You can’t throw Anthony Lever a changeup.
He’s like a veteran hitter who’s seen far too many.
Change is nothing new to Lever, the elder statesman of the Oregon men’s basketball team. Since high school, Lever has exchanged uniforms like a chameleon and seen his role on the Oregon team shift more times than a middle-schooler writing his first term paper.
Lever has been through perhaps more changes than anyone on the Oregon basketball team, but that doesn’t keep him from being one of the most level-headed guys to roam McArthur Court.
“He has a different kind of maturity to him,” Oregon guard Freddie Jones said of Lever. “Later on, I see him becoming a businessman type, because he loves that kind of stuff, being in charge.”
Lever was always in charge at Canyon Del Oro High in Tucson, Ariz., where he broke Mike Bibby’s single-season state high school scoring record his senior year. Lever averaged 29 points per game in 1996-97, a feat that earned him an honorable mention for the USA Today high school All-American team.
But that’s when those changes started swirling around the shooter. During his senior season, Lever was recruited by an Arizona assistant coach who switched allegiances to Louisiana-Lafayette. Lever followed, but didn’t stick with the Ragin’ Cajuns.
“I went there and it was too small,” Lever said. “I just didn’t like the place. I sat out a semester and then after that I was out of school completely.”
After a year at community college in Texas, Lever landed at Oregon with fellow junior-college recruits Bryan Bracey, Julius Hicks and Ben Lindquist. He played behind point guard Darius Wright for that season, then earned a starting role his junior year.
But this year has been easily the most interesting of Lever’s basketball career. The senior changed his last name from Norwood when he learned that his father was NBA legend Lafayette “Fat” Lever. He broke his hand before the season started and watched as five starters gelled on the court in the preseason. He came back from the injury to find his minutes reduced dramatically from last season.

And through it all, Lever remained a leader and a teacher when he could have turned into a moper and a whiner.
“To come off the bench and have that kind of impact and be that kind of shooter, I think that says a lot about his character,” Oregon head coach Ernie Kent said. “Because he could have been a disgruntled player, unhappy, but he has not done that at all.”
In fact, Lever’s production has increased in certain areas this season. The senior is averaging 49 percent from beyond the arc, good enough for second in the Pacific-10 Conference and much higher than his 35 percent clip last season. When he is able to come off the bench late in games, his insta-treys often spark the Oregon club.
“I still think he’s going to step up and win some close games for us down the stretch with his ability to shoot the ball,” Kent said. “He did it against Cal here at Mac Court. We were in kind of a slump, he went out and hit 2-of-3 three-pointers and got us going again. Same thing with the Stanford game as well.”
Lever is also aware of his late-game capabilities.
“If (my teammates) get in foul trouble down the stretch, or if we need a deeper bench come tournament time, I’ll be there,” Lever said. “I know they’re out there working hard, and if they need a breather I’m ready to come in there and do the same thing.”
The senior has been a mature role model, according to Kent, who said that Lever’s enthusiasm and work ethic rubs off on the freshmen and sophomores. Lever even rubs off on the older junior-college transfers.
“He’s an all-around great guy,” junior transfer Robert Johnson said. “He’s always there, like ‘If you need anything, let me know. If you’re having problems, tell me or talk to this guy.’ He’s just helped me stay on top.”
Lever’s enthusiasm for the game goes far beyond the limits of a bench or a starting lineup. His desire to win eclipses his desire for personal achievement, and Oregon is finally winning. At 17-7, the Ducks are well on their way to the postseason, where Lever has had success in the past.
In a first round NCAA Tournament game against Seton Hall two seasons ago, Lever had nine points coming off the bench. In high school, he averaged 33 points in the combined postseasons of 1996 and 1997.
Lever’s postseason success mirrors that of his father, who led the Arizona State Sun Devils to two consecutive NCAA Tournaments in 1980 and 1981. Lever says that since he met “Fat,” the two have shared basketball joys and hardships together.
“He’s helped out as far as the things I’ve been going through with my hand and stuff like that,” Lever said. “On the court, it’s like he loves the game so much, he loves to play, and it’s the same way with me.”
Said like a true veteran, ready for his final major-league at-bats.