Caracter Is Getting Out of Character

Louisville Coach Rick Pitino has summed up the latest twist in the Derrick Caracter saga rather well.

"He told me that he was ready to do anything I asked him to do, and I told him, 'This doesn't make any sense. What chance do you have of doing that when you wouldn't do what I asked you to do when you were on scholarship?'

"I just don't understand the motivation. All his life he's taken the easy way out. Why would he want to do this? He could go to Europe and make a couple hundred thousand dollars."
...
"I don't want to be a doubting Thomas, but this is both bizarre and very encouraging," Pitino said.

After it seemed that it couldn't be any clearer that Louisville and Pitino were absolutely done with Caracter, it suddