Caris Coleman LeVert ( KAIR-iss lə-VURT; born August 25, 1994) is an American professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Michigan Wolverines. LeVert was originally drafted by the Indiana Pacers but was traded to the Brooklyn Nets on draft night. He later played for the Pacers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Atlanta Hawks, and Detroit Pistons.
LeVert grew up in Columbus but moved to Pickerington, Ohio in second grade. One of his teammates at Pickerington High School Central was future Ohio State forward Jae'Sean Tate. As a high school senior, he led Pickerington Central to a 26–2 record and the 2012 OHSAA Division I state championship. LeVert was a 2012 Associated Press All-Ohio Second Team high school basketball player and the 2012 Columbus Dispatch Metro Player of the Year for Pickerington High School Central. He was not heavily recruited in high school and his only official visit was to Alabama State. He committed to play basketball for John Groce and the Ohio Bobcats men's basketball program in November 2011. Meanwhile, when future teammates Mitch McGary and Nik Stauskas joined Glenn Robinson III by committing to Michigan in November 2011, Michigan became the fifth best recruiting class in the country.
When Groce got hired by Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball in March 2012, LeVert got lost in the shuffle and decided to commit to Michigan. Ironically, Groce's 2011–12 Ohio Bobcats' upset of the 2011–12 Michigan team in the 2012 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament was probably the reason that Groce was hired by Illinois and LeVert withdrew his National Letter of Intent to play for Ohio.
The 2011-12 Michigan Wolverines had been co-champions of the Big Ten, but lost both captains, Zack Novak and Stu Douglass, to graduation and three other players as transfers. The team was returning a nucleus of All-Big Ten players Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr.
LeVert arrived at Michigan weighing 162 pounds (73.5 kg). As a freshman, he began the year behind Stauskas, Robinson, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Matt Vogrich on the depth chart for the shooting guard/small forward positions and did not play in the first six games as a result. LeVert was a part of an incoming class that included McGary, Stauskas, Robinson, and Spike Albrecht. Eventually, Michigan head coach John Beilein decided that LeVert had value as a perimeter defender and decided to play him rather than redshirt him. On December 1 against Bradley Beilein juggled his lineup: Stauskas made his first career regular season start and LeVert saw his first action. By late December, LeVert became the one-on-one partner for Burke after practices. LeVert made his first start on December 29 against Central Michigan, when Tim Hardaway Jr. was unavailable. The 3 freshmen in the starting lineup—Robinson, Stauskas and LeVert—combined for 48 points, 12 rebounds and 8 assists. That night LeVert tallied 9 points and 5 assists. LeVert averaged 2.3 points in under 11 minutes of play per game. He never scored in double digits as a freshman, but he scored 8 points each in conference wins over Illinois and Michigan State as well as the 2013 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament final four victory over Syracuse in 21 minutes of play.
LeVert's classmates all made names for themselves as freshmen. During the Spring and Summer semesters (the offseason) of 2013 LeVert and Stauskas trained together on the court and in the weight room. He followed fellow Columbus native and National Player of the Year Burke as a key contributor to Michigan basketball as a sophomore. After opening the season with career-highs of 17 points and 5 rebounds on November 8 against UMass Lowell, he posted 24 points on November 12 against South Carolina State. When Michigan played (#10 AP Poll/ #8 Coaches' Poll) Duke in the ACC–Big Ten Challenge on December 3, LeVert again posted 24 points, including a 7–7 free throw performance. On January 18, Michigan defeated (#3 AP/#3 Coaches) Wisconsin at the Kohl Center for the first time since the 1998–99 team did so on February 27, 1999. It was the highest ranked team Michigan has ever beaten on the road. LeVert contributed a career-high 4 steals and 20 points. LeVert posted his first double-double on January 30 at home against Purdue with a career-high 11 rebounds and 14 points. On February 16, Michigan lost to (#21/21) Wisconsin, despite a career-high 25 points from LeVert. Michigan clinched its first outright (unshared) Big Ten Conference championship since 1985–86. He was a 2014 second team 2013–14 All-Big Ten selection (coaches and media). On March 11 LeVert was named to the all-District V (OH, IN, IL, MI, MN, WI) team by the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA). The 2013–14 team was eliminated in the elite eight round of the 2014 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament by Kentucky. LeVert and teammate Stauskas, joined Julius Randle, Aaron Harrison and Marcus Lee on the All-Midwest Regional team.
On May 12, LeVert underwent surgery to repair a stress fracture in his foot. He was expected to be sidelined for 8–10 weeks, but be available for the team's August trip to play in Europe. LeVert returned to action just before the team's August 15–24 10-day, 4-game trip to Italy.
Prior to the 2014–15 season, LeVert was named a first team All-Big Ten preseason selection along with Frank Kaminsky, Yogi Ferrell, Terran Petteway, and Sam Dekker. LeVert was selected by NBCSports.com to its Preseason All-American first team, by SB Nation, Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook, Athlon Sports, Bleacher Report, Sports Illustrated, and CBSSports.com to their second teams and by USA Today to its third team. In its preseason top 100 player ranking, LeVert was listed at number 13 by ESPN. He was also listed as a John R. Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 candidate. LeVert also was named to the Oscar Robertson Trophy Watch List on November 24. He was also included in the early December Naismith Award top 50 watch list.
LeVert was named co-captain of the team along with Spike Albrecht. He opened the season with 9 assists against Hillsdale College on November 15, surpassing his previous career-high of five. On November 24, against Oregon, LeVert established a career high by making 11 free throws helping the team to a 70–63 victory in the Legends Classic semifinal game. He posted a career-high 32 points and tied a career-high 4 steals on December 6 in an upset loss to NJIT. He posted 4 steals again against Minnesota on January 10. On January 17 against Northwestern, he reinjured the foot that he had had surgery on the prior May and was lost for the season. At the time of his injury, LeVert led Michigan in scoring (14.9), rebounds (4.9), assists (3.7), steals (1.7) and minutes (35.8). LeVert was on crutches until early March and in a protective walking boot until early April.
LeVert had been expected to be a 2015 NBA draft selection, but following his injury some felt his draft stock was impaired. Following the season, he sought advice from the NBA Undergraduate Advisory Committee, but decided that he needed a second evaluation from them as the field of declared underclassmen became more clear with the thinking that "I don't think it really makes sense to (leave school) early and get drafted in the second round". On April 21, LeVert announced that he would return for his senior season. According to CBSSports.com's Sam Vecenie, this would give LeVert a chance to improve his pick and roll decision making, his midrange offensive game and his defense, especially against screens.
Prior to the 2015–16 season, LeVert was named an All-Big Ten preseason selection, for the second straight year. LeVert became the fourth Wolverine to earn the award multiple times in their career, following Maurice Taylor, LaVell Blanchard and Manny Harris. He was also one of five All-Big Ten preseason selections according to the Big Ten Network. He was one of three Big Ten selections to the 20-man Jerry West Award preseason watchlist (along with James Blackmon Jr. and Rasheed Sulaimon) announced by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He was an Athlon Sports Preseason All-American 3rd team selection. In preseason top 100 player rankings LeVert was ranked 16 by ESPN and 23 by NBC Sports. He made the initial 50-man John R. Wooden Award watch list on November 17. On December 2, LeVert earned recognition on the 50-man Naismith College Player of the Year watchlist and 33-man Robertson Trophy watchlists.