Derrick Caracter saga knows no boundaries, end

by Mike Rutherford on Jun 15, 2008 8:36 AM EDT in Basketball

Derrick Caracter is back in the news this morning, begging the question of whether or not there's ever been more summer attention devoted to a college basketball player who's never averaged more than eight points in a season.

The latest turn comes from - appropriately, I suppose - the blog of Rick Bozich (again, no boundaries). The Courier-Journal columnist apparently ran into the former St. Patrick's High School star (seriously, what other description works at this point?) in the winner's circle after Curlin won the Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Down's on Saturday (absolutely no boundaries), and asked him about his future.

Dressed in a polo shirt, jeans and a pair of bright green sneakers, Caracter said that he still wants to play for Louisville with fellow juniors Earl Clark, Jerry Smith and Edgar Sosa next season. He signed several autographs and waved at fans who screamed, "We want you back, DC. We need you, DC."
Caracter said he was enrolled in summer school and taking two classes this session.

"I'm already eligible," he said. "This is where I want to be. This is where I want to play. I took my name out of the (National Basketball Association) draft because I want to play here. I don't want to transfer.

"I'm going to talk to coach (Pitino) at the end of the month. I don't want to be anywhere else."

Already eligible? So was he never really ineligible or did he just apply himself for two weeks and turn out to be Henri Poincare (I could have just said Einstein, but it's Sunday morning and I'm feeling saucy)?

I realize this is all becoming increasingly difficult to follow, so let's break things down by taking a look at the (potential) psyches of the story's major players.

DERRICK CARACTER - Realized he was not going to fare well in the draft and backed out. Feels comfortable in Louisville and with his teammates, and would like to return to school for another year. Has been telling anyone with an ear that he's back on the team since Earl Clark made his decision, assuming his head coach would let him back without much of a fight.

RICK PITINO - Was hoping Caracter would either leave or go through the pre-draft camps and return aptly humbled. Worries about the effect an unaltered DC might have on a team that could contend for a national title. Doesn't really want him back, but feels like he can't kick him off solely for being a pain in the ass.

LOUISVILLE FANS - Super bored and willing to talk about almost anything with nothing else to actively follow.

WILL SCOTT - Has a scholarship he doesn't really need.

This is my view of the situation as it currently stands, but for proof that there isn't anyone out there who knows beyond the shadow of a doubt whether or not Caracter is done at U of L, we turn to (100% no boundaries) a message from T-Will's MySpace.

COACH PITINO LET WILL SCOTT HAVE DC'S SCHOLARSHIP SINCE HE WILL NOT BE RETURNING, BUT DC IS STILL HANGING AROUND THE VILLE TRYING TO BECOME ACADEMICALLY ELIGIBLE TO TRY AND TRANSFER SOMEWHERE, BUT HE WILL NOT BE BACK IN THE VILLE. JUST WANTED TO KEEP YALL UPDATED SINCE HE DON'T BE ON HERE THAT OFTEN. I WISH THE BEST FOR HIM. HOPE YALL DOING GOOD AS WELL. MUCH LOVE.

- T-WILL

The summer sucks.

So how does everyone feel about Steve Kragthorpe?

0 recs | Comment 17 comments

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DC

DC says in that Bozich thing that he is already academically eligible. I can’t imagine that if he gets his grades in order, Pitino is not going to let him back on. Pitino can still save this with a “see, I’m a master motivator, I got DC to overcome my seeming opposition and become eligible and get the right attitude.”

I’m not so sure DC would have declared if Pitino hadn’t declared for him on national TV right after the UNC game. He was pushing him out the door.

Just once I’d love a Hollywood ending for one of these stud prospects UofL gets instead of the normal flame-out and disappointment (I’m looking at you, Carlos Hurt/Brandon Bender/Jarome Harmon/Jason Osbourne/Donta Smith).

Oh well. Beats wondering about whether or not we can win at Syracuse—in football.

by CardsFan922 on Jun 15, 2008 10:18 AM EDT 0 recs

Well said, sir.

This is absolutely hilarious.

Pitino is not going to take back a scholarship once he’s given it-no way.

Either DC is totally delusional

or he’s found a way to pay for school and is going to walk on

OR in even greater theatre, Will Scott “gives” up his new scholly

for the good of the team

to allow a much-humbled, chihuahua-leashed DC to come home

which I’ve long thought could be a great feel-good success story for DC and Rick

and a net positive for the team.

I’ve heard for a long time that DC is academically eligible. I can’t find out if he’s ineligible only by Rick’s Rules—but methinks that’s the case.

Yes, Rick will make DC sweat a loooooong time for the all that sh*t he pulled last yr…...

by frankpos on Jun 15, 2008 10:35 AM EDT 0 recs

Love The No Boundaries

...Caracter has had more reincarnations than Jason in Halloween XIV. I thought he was gone forever. What a set of gem stones. I’ve got to say it again, “If I could buy him for what he’s worth and sell him for what he THINKS he’s worth…well, I’d have a few bucks.”

Love Curlin….the hot shot who couldn’t lose, Big Brown, was supposedly aiming for him at the Breeders Cup, The Classic, this autumn…but kind of spit the bit a couple of weeks ago. You might have heard. Curlin would have killed him…..A horse that won the Derby in the teens, around 1914, I believe his name is Executioner (I might be wrong on that one) and his stable mate Sun Briar (I’m right on that one) are both somehow buried here in upstate New York in Binghamton.

Best horse I ever saw, Frank, was trained by Johnny Nerud, and called Dr Fager. Ran in the early 70’s against the likes of Buckpasser and Damascus. I think he’s still the mile record holder.
Roz

by Roz on Jun 15, 2008 11:44 AM EDT 0 recs

Sorry Folks

The Derby winner was EXTERMINATOR in 1918…and NO, wise guys, I was not around to bet on him.

Roz

by Roz on Jun 15, 2008 10:14 PM EDT up 0 recs

Caracter should make an investment

frankpos I like where you are headed with Will Scott giving up his scholly, but in all honesty can you think of any better investment for Caracter than to pay his own way to school. For $18,000 dollars of out-of-state tuition, Caracter could completely reinvent himself. The positive publicity that would result from that $18,000 dollars would well pay for itself come next year’s draft.

Instead of hearing about Dunkin Donuts applications every game, we would hear about how this former high school All American turned his life around and is paying his own way through college because he is so passionate about the game. NBA execs could see this unique talent has righted his ship and is now focused on basketball and his studies and would begin to salivate over him like they did when he was in high school

For the record, Caracter drives a teal Mercedes with NJ plates, so either world-wide Wes can pick up the $18,000 or he could create even more publicity by putting his car up for sale on Ebay.

I apologize, I got off track with that last paragraph, but the first two had at least a little legitimacy.

by tmjoel01 on Jun 15, 2008 1:32 PM EDT 0 recs

Teal Mercedes

Dude, that sounds like a Disney script.
When I was Derrick’s age I drove a 1962 Corvair, that had rotted out floor panels, would only start if the radio was on a particular station, would do unintentional 540 degree squiggles after innocent right turns in the snow, and would emit billowing Bloody Red Barron toxic clouds anytime I had the onions to turn on its gas fired heater as I motored toward Ulster County Community College in the sub artic winter of 1968. I paid about two hundred bucks for it in those days and had to work as a pick and shovel man on the seven in the evening to seven in the morning shift at the oh so toxic Hudson Cement plant, pushin’ wheelbarrows full of brick to the end of a burned out kiln, for the princely sum of $3.63 per hour. (Yeah, I know everybody’s saying, “Hell, did you walk fourteen miles to school, too?”).

The point being this: He’s already had enough chances. Your heart is definitely in the right place, but we are all so emotionally overdrawn with this guy and the contrite checks he has written to Pitino AND us have bounced as high as rubber balls. Let’s save some of our love for the other guys.

Too much drama from Derrick. Too much by half.
And, oh yes, he’s really not that good.
Roz

by Roz on Jun 15, 2008 9:43 PM EDT up 0 recs

Oh PULEEZE......

I am so sick of the Caracter questions as to whether or not he will be back – go away!!!! I wish DC nothing but the best. I think he is a good kid who was just spoiled all of his life. Maybe he realizes now that it DOES indeed take dedication and a lot of hard work to be successful and move to the next level….maybe. I say he’s been given enough chances – I can’t see Coach P taking the scholarship away from Will Scott at this point to give back to Caracter nor do I think he should do that. What do I think of Kragthorpe – oh man, let me count the ways I DON’T think he is the guy we need. Having said that, I DO have faith in TJ and he seems to think Krag is the man – we’ll see. If he loses August 31, shame on him.

by Linda on Jun 15, 2008 5:33 PM EDT 0 recs

LOOK, I TYPE LIKE TWILL

by Blocky on Jun 16, 2008 8:11 AM EDT 0 recs

My god, these next 75 or so days are looker bleaker by the post

; – )

by frankpos on Jun 16, 2008 8:34 AM EDT 0 recs

Sooooo…how about that Tiger Woods? :-)

by JMC1 on Jun 16, 2008 9:24 AM EDT 0 recs

T will's myspace

The messages in all caps, the loud blaring rap music, and the pictures of him getting manicures are amazing all worthwhile reasons why i had to go friend him…i promise im not a stalker!

by Leigh on Jun 16, 2008 11:13 AM EDT 0 recs

Caracter as a walk-on?

Oh goody…just what Pitino has always dreamed of …a pain-in-the-neck head case with iron hands and a 4-inch vertical leap, who pouts when he doesn’t get the ball, has never actually seen the inside of a classroom and is again (by now) 40 pounds over weight. No thanks.

Now let’s get back to today’s lesson boys and girls….spell it again…S-u-m-a-r-t-o -S-a-m-u-e-l-s.

Drill here, drill ANWR, drill now.

by MrBlunt on Jun 16, 2008 4:19 PM EDT 0 recs

Who?

by Mike Rutherford on Jun 16, 2008 7:36 PM EDT up 0 recs

SPELLING ERROR EMERGENCY!!!!

S-a-m-a-r-d-o . I wrote it on the blackboard 10 times. My bad.

Almost a crisis, but not a crisis. My apologies to all the Samardos, Samardo Jr.s and Samardos III world wide.

Also, while I have you on the phone, I have wanted to apologize to all the basketball players named Sean, Shawn, Shawan, Schewuan, Pshwan, DeShawn, DeShean, LeSeawhann, Shewahn and. Sheuannhan none of whom are Irish. I once spelled one of your names wrong but I can’t remember which one. Please forgive my limited knowledge of basketball.