Report Card 2011: Darius Morris

When Darius Morris committed to Michigan he was arguably the highest rated commitment that John Beilein had landed during his coaching career. Beilein spent a significant amount of time recruiting the California native after prioritizing him early in the process. In many ways, Morris’s commitment helped alleviate concerns regarding Beilein’s recruiting, as he was clearly a different level of prospect than Zack Novak, Stu Douglass, Ben Cronin and Jordan Morgan. Morris’s commitment was a recruiting statement and fans expected an immediate impact.

After being touted as the future of the program before setting foot in Ann Arbor, Morris’s freshman season was a disappointment. He turned the ball over, shot poorly from the perimeter and looked nothing like a top 100 player. He never looked comfortable on either end of the court and was the least efficient offensive player that played major minutes in a season that went horribly wrong from the get-go.

The Darius Morris that we saw this season was a completely different player. Whether it was the workouts with John Wall back home in California, long hours working on his jump shot, or just feeling more comfortable in his role, Morris was easily one of the top five most improved players in the country. He seized control of the Michigan offense. Not just by taking and making big shots but also setting up his teammates. From game 1 to game 35, this was Darius Morris’s show.