NOTEBOOK: Darius Morris starts at point guard and impresses Michigan basketball coach John Beilein

“I felt really honored and blessed to get to that spot,” Morris said. “And we got the W tonight, so that worked out well.”

Morris, though, couldn’t help from catching himself looking around a little bit before Michigan’s 73-54 win over Wayne State, looking around, seeing the student section that came out in full force and found himself, well, a bit in awe.

Once the game started, none of that mattered. He took the ball, called his first play and everything felt normal.

“When you first get out there, a lot of people say they are not nervous, but I don’t know if nervous was the word,” Morris said. “But you’re in a new environment and you’re just looking at everything.

“It was just wonderful.”

Morris played 25 minutes, scoring four points along with three rebounds, three assists and two turnovers.

He received praise from Beilein, who seemed particularly impressed with his defense at the top of the 1-3-1 zone. Still, he’s a freshman and is learning exactly when to make certain moves versus taking the ball himself.

“I thought he did a good job,” Beilein said. “He’s learning the offense and now what hopefully he’ll give us as we get into this thing is finding the spots where don’t run any plays and just drive the ball when they give it to ya. He’s really a high IQ player.

“So hopefully he’ll find that sweet spot between driving and running another play.”

Matt Vogrich settles in He may not have shot well - he missed both of his attempts in 11 minutes - but freshman guard Matt Vogrich said he started to feel comfortable in his first college game.

Like Morris, as he checked in he got a little bit of nerves but perhaps the most jarring thing was how many people the Lake Forest, Ill., native didn’t know in the crowd, especially the student section.

“It was different,” Vogrich said. “The Maize Rage, I don’t really know anybody yet, I mean, I know some people but it’s not like it’s all my friends out there. But they were great.

“…They were great in helping me calm down in the game. I didn’t shot it well but it’s all right, it’s just an exhibition. Come out and shoot it the next one.”

John Beilein impressed by student section It may have been Friday night, parent’s weekend and the hockey team playing the No. 1 team in the country a couple of Zoltan Mesko punts away, but Michigan’s students treated Friday’s exhibition like a regular-season game.

They sprinted down to their seats and filled out their full allotment. They were loud. And Beilein noticed.

“It was tremendous,” Beilein said. “I love to go back, I remember the first exhibition game going out and saying ‘I thought this was Michigan.’ There was this small crowd.

“That was really neat to see everyone come out like that.”

The players noticed, too, as Zach Novak said he didn’t know what to expect from the students because of the exhibition and the hockey team playing.

“I don’t want to say I’m surprised,” Novak said. “We have great fans. I’m just happy, I guess. It’s really fun when you go out there to warm up and fans are already there and you play and they are into the game and you can hear them.”

Michigan hockey team has a fan in Crisler Arena Perhaps the saddest Novak was all night was when he asked how the Michigan hockey team was doing.

Informed they were down 2-0 at the time - No. 1 Miami (Ohio) ended up beating Michigan 3-1 - he shook his head for a second before saying “OK.”

“I’m a big, I try to follow all the sports here a little bit, especially football and hockey,” Novak said. “I’ve got friends on both teams.”

This and that Michigan had 15 assists on 25 baskets, good enough for a 60 percent ratio. That’s about where Beilein said he’d like his team - at minimum - every game. … Attendance was 9,657 … Dale Brundidge, the older brother of 2011 Michigan commit Carlton Brundidge, started for Wayne State and scored two points, grabbed five rebounds and had two assists in 21 minutes. … Beilein said Michigan’s players will work for about three hours Saturday after watching the end of the Michigan-Purdue football game and will have an off-day Sunday.