Prospect Profile

Strengths:

  * Size
  * Sees the floor well
  * Good defender
  * Takes charge of his team
  * Can get to the rim on the dribble or can post up smaller defenders

Weaknesses:

  * Sometimes over-dribbles or over-penetrates, which leads to turnovers
  * Needs to become more consistent from 3-point range
 

NBA projection:
Morris has declared for the draft without hiring an agent, so he's eligible to return to school if he's not satisfied with his status. Most experts see him as a first-round bubble pick. His combination of size and floor vision makes him an intriguing prospect, but the consensus among pundits seems to be that he should return to school for another season. Whether NBA general managers agree with that assessment is still unclear.

2010-11 Season:
Morris was an All-Big Ten third team selection by both the coaches and media and helped lead Michigan to a 21-14 record and a trip to the NCAA Tournament third round. His numbers were off-the-charts better than his freshman season; he had the largest jump in scoring in the Big Ten (4.4 ppg to a team-best 15.0 ppg). Morris broke the school season record for assists (235) and was just the third Wolverine to pass for 200-plus in a season. He put together only the third triple-double in Michigan history (12 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists) against Iowa.

Key statistics:
15.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 6.7 apg, 2.9 tpg, 1.1 spg, 34.8 mpg, .489 FG, .250 3PT, .715 FT

Cool statistic:
Morris racked up seven double-digit assist games, including a career-best 12 against Concordia and Bryant. Only Gary Grant and Rumeal Robinson had more in their Michigan careers than Morris did this season. He led the Big Ten with 6.71 assists per game, fifth in the nation.

Reminds me of:
Andre Miller

What Insiders Say:
Michigan coach John Beilein
"This is the next step in gathering as much information as possible to assist Darius in making an educated decision. As Darius considers his options, we will continue to support him in every way we can throughout the process."

What Outsiders Say:
Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski
"That kid is one of the best guards in the country. He reminds me of Andre Miller how he plays, because he can run the point from out on top and he can run the point from inside."

Iowa coach Fran McCaffery
"He just keeps coming. He's talented and he's got good size for that position. But it's his relentlessness that to me separates him. When you cut him off, he goes that way and when you cut him off he goes that way and keeps coming at you. Just when you think he's run out of real estate and there's nothing possible he can make out of the play, he ends up making a play somehow. He's starting to shoot it better, too. If he gets [3-point shooting] down, now you're talking about an NBA guy I think."

Illinois coach Bruce Weber
"Morris is … a Steve Nash-like player who wheels and deals and sets up everyone else."

Chris Dortch is the editor of the Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook.