PROFILES IN HUBRIS – DERRICK CARACTER
With the lottery in the bag and the draft a month away, it’s time to start taking a closer look at the players who left college early for the NBA. We’ll have some fun with the guys projected to be picked high later, but first, let’s learn a little more about the players who may have made a bit of a mistake. First up: Derrick Caracter.(Statistics and assistance with player analysis courtesy of Draft Express.)
School: Louisville … sort of. Basketball Position: Forward. Life Position: Disappointment. Vitals: 6′9, 225lb., potentially insane. 2007-2008 Statistics: 8.3 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 0.9 BPG, 1:4 Assist / Turnover Ratio. Set all-time school record for most times suspended. Pros: Decent scorer, given he played only 16 minutes a game. Good offensive rebounder. Has a name that leads to fantastic puns for beat writers. Underrated knitter. Cons: Can’t play defense. Can’t pass. Can’t face defenders. Doesn’t understand the words “commitment”, “responsibility”, “academics” or, for that matter, “words”. (Need proof? He transferred high schools every single year. He was suspended three times during his freshman season for “violation of team rules”, “personal issues” and “breaking a contract he signed to remain on the team,” then suspended again his sophomore season for another rules violation.) Projected Draft Position: Undrafted (Draft Express), 2nd Round / Undrafted (My NBA Draft), 2nd Round / Undrafted (Chad Ford), 2nd Round / Undrafted (HoopsHype). Backup plan: None, despite not hiring an agent. Rick Pitino already announced that Caracter was academically ineligible to return to Louisville. But maybe we’re wrong. Maybe, when your coach has to give a press conference to explain all of your problems, and says things like “[t]he best thing for him would be to go to another place”, maybe it’s just a cry for help. Backup backup plan: Reprising the role of “bad guy who wants to be good” Hawk in reprise of the 1980’s classic series, Spenser: For Hire.
(Statistics and assistance with player analysis courtesy of Draft Express.) |
