Newsstand: Michigan hoops mourns loss of Darius Morris
The Michigan Wolverines community mourned the loss of former men’s basketball point guard Darius Morris over the weekend after passing away at the age of 33.
Morris was one of the early stars of the John Beilein era, playing in Ann Arbor from 2009-11. During his sophomore campaign, he averaged 15 points, 6.7 assists and four rebounds per game and was an All-Big Ten third-team member for his efforts. He was Michigan’s single-season leader in assists, a mark that was since passed by Trey Burke and Zavier Simpson.
“Saddened to hear about the passing of former Wolverine Darius Morris,” Beilein said on X, formerly known as Twitter on Saturday. “In 2010-11 Darius was our starting [point guard]. He was a leader in that program changing 21 win season that laid the foundation for Michigan’s next decade of success. RIP DMo and condolences to the Morris family.”
Michigan grabbed the 8-seed in the NCAA Tournament and blew out 9-seed Tennessee before falling to Duke by two points in the round of 32.
Morris was drafted 41st overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2011. His NBA career also included stints with the Philadelphia Eagles, Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies and Brooklyn Nets. He last played in the NBA in 2014-15.
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Michigan quote of the day
“He was a big part of what we were selling in the recruiting process to these guards. When you have a big guy, 7-1, who can catch it on the long roll, short roll, above the rim, bounce passes … he’s unselfish. He loves to screen. He loves physicality; he defends. So, those are some qualities and attributes a lot of guys want to play with. He makes everyone around him better. We’re just very, very fortunate he decided to join us, because he’s special.”
– Michigan men’s basketball coach Dusty May on the addition of Vlad Goldin
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