Dayeesha Hollins knows what comes with being a college point guard.

But after being moved to point guard as a freshman by Michigan women's basketball coach Kevin Borseth, Hollins realized that the transition from more of a traditional guard was going to take time.

So Hollins fell back on her instincts. She relies on the advice Borseth gave her when he made the 5-foot-6 playmaker the Wolverines point guard on a team with six freshmen.

"He told me just to play," Hollins said. "So that's what I do. I just play."

Hollins required just a short time to emerge as one of Michigan's top scorers. Although Borseth isn't complaining about the 13.5 points and 3.9 assist he's gotten from the freshman in Michigan's first 10 games, it's Hollins' ability to make things happen that has made her valuable in Michigan's 8-2 start to the season.

"That's her game," Borseth said Wednesday. "She's got a real nose for the ball. She's aggressive on the offensive end of the floor, and when she does that, she's a good player. And that's probably what she needs to do every time she steps out on the court."

So far, so good. On Monday, Hollins scored 22 points capped by a lay-up with 17 seconds remaining that propelled Michigan to a 72-71 upset win over No. 8 Xavier.

As big as the victory was for the Wolverines, who hadn't beaten a ranked opponent on the road since the 2000-01 season, the game demonstrated to Hollins what she's capable of. Her breakout performance - which included nine rebounds - came in her hometown of Cincinnati.

But the trip to Cincinnati also caused some nerves, allowing Borseth another teaching moment. He told Hollins he wanted to see the player he recruited, hoping her dependence on her natural abilities would keep the freshman calm on a big stage.

"I kept telling her that if she went out there and made things happen, she wouldn't have time to be nervous," Borseth said.

So Hollins just went out and played, maintaining the staple of keeping things simple. Now, rather than getting the ball on the wing and making plays, Hollins' opportunities come on a full-court basis, opening up new dimensions to her game.

Making matters easier, Hollins' transition to the collegiate level hasn't been as difficult as she expected. Couple that with her arrival in Ann Arbor not being preceded by any major hype and her maturation into an impact player has been made easier.

"It would have been harder for me if there was more pressure on me," Hollins said. "Knowing I didn't have much pressure, it was just easy for me to get into a groove and do what I need to do.

"I was looking forward to maybe doing big things (at Michigan). But I wasn't expected to do big things."

She knows with the rigors of a Big Ten season ahead that her maturation is in its early stages. Michigan has a 1 p.m. road game against Detroit on Saturday before opening conference action Dec. 28 at home against Northwestern. And if the Wolverines early-season success is to carry over to a Big Ten slate Michigan struggled with last season, Hollins knows she has to play a key role.

"I know we still need to fight and play hard," she said. "But I think (my teammates) are comfortable with me being the leader. So I just have to go out and play."

Jeff Arnold covers sports for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at jeffarnold@annarbor.com or 734-623-2554. Follow him on Twitter @jeffreyparnold.