I'm watching Michigan-Texas and Caris Levert just wiggled through defenders from the top of the key all they way to the rim for a wide open layup. I would kill to see a Bobcat make that play. Then I got to thinking - is it automatic that he would be as good of a player if he had ended up at Ohio?

Look at Deandre Kane. He's a huge cog in the Iowa State machine, but we exposed him multiple times when he played against us at Marshall. Why is he so much better against better competition?

Who remembers Ron Lewis? He was outstanding at Ohio State, but I really don't remember hearing much about him when he was at Bowling Green.

On the flipside, there are all kinds of stories of kids who were wooed by the bright lights at the big school but were not impact players, transferred down and became stars. Walter Offutt, Glenn Bryant, Deshonte Riley, Denzel Bowles. If you extract senior year Walter Offutt from the Ohio roster and place him back at OSU, what is his impact?

So what is it? Coaching? Fitness facilities? Support staff? Why do some players have better careers at the major school and others succeed when they transfer down?

LeVert has credited Jon Sanderson for transforming him into a stronger and better conditioned player. The former Bobcat (former buckeye in headline of recent newspaper article) is the UM strength and conditioning coach.

LeVert has a younger brother playing for Pick Central. Thin, like his older brother, but perhaps another late bloomer.