Darius in the Draft
Via UM Release:
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- University of Michigan sophomore guard Darius Morris (Los Angeles, Calif./Windward HS) has submitted the necessary paperwork to declare for the 2011 National Basketball Association (NBA) Draft, but has opted not to hire an agent at this time.
Morris is eligible to return to Michigan for his junior season if he withdraws his name from draft consideration before the May 8 deadline.
"All my life it has been a goal of mine to play in the NBA and I am blessed to have the opportunity to take this step towards that dream," said Morris. "I look forward to going through this process with the potential of playing at the next level."
This is the next step in gathering as much information as possible to assist Darius in making an educated decision," said U-M head coach John Beilein. "As Darius considers his options we will continue to support him in every way we can throughout the process."
Morris, who was an All-Big Ten third team selection by both the coaches and media, helped the Wolverines to a 21-14 record and a trip to the NCAA Tournament third round. He recorded the largest margin of improvement in scoring in the Big Ten, jumping from 4.4 points per game as a freshman to a team-best 15.0 per game this past season.
Morris broke the U-M season record for assists with 235, becoming just the third Wolverine to record 200-plus assists in a year. He recorded just the third triple-double in U-M history with 12 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists against Iowa (Jan. 30) and tallied seven double-digit assist games, including a career-best 12 helpers against Concordia (Dec. 6) and Bryant (Dec. 20). Overall, Morris led the Big Ten with 6.71 assists per game, putting him fifth in the nation.
In two seasons in Ann Arbor, Morris has started 53 of 67 career games, compiling 666 career points (9.9 ppg), 197 rebounds (2.9 rpg) and 319 assists (4.76 apg).
In not hiring an agent, he can choose to withdraw if he'd like. For a rundown on how the NBA Draft process, works, read this post. He's now gone into phase 2, which is beyond just showing interest.
Awesome. Two weeks of hand-wringing now.
If he actually leaves, it will be beyond devestating to the program's momentum. I'm not going to knock him, but as a fan it is so damn frustrating to see guys like Harrison Barnes, Perry Jones and Jared Fucking Sullinger stay while we have to sweat this one out.
Fuck this shit.
Fail
April 21st, 2011 at 10:00 PM ^
If Morris leaves, the program essentially takes a one-year hit--nothing more than that. I don't see why it would have any effect on the 2012-13 season and beyond. There are five very good recruits lined up in the next two recruiting classes, and if Morris leaves now, Beilein would have a much better chance of landing someone else for the 2012 class--which could actually increase the program's momentum.
In considering a 2011-12 season without Morris, I think people are once again underestimating the team's chances. If he leaves, we could be in for a repeat of 2010-11 because expectations will be lowered, and I believe the team will be able to exceed those expectations.
But as a third team conference selection that means that there are at least two and maybe 5 guards in the conference that had better years. I know some of them are seniors.
Also, I compulsively upvote Temptations videos. David Ruffin FTW.
He's ranked 42nd by Draft Express and is 33rd in NBADraft.net's mock draft.
Darius, thanks for all the hard-work and effort these past two seasons.
If Darius stays great, if he leaves great, gets me excited to see the development of Burke and Brundidge.
Even though Darius is a good player, I won't be too sad to see him leave, because I don't like the way he plays the game, too much dribbling for my taste. I prefer a point guard who is more decisive when driving to the basket. I also prefer a watching a team with more ball movement via the pass, as opposed to a guard dribbling dribbling dribbling until he has to either shoot it himself or pass out to someone else who is going have to fire up a shot.
Michigan wouldn't have made the tourney this year without Darius, but I think they can make it next year without him. Belien has his program to the point where it can overcome bumps in the road such as this.
I honestly don't think you can understate Darius's importance to the team. Do I think they can make the tourney without him next year? Yeah I do, but if he comes back I think they have a legit chance to make the Sweet 16 and can be a sleeper pick to win it all.
I think we agree, although it would be a big sleeper pick to win it all.
I must say though, many times this season when Morris was on the bench, I found the team more enjoyable to watch. Just my preference, nothing against Morris' productivity, he was far and away the best player on the team, but I don't think his loss is insurmountable.
