Raoul

December 10th, 2010 at 11:20 PM ^

Morris is off to an amazing start:

  • Assists: 70 (all of last year: 84)
  • Assist-to-turnover ratio: 2.8 (last year: 1.6)
  • Steals: 18 (last year: 20)
  • Points: 134 (last year: 140)
  • FG%: .553 (last year: .406)
  • 3ptFG%: .294 (last year: .179)

Quite an improvement--and across the board. Kudos to him. He's obviously worked very hard to improve. Some credit should also go to LaVall Jordan, the assistant who works mainly with the guards.

michfan4borw

December 11th, 2010 at 12:29 AM ^

I see improvement also.  Kinda funny how it's more visible as a coach gets more and more players who fit his/her system. 

I've written this before.  This team is the most fluid of Coach B's years at Michigan.  Lots of upside it seems. 

goblue27

December 11th, 2010 at 1:07 AM ^

great so far, however, they're a young team...i think they'll have nights like this but they're also gonna struggle and have nights where they look awful

moredamnsound

December 11th, 2010 at 1:23 AM ^

I've been at the home games so far and I don't know a whole lot about basketball, but this is my $.02.

When this team gets on a roll there's not much that can stop them. Are they a perfect team? No. But did Manny and DeShawn leaving completely ruin them? Definitely not. They have enough shooters to hit from outside when they need them to. Even Darrius now! He's very much improved since last year. Tim Hardaway Jr. is going to be a beast this year, and possibly for the rest of his career here. Stu is doing good so far too. The freshmen are really good and they fit this team very well. I'm so excited!

snoopblue

December 11th, 2010 at 2:33 AM ^

Team plays awesome. I just can't stand the jerseys. They are so ugly. UCLA manages to have adidas and still keep their jersey's looking the same. The changes they made make our jerseys just look like any other school with yellow and blue colors. Anyone else feel the same way?

remdog

December 11th, 2010 at 2:55 AM ^

Morris I saw on some of his high school highlight clips.  He was a playmaker, slashing and scoring or dishing.  He was in a little bit of a shell last year and now it looks like he's really comfortable on the floor.  With Harris gone, he's taken over this team.

I think this year's team is much more complete than last year's.  All the new post players really contribute - even Horford - so they don't have to play small ball.  And they all have upside.  The backcourt is better with finally a true point guard in Morris who is among the top five nationally in assists and an athletic scorer in Hardaway.  Douglass and Novak are more experienced and more effective gritty role players now that all the other pieces are in place.  Even Vogrich is starting to get comfortable and finding his shot - with Morris hitting him when he's open.

If this team stays healthy, they may continue to exceed expectations.

michfan4borw

December 11th, 2010 at 9:37 AM ^

However, with the freshman and young players in general (experiencing a full season playing Div. 1 for the first time), please remember that it's very realistic if/when the team hits a "wall" toward the second half of the conference season. 

Nevertheless, I hope the team keeps exceeding my/our expectations.  Go Blue!

champswest

December 11th, 2010 at 8:44 AM ^

picked it up the past few games and seems more confident and comfortable.  Now if we can just get Smotrycz going it would be awsome.  He is struggling with that freshmen learning curve, but will be fine eventually.

I think this team can finish .500 (which is better than last year and the league should be better than lasy year).

maybaum

December 11th, 2010 at 10:15 AM ^

...still feels like being on Mr. Toad's Wild Ride much of the time, but 10 assists to 1 turnover is star-quality play.

Last year the feeling (with the whole team) was always "can't quite get over the hump"..."something will go wrong in the end"...but this year it just feels different so far.

Dezmatic247

December 11th, 2010 at 10:36 AM ^

I made my State friend watch the game in agony.(She doesn't want to like Michigan basketball) While watching I made the comment that I would rather have Darius Morris than her overrated Kalin Lucas. Much to my surprise she agreed!

maybaum

December 11th, 2010 at 11:20 AM ^

...David Merritt likened Utah to a lower tier Big Ten team. If he's accurate, and if we play anywhere near the level we have been at recently, that projects to a middle-of-the-pack Big Ten season. Seems pretty reasonable at this point.