2012 Recruiting Not Finished Yet. Caris LeVert Visiting Thursday

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It appears that Michigan's 2012 recruiting isn't quite finished yet.  Caris LeVert, a shooting guard from Pickerton, Ohio, will be visiting campus on Thursday.  After Michigan officially withdrew their offer from Amedeo Della Valle, most assumed Michigan's 2012 class was complete.  A lot of this had to do with Trey Burke's return and Spike Albrecht's late commitment, but after LeVert decommited from Ohio University (the green one), Michigan has expressed interest in getting him to Ann Arbor.

When I originally heard Beilein and staff were pursuing LeVert, I was actually kind of perplexed.  Not because I thought it was a bad move, but because I didn't understand why the staff would want LeVert over point guard Amedeo Della Valle, who has now committed to Ohio (the red one).  As I argued when Della Valle's offer was pulled, I believe he would have been a great fit in Michigan's roster and helped to secure depth for the next few seasons.  With Burke's impending departure to the NBA and the uncertainty of first and second year college players, I thought it would be great to have another guy on the depth chart.

LeVert would be a great addition to the 2012 recruiting class and may seem lowly ranked, but I think with some development, he can be a key contributor to the Wolverines.  With Michigan's recent success in recruiting, it's rare that Michigan will have to rely on players like LeVert to carry the team like it did a few years ago.  With Derrick Walton entering campus in 2013, there's going to be extremely talented point and shooting guards on campus.  LeVert will likely have plenty of time to develop without being forced into action at either position, even though he's much more likely to play shooting guard.

However, Walton is not guaranteed to secure the point guard position, which is why I believe Della Valle was a better recruit to take than LeVert.  Regardless, there may be some room for him to make an impact at shooting guard for the Wolverines.  Nik Stauskas is another shooting guard that will be in the 2012 class and the potential for two solid players can only leave any fan excited.  Stauskas is clearly more prepared than Varis LeVert at this point, but with the way Michigan players have been entering the NBA Draft, it certainly seems like a good decision to try and recruit another guard for the team.

Nobody knows where LeVert will commit, as he's been eyeing up other programs such as Purdue alongside Michigan, but I think Michigan has a good shot.  Not only does Michigan seem in to be in great shape, but another player from his school is already coming to Michigan, Taco Charlton (4* defensive end).  It certainly can't hurt having someone from his school already coming to Michigan. I didn't expect the coaching staff to be recruiting anyone for 2012 at this point, but LeVert is a great option to secure guard depth for the team's future.