Kentucky overcame the loss of John Wall and went to the Final Four.
I believe M can at least equal what they did this year, if Morris leaves. I think Burke and Brundidge are both college ready guards who can step in and help fill the void.
I ain't losing any sleep worrying about Morris going Pro, M basketball will be just fine.
IIRC, most of the major runs in the Duke game happened while D-Mo was on the bench.
I thought the same against Duke, and with the addition of Burke and Brundidge to soften the blow, I think M will be fine. I think on the offensive end Burke has a chance to be very good from the get go. Brundidge may experience a bit tougher transition than Burke but I think he will be a good offensive college guard sooner than later. Defensively, I think the transition will be tough for both, but that is pretty much par for the course.
April 22nd, 2011 at 12:22 AM ^
To next season. But as a pick to win it all, we're not a sleeper, we're comatose. Stick with the Sweet 16 as a goal.
that reminds me of Evan Turner when he was at OSU to just go wherever he wants and remain in control of his body and the ball. He'll drive baseline and if nothing is open he pulls it out. He'll get into the paint from the top of the key and if nothing is open he brings it back out. I think he single handedly created so much offense for us by just probing defenses relentlessly until he found a weakness.
April 21st, 2011 at 10:31 PM ^
I agree but I don't think that will work nearly as well in the NBA where you either have to be really strong, really quick or have a killer jump shot to keep a defender in your shirt.
I still don't think Morris is going to leave UM - he is going to hear back that he isn't assurred of going in the 1st round, which means he'd be struggling to go a contract and playing time going forward if he went in the 2nd. I think he'll hear back from the drat analysis boards, weigh some options and see what the NBA thinks of his flaws, then return and focus on getting better. Next year he could definitely work his way into the lottery with a great season, or at least a mid-first-rounder, and taking chances now with a potential lockout looming seems crazy to me. Plus, Beilein has never been the type of guy who BSes his kids if they have a chance to go to the pros, and I think he'll tell Morris what he can do to help him move on after next year.
I would only add that Beilein is demonstrating that he sincerely cares about the future progression of his players. I don't know how much the coach's character influences recruits (in football it doesn't seem all that important) but didn't UM just gain a b-ball recruit partially because of the impression Beilein made on the player's HS coach? Beilein's own words are "this is a good problem to have."
April 21st, 2011 at 10:34 PM ^
staying for another year isn't helping. That means Morris will be pushed up in the pecking order.
Either way too. If Darius goes pro, he deserves it after the year he had. If he stays at Michigan, I look forward with great enthusiasm for the revenge tour he leads in the race for a Big Ten championship, maybe season and tournament. It was a great 2011 season for sure though.
GO BLUE
Entering the Draft, but I do have a problem with him saying he'll return for sure and then leave, if he ends up leaving. If you think you might want to leave, leave the door open. Don't say you won't and then do.
He should come back and score just one more FG for his career total. Bad vodoo man, bad vodoo. ;)
In Morris. If you say you're committed to coming back, come back. I feel like he tarnished a little bit of his reputation, but maybe thats just for me. That being said, still wish him luck in the NBA. Hope he decides not to (yet) though.
April 22nd, 2011 at 12:28 AM ^
is just doing what's best for him and his family, can't hate on him for that. Would you seriously begrudge him for leaving early if he had a decent shot to go reasonably high in the first round?
That being said, this is a disastrous idea on par with Donovan Warren leaing early, and he should probably return to hone his game so he can draft higher next year.
...he would stay. I was really looking forward at a major run into the upcoming B1G season. From what I have seen, he stands a better chance if he stays another year and continues to improve which will reflect on his ability to gain a higher draft pick in 2012.
Career points 666....he has to come back, I'd say thats bad juju for him if he leaves now with that number next to his name.
April 21st, 2011 at 10:35 PM ^
I can't believe it took this long for someone to pick that up, It was the first thought that came to my head looking at his statline. Good Job +1 to you sir.
I think Morris is a great college player for Michigan and I hope he is successful if leaves for the NBA this year. However, it is clear (I'm not a NBA scout obviously) that his game has a lot of room for improvement and he probably could use another 2 seasons in college to get him ready. I just don't see how a PG that can't drive to his left or shoot with any consistency can compete on a nightly basis with other PG like Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook, or Chris Paul.
At the same time, it is a historically weak draft and I can't blame him if the money is waiting for him.
I personally would love to see him in the maize and blue next year but he has to do what's best for him and his family. If he goes pro I'll certainly continue to be a fan.
April 21st, 2011 at 10:44 PM ^
That's not good enough.
He should stay and work on his shot. If William Buford is staying, Darius should stay.
April 21st, 2011 at 11:06 PM ^
http://www.shattertheglass.com/2010/12/2010-closeout-point-guard-rankin…
Who is he better than on this list? No more than 10, right? And probably less than that. I'm assuming he can play better defense than he did here because he expended so much on offense here. I'm giving him that.
Seriously son, work on your shot and your defense. Then go pro.
This is ludicrous and really upsetting because I think it's an awful, AWFUL career move.
April 21st, 2011 at 11:26 PM ^
This sucks. Hopefully he comes to his senses before the 8th
April 21st, 2011 at 11:41 PM ^
he's not going to the NBA this year. no one get their MGoPanties in a bunch... he'll stay for one more year, flourish, and then be a mid 1st rounder next year.
i wish you would step back from that ledge my friend...
April 22nd, 2011 at 12:42 AM ^
I wish he well and thank him for the two years. If he comes back great. M fam
This year's point guard class isn't particularly deep, and his size and raw talent make him very desirable. However, with the looming lockout, it doesn't seem that any team would throw first round money at what some would deem a project. The young man has a tough decision, and I hope he is getting solid advice.
As far as the team goes, I live in Columbus and I saw Trey Burke play a couple of times. He's very fast and will be a great distributor, if not scorer. His Godfather (another M fan in Cbus) told me that he was ready to sign with Cincy. Ultimately, he decided a Michigan education was too good to pass up, even if it meant backing up Darius for a year or even two.
We will not let you go to your right here.
<br>NBA
1) a lot of the draft boards haven't been updated with the recent underclass declares, like Calipari's trio from Kentucky. My cursory look at the draft rankings collectively from the different sites put Morris in the 30-45 range, meaning he's a legit late 1st rd option. the 1st rd is key as many people have stated b/c that's where the guaranteed money is. Draft Express (http://www.draftexpress.com/nba-mock-draft/2011/) has him as the #9 pick in th 2nd round, and he'd have to jump McCamey (ILL), Shumpert (GT), Jackson (BC), and Selby (KAN) to get in the first round in terms of similar players. This is good for us.
2) late first round typically means good teams looking to fill holes on their bench or replace elder players with quality college players who aren't complete projects, but this year, the two teams that would be in the late 1st rd who would need a combo guard with more PG tendencies the most (Lakers really need a young PG who would be cheap for a 3-4 yr period so they can go after D Howard in '12 free agency; Heat who need a quality PG to take load off of 'bron & Wade) have traded their first round picks. In the last 7 picks of the 1st rd right now, Bulls (x2), Spurs, Nets, Mavs, Celts, Thunder are there and only the Mavs to me would be a real threat to take Morris to groom to take over for Kidd. Everybody else in that group is solid on point guards. Go higher in that in the draft and I think you're probably past Morris's expected draft ceiling. This is also good for us.
3) The Pourtsmouth pre-draft camp was just held.. This is the big NBA pre-draft camp before the May deadline for underclassmen, but it's only for seniors. If DMo's staying in after that, then that's probably not a good thing for us.
Lastly, the big variable in this is that the Euro prospect camp is in late May / early June after the underclass have to declare finally. Invariably, you get one or two previously unknown Euros who blow up at this thing due to workout warrior measurables or one good game. This typically has the effect of moving 1 Euro into a 1st rd slot that they probably don't deserve. So if DMo is sitting at a projected 30th pick, and a surprise Euro comes in, gone is the guarantee money.
Bottom line: with the Heat & Lakers not having 1st rd picks, the two most likely teams to take Morris at the end of the 1st round are not there and everybody else except the Mavs don't need a guard like Morris. I imagine he'll be told he's a late first round talent now with the potential to move up to a all-but-guaranteed edge of lottery pick with a good season next year, but the teams drafting late 1st rd this year will likely mean he'll be an early 2nd round pick on a bad team. At that point its a matter of whether Morris REALLY wants to go pro now.
Is a joke. Even Shurna from Northwestern is looking at the NBA. I remember when you actually had to be really good to even consider leaving school early for the NBA. The Morris situation is exactly what is killing both college and pro basketball. The kid is a nice kid and has worked hard to improve, but he has no business even thinking about the NBA at this point in his career after one decent season. Work on your jump shot and your left hand, then start thinking about going pro.
April 22nd, 2011 at 11:31 AM ^
HEY KID, YOU SUCK!
SO PLEASE STAY AT MICHIGAN.
fail.
I thought him not hiring an agent basically means he's not serious about entering but wants to hear what the scouts have to say. If he was getting ready to be drafted by some NBA team he would want representation.
First round material in my mind is an immediate starter or a quality back up. He could be a quality back up but, not an immediate starter. I'll have to find the sites where they where saying he projected as a 2 guard not a point.
He is probably fishing around for the "first round promise".
My gut tells me he makes the mistake and stays in the draft, and a year from now it looks like a big mistake. Meanwhile Brundidge and Burke step up to handle the bulk of the ball-handling duties as true freshman, and Michigan loses a tough one in the Elite 8. Crazier things happen.
April 22nd, 2011 at 12:03 PM ^
and my post above identifies teams that would be the most likely to give him the "first round handshake". Mavs are really the only team in the back end of the draft who need a player with Morris's skill sets and have a draft pick, but based on my view, they'd have their pick of 2-3 players at least who I'd want more than D-Mo. It's not like D-Mo is one of these athletic freak kids with the huge frames or you anticipate is going to grow 2-3 more inches... he's an above average to great player who's shown extended flashes of brilliance, but doesn't have the eyeball popping physical measurables and would probably benefit from one more year of college experience. Comes out as a junior, avoids senior stigma, seen as responsible leader type of player that would be of benefit to 2/3 of the Association. Unless there's a basketball version of Steinbrenner out there who'll give D-Mo the Drew Henson treatment, I think D-Mo will hear he's a borderline 1st rd pick this year with the potential to play himself into the back end of the lottery next year.
April 22nd, 2011 at 11:09 AM ^
And appreciate all he's done as a wolverine, my response remains:
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
Or, if you're not into the whole brevity thing, I continue to hope he decides not to hire an agent with a potential lockout looming and the possibility of really blowing things up here with M.
April 22nd, 2011 at 11:58 AM ^
It's amazing how now, when faced with the possibility of departure, a number of you people come out to talk about how "sometimes it seems like Michigan was better without him" and point out the apparent myriad of weaknesses he has.
He was the best player on the team, and it was not particularly close, and he seems like a good kid, with a good head on his shoulders. Perhaps, rather than pillorying him because he may longer be "ours" anymore, we should be happy for the fun season he gave us, and be happy that a Michigan basketball player has succeeded to the point where the NBA after his sophomore year is even a possibility.
April 22nd, 2011 at 12:01 PM ^
so I am not too worried about it. What I am worried about is him returning, but not really having his head and heart in it. Will he be concentrating on making the TEAM the best they can be or making HIMSELF the best that HE can be?
April 22nd, 2011 at 12:34 PM ^
"Get the fuck off my court." Classic, and laid in the lap of a little punk spartan.
I think everyone that follows Michigan wants him to stay, yet they want him to do well at the next level.
All that is fine, but I think better caveat to that is the priority of playing in the NBA over getting a college degree.
This really makes me appreciate players that have stayed in school in spite of their talents and have set graduating as a priority. In my opinion, players that graduate and have a NCAA championship and then excel in the NBA (Michael Jordan to name one) are ones that college players should aspire to emulate. No offense to Kobe, LeBron, or even Derrick Rose for that matter; all great players, but no matter what they do, they will never compare to MJ. Just my 2 cents.
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