A UTEP fan, MondoMiner posted this on the C-USA board. CBS Sports just confirmed this. I've heard he had issues at Louisville, so what's your input on this guy?


Caracter enrolled at UTEP; could play next season
Posted on: January 22, 2009 3:36 pm

Tony Barbee confirmed Thursday to CBSSports.com that Derrick Caracter is enrolled at UTEP, paying his own way and on track to play for the Miners in December of next season.

"He started classes Monday," said Barbee, the UTEP coach who was making his first public comments on the subject.

Caracter is best-known as the highly touted prodigy who signed with Louisville out of high school but never reached his potential for a variety of reasons spanning from his weight to constant run-ins with Rick Pitino. The 6-foot-8 forward averaged 8.3 points and 4.5 rebounds at Louisville last season, but grade issues and a nudge from Pitino paved the way for an exit from the team that now looks like a Big East contender.

How did UTEP get involved?

Barbee recruited Caracter out of high school while he was an assistant at Memphis. So the former aid to John Calipari has long been familiar with Caracter, and he had him come in for a visit in December. Once all the financial aid requirements were met, Barbee said he decided to offer Caracter a chance to restart his once-promising career.

"Every 17 year-old and 18 year-old has made mistakes, and when you're a high-profile recruit those mistakes get magnified on the national scene," Barbee said. "But just like any other 17 year-old or 18 year-old kid, he deserves a second chance, and I think he wants to do the right things."

http://www.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry...4/13128864

(01-22-2009 06:40 PM)UTEPDallas Wrote:  A UTEP fan, MondoMiner posted this on the C-USA board. CBS Sports just confirmed this. I've heard he had issues at Louisville, so what's your input on this guy?


Caracter enrolled at UTEP; could play next season
Posted on: January 22, 2009 3:36 pm

Tony Barbee confirmed Thursday to CBS Sports.com that Derrick Caracter is enrolled at UTEP, paying his own way and on track to play for the Miners in December of next season.

"He started classes Monday," said Barbee, the UTEP coach who was making his first public comments on the subject.

Caracter is best-known as the highly touted prodigy who signed with Louisville out of high school but never reached his potential for a variety of reasons spanning from his weight to constant run-ins with Rick Pitino. The 6-foot-8 forward averaged 8.3 points and 4.5 rebounds at Louisville last season, but grade issues and a nudge from Pitino paved the way for an exit from the team that now looks like a Big East contender.

How did UTEP get involved?

Barbee recruited Caracter out of high school while he was an assistant at Memphis. So the former aid to John Calipari has long been familiar with Caracter, and he had him come in for a visit in December. Once all the financial aid requirements were met, Barbee said he decided to offer Caracter a chance to restart his once-promising career.

"Every 17 year-old and 18 year-old has made mistakes, and when you're a high-profile recruit those mistakes get magnified on the national scene," Barbee said. "But just like any other 17 year-old or 18 year-old kid, he deserves a second chance, and I think he wants to do the right things."

http://www.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry...4/13128864

Lazy
head-case
hard to coach cry baby!
Academic problem

(01-22-2009 06:40 PM)UTEPDallas Wrote:  "Every 17 year-old and 18 year-old has made mistakes, and when you're a high-profile recruit those mistakes get magnified on the national scene," Barbee said. "But just like any other 17 year-old or 18 year-old kid, he deserves a thousandth chance, and I think he wants to do the right things.

Fixed it for you

What Wilkie said. But the few times he actually listened to his coaches advice, he was a beast in the middle. If he can keep his head on straight he will work wonders for you guys.

(01-22-2009 08:09 PM)dbacard Wrote:  What Wilkie said. But the few times he actually listened to his coaches advice, he was a beast in the middle. If he can keep his head on straight he will work wonders for you guys.

I agree that he has lots of potential.

(01-22-2009 07:10 PM)Wilkie01 Wrote:  

(01-22-2009 06:40 PM)UTEPDallas Wrote:  A UTEP fan, MondoMiner posted this on the C-USA board. CBS Sports just confirmed this. I've heard he had issues at Louisville, so what's your input on this guy?


Caracter enrolled at UTEP; could play next season
Posted on: January 22, 2009 3:36 pm

Tony Barbee confirmed Thursday to CBS Sports.com that Derrick Caracter is enrolled at UTEP, paying his own way and on track to play for the Miners in December of next season.

"He started classes Monday," said Barbee, the UTEP coach who was making his first public comments on the subject.

Caracter is best-known as the highly touted prodigy who signed with Louisville out of high school but never reached his potential for a variety of reasons spanning from his weight to constant run-ins with Rick Pitino. The 6-foot-8 forward averaged 8.3 points and 4.5 rebounds at Louisville last season, but grade issues and a nudge from Pitino paved the way for an exit from the team that now looks like a Big East contender.

How did UTEP get involved?

Barbee recruited Caracter out of high school while he was an assistant at Memphis. So the former aid to John Calipari has long been familiar with Caracter, and he had him come in for a visit in December. Once all the financial aid requirements were met, Barbee said he decided to offer Caracter a chance to restart his once-promising career.

"Every 17 year-old and 18 year-old has made mistakes, and when you're a high-profile recruit those mistakes get magnified on the national scene," Barbee said. "But just like any other 17 year-old or 18 year-old kid, he deserves a second chance, and I think he wants to do the right things."

http://www.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry...4/13128864

Lazy
head-case
hard to coach cry baby!
Academic problem

ha..ha...good summary Wilkie (except I would eliminate the cry baby part; not sure he was that).

Anyways UTEP fans, you might have a good one there. Caracter was never a "bad" person in the sense that he got in trouble with the law or was a big jerk. This is why Pitino gave him many chances; Pitino like a lot of things about him and really wanted him to succeed.

But in the end, Derrick just was too much for Pitino and the high-caliber program that he's trying to build at UofL; Pitino ran out of patience waiting for Caracter to grow up.

But Caracter certainly may do just that and be a super addition for you; best of luck to Derrick and your program; I would like to see Caracter be successful.

Caracter is a good kid who read too many press clippings and listened to too many friends and agents. They have pumped his head full of sh*t, for the lack of a better word telling him how great he is. There is no doubt that he has potential but he lacks the motivation to take the next step. He didn't listen to his Mom and didn't listen to Coach Pitino. Perhaps he has grown up since living Louisville. For his sake and his future, I hope he has. If Caracter has, you folks in El Paso will have a good one.
CJ