Michigan's Darius Morris looks to pass after running into Utah's Jason Washburn while driving the lane during the Wolverine's 75-64 win at Crisler Arena Friday night. Morris finished with 19 points and 10 assists.

Lon Horwedel | AnnArbor.com

Updated 9:57 p.m.

It’s only nine games into the Michigan basketball season and already junior guard Zack Novak is starting to run out of platitudes.

There he was, in the Wolverines’ Crisler Arena locker room following Michigan’s 75-64 win over Utah on Friday night, somewhat at a loss for words to describe sophomore teammate Darius Morris' performance.

“He’s making the game look kind of easy right now,” Novak said. “You’ve asked me so many times, nothing new to say.

“I’m surprised everyone is still surprised about it.”

Within the small collection games this year, this one was statistically near the top for Morris. He scored 19 points with 10 assists, four steals, three rebounds and just one turnover.

But how he did it was perhaps the most impressive part of the night for Michigan (7-2).

Morris took over when necessary, kind of like Manny Harris did a season ago. He did it with more than scoring, although a personal seven-point run in the first half gave the Wolverines a 31-13 lead.

Morris found teammates with the pass. He flustered Utah (6-3) with three steals in the first half, part of the Utes’ 14 first-half turnovers.

He also did the little things, the leadership he learned working with last year’s No. 1 NBA draft pick, John Wall, over the summer and in leadership seminars on the Michigan campus.

“He’s been very receptive to his self-improvement in every way,” Michigan coach John Beilein said. “What he can do on the court, what he can do off the court, what he can do as a leader.

“He’s really, really taken major steps.”

As Morris improves, it helps everyone around him. When teams start to focus on him and collapse, it opens up the pick-and-roll for forward Jordan Morgan, who had 11 points. It allows the open shots for wing players like freshman Tim Hardaway Jr., who rebounded from two poor games to score 17 points with 3 of 6 shooting from beyond the 3-point line.

Included in Hardaway Jr.'s night were two critical 3-pointers from the baseline midway through the second half that Utah coach Jim Boylen said changed the game.

Unsurprisingly, one of the two 3-pointers came on an assist from Morris.

Then, when Morris needs to, he can take over.

His pet move, driving to the lane, taking a jump-step with the ball cradled in his arm and then either shooting it or laying it in off the glass has been almost unstoppable for Michigan’s opponents.

“Unbelievable,” said sophomore guard Matt Vogrich, who had eight points. “He’s been playing out of his mind right now. It seems like every night he has a double-double.

“He’s our floor general and we trust him with the ball and with decisions all the time.”

It’s that trust that allows him to lead. It’s that trust that lets Beilein essentially give the on-court reins of his program to a sophomore.

After all, it is the sophomore who is probably hardest on himself. It is Morris who will watch film after games and see things he messed up in an attempt to improve.

It is Morris who, despite averaging a team-best 14.9 points and 7.8 assists, still insists there’s a lot of room for growth. An area that has stood out the most is his shooting. After averaging 40.6 percent from the field a season ago, he’s up to 55.3 percent this year.

If there is a criticism, it is from Beilein. He said Morris sometimes gets too flashy -- citing a failed lob pass thrown to freshman forward Jon Horford in the second half.

But that's just picking nits.

“Coaches have been getting on me with stuff that I can get better at and I know that I have a long way to go,” Morris said. “Every game I learn something new and every game I make a mistake I know I need to learn from.”

So what did Morris learn Friday as his team won its fourth-straight game?

In his answer, he spoke like the point guard -- and emerging star -- he is becoming. He answered it by talking about his teammates.

“I learned that we really got to bring it like that every day on both ends and that we’re a decent team,” Morris said. “If we can stick to the plan and everybody play team basketball ... if Tim can shoot like that and get involved in the offense, it’s a great thing to see.”

On Friday night, in what might have been Michigan’s most complete game of the year, it was for the Wolverines.

Michael Rothstein covers Michigan basketball for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at 734-623-2558, by e-mail at michaelrothstein@annarbor.com or follow along on Twitter @mikerothstein.