 2017. Irvin left the team in mid-September.
On December 26, 2017, Irvin joined the Israeli team Hapoel Eilat on a trial contract. He parted ways with Eilat before appearing in any game for them.
Westchester Knicks (2018)
On January 25, 2018, he was acquired by the Westchester Knicks
The Westchester Knicks are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in White Plains, New York, and are affiliated with the New York Knicks. The Knicks typically play their home games at Westchester County Center in Whit ...
of the NBA G League
The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is the National Basketball Association's (NBA) official minor league basketball organization. The league was known as the National Basketball Development League (NBDL) from 2001 to 2005, and the NBA De ...
. On February 2, Irvin debuted with a 10-point/10-rebound double-double in a 107–93 victory against the Greensboro Swarm
The Greensboro Swarm are an American basketball team of the NBA G League based in Greensboro, North Carolina, and are affiliated with the Charlotte Hornets. The Swarm play their home games at the Greensboro Coliseum Fieldhouse. The team became ...
.
Dominican Republic (2018)
On May 2, 2018, Irvin signed with Metropolitanos de Mauricio Báez of the Dominican Torneo de Baloncesto Superior (TBS).
Mexico (2018)
For the 2018-19 season, Irvin signed with the Abejas de León
The Abejas de León (English: ''León Bees'') is a Mexican professional basketball team. It has been a member of the LNBP since the 2009-10 season.
History
Foundation
The team was previously known as the Piedras Negras Bravos but the Univer ...
of the Mexican Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional
The National Professional Basketball League ( or LNBP) is the top professional basketball league in Mexico. The league was founded in 2000 with 10 teams. Despite its short history, the LNBP has established itself as the one of the most important ...
. He had 16 points and 9 rebounds in a loss to Aguacateros on November 3, 2018.
Return to Westchester (2018–2019)
On December 6, 2018, Irvin re-signed with the Westchester Knicks. He was on the Knicks 2019 NBA Summer League roster. On October 17, 2019, Irvin signed with the New York Knicks, but was waived on October 18.
Bank of Taiwan (2020–2021)
Irvin plays for the Bank of Taiwan
The Bank of Taiwan (BOT, , see below) is a commercial bank headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan. It is owned by the government of Taiwan.
History
The Bank of Taiwan was established as Taiwan's central bank in 1899, during Japanese rule. ...
team in the Super Basketball League in Taiwan.
Maine Celtics (2022)
On October 24, 2022, Irvin joined the Maine Celtics training camp roster. However, he did not make the opening night roster.
References
External links
Michigan Wolverines bio
Stats
at ESPN
ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). Th ...
Stats
at CBS Sports
CBS Sports is the sports division of the American television network CBS. Its headquarters are in the CBS Building on W 52nd Street in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, with programs produced out of Studio 43 at the CBS Broadcast Center on W ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Irvin, Zak
1994 births
Living people
Abejas de León players
American expatriate basketball people in the Dominican Republic
American expatriate basketball people in Mexico
American men's basketball players
Basketball players from Indiana
Michigan Wolverines men's basketball players
Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball)
People from Fishers, Indiana
Shooting guards
Westchester Knicks players
American expatriate basketball people in Taiwan
Bank of Taiwan basketball players
Super Basketball League imports