University of Michigan point guard Darius Morris is headed home to Los Angeles. The Lakers selected him with the 41st overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, meaning he will get to play for his hometown team.
Morris came to Michigan two years ago from Los Angeles. The improvement he showed from his freshman to sophomore year was immense, and it led to his decision to leave Michigan two years early. The expectation at the end of Michigan's season was that Morris would test the NBA Draft waters and ultimately return, but he went pro instead.
While Morris' decision can certainly be questioned considering many thought he could be a lottery pick if he stayed at Michigan for another year, I'm sure he is thrilled with the chance to return home to play for the Lakers. It's definitely disappointing that Morris wasn't taken until the 41st overall pick, but it's a nice consolation prize that he will get to play with Kobe Bryant, who Morris once called the best player he's ever gone up against.
Morris is the first Michigan basketball player to be drafted by an NBA team since Bernard Robinson Jr. was taken by the Bobcats in 2004.