The Michigan men’s basketball team still has one non-conference game left — a home game on Jan. 9 against No. 3 Kansas. But with the Wolverines set to take on Purdue this Tuesday in their Big Ten opener, for all intents and purposes, Michigan’s out-of-conference season is over.

With their 10-2 start, the Wolverines have perhaps been the most surprising team in the Big Ten.

All followers of the squad know the story at this point: with stars DeShawn Sims and Manny Harris gone, and with just two upperclassmen and no discernible impact players, Michigan was expected to struggle mightily.

And even though Michigan coach John Beilein and his players have repeatedly said they weren't setting any expectations for the season, the team has played better than anyone would have guessed. The Wolverines haven’t beaten any great teams yet, but they haven’t suffered any real upsets either and hung tough with then-No. 9 Syracuse in the Legends Classic during Thanksgiving break.

Here's how Daily men's basketball beat writer Ben Estes thinks Michigan’s season has gone so far:

MVP: Darius Morris

The sophomore point guard arrived from Los Angeles highly touted last season, but he struggled to find his footing at the collegiate level.

What a difference a year makes.

Morris has dazzled all season at the point position, leading the team in scoring at 15.8 points per game. More importantly, he has excelled at running Beilein’s offense, a system notorious for its complexity.

Morris ranks first in the Big Ten and third in the nation with 7.5 assists per game, and his 3.0 assist-to-turnover ratio is top among conference point guards.

The sophomore’s development into a complete player is simply remarkable, and though Morris worked hard at his game all off-season, his improvement has gone beyond what anyone expected.

The best part about Morris’ rise? He’s remained humble about his success, diverting all questions about his play to the team’s performance and shaking off his recent exclusion from the watchlist for the Cousy Award, which is given to the nation’s top point man.

“I’m just really fortunate to be able to go out here and do things, but I still haven’t done much,” Morris said after the Bryant game. “I still have to prove myself in the Big Ten, as well as my other teammates. And we’re really excited for the challenge.”

If Morris keeps up his current play, it’s going to be impossible to keep him off the All-Big Ten First Team at the end of the year — something nobody predicted before the season began.

Best Game: Dec. 4 vs. Harvard

The Wolverines pulled out a 65-62 win, but the fact that it was their smallest margin of victory all year is telling — Michigan had to fight hard for this victory.

The Crimson led at halftime 32-25, the only time the Wolverines have trailed at the break all season. And Harvard scored the first five points of the second half, putting Michigan in a precarious spot at home.

The Wolverines answered with a 19-1 run to take command, but the Crimson battled back to keep it a game. Michigan held just a four-point lead going into the last minute before it secured the win from the free-throw line.

Harvard’s Keith Wright had 18 points and 12 rebounds, the best all-around performance by an opponent post player all season. The game — which also marked the return of former Wolverines coach Tommy Amaker to Crisler Arena as headman for the Crimson — saw six ties and seven lead changes.

This one gets the nod over the Nov. 26 contest against the Orange just because the latter was a much uglier game.

Biggest Surprise: Defense

Beilein is known for his 1-3-1 zone, which he implemented to perfection most recently at West Virginia. The defense ideally swarms and traps opponents, forcing turnovers in the process.

But if the defenders aren’t quick enough, easy shots can sneak through, and Michigan had seen more of the latter the last couple seasons. So with a young team, Beilein decided to turn to the simpler man-to-man scheme.

The Wolverines have delivered, holding opponents to 38.1 percent shooting from the field — the best mark of the Beilein era. Junior co-captain Zack Novak personifies the unit, leading the team in rebounding despite being a 6-foot-4 guard.

Biggest Win: Nov. 30 at Clemson

Michigan came into this contest needing to prove itself.