Matt Vogrich's ability to shoot wasn't exactly a secret when Michigan basketball coach John Beilein recruited him.

As the Illinois Gatorade Player of the Year his senior year, Vogrich demonstrated a wide array of skills which the guard figured would also blossom in the Wolverines offense.

But Saturday night, it was the freshman guard's ability to catch and shoot that proved that Vogrich could play an important role early in his career.

Vogrich played 13 minutes and hit on all five of his 3-point attempts, scoring 15 points in his debut as the Wolverines rolled over Northern Michigan, 97-50, at Crisler Arena.

"I didn't expect the hit the first five (shots) - I just wanted to come in and provide a spark and hit a few," Vogrich said. "But once I got it going (my teammates) found me and I kept knocking 'em in."

But as impressive as Vogrich was from the perimeter, he's quick to point out that his shooting ability isn't all that makes him dangerous. As his game matures, he expects to penetrate more, finding seams and setting up his teammates up in an offense that thrives on perimeter shooting.

The Wolverines finished Saturday night's win hitting 9-of-25 3-point attempts. But Vogrich's perfect start not only impressed his teammates, who have come to expect his accuracy from the outside, but the freshman also left an impression on his coach.

"He's really been working hard and extra on his shot over the last week," Beilein said. "A lot of the shooters that come into college, they're not used to that longer hand coming up on them (defensively)."

But after spending long hours over the off-season familiarizing himself with Crisler Arena, Vogrich believes he's ready to transfer his shooting touch to the Big Ten level as a freshman.

And after Saturday night, he's certainly built some trust among his teammates.

"We know he can shoot," junior guard Manny Harris said. "Before the game, we said, 'When you're open, shoot the ball' and that's what he came here for - to shoot."

On guard

Beilein elected to start freshman Darius Morris and sophomore Laval Lucas-Perry at two of the guard spots, providing the Wolverines with an interesting back-court look.

While Morris is a true point guard, Lucas-Perry was also expected to see time in that spot as Morris - who saw 25 minutes against Northern Michigan - matures. But by starting both and then looking for sophomore Stu Douglass to come off the bench, Beilein believes he's got an interesting combination to build around.

"I think it gives us tremendous on the ball quickness," Beilein said. "If we can start with a defensive tone out there, they're going to pick up and go. And both of them are still figuring things out still, but I like that and I like bringing Stu in at the 13-mark because he's got that arm warmed up ready to roll."

Douglass, who played 17 minutes Saturday night, finished 1-for-4 from the field with 3 points. Cronin limited

Beilein stuck with a 9-man rotation throughout the first half, keeping sophomore center Ben Cronin off the floor until late in the second half. Cronin, who missed most of the season last year with a hip injury, was bothered by a hand injury sustained last week in practice. Beilein expects the 7-foot center to be healthy for Friday night's home game against Houston Baptist. Cronin's hand was wrapped Saturday night, playing only five minutes while experiencing trouble catching the ball and shooting.

em>Jeff Arnold covers sports for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at jeffarnold@annarbor.com or 734-623-2554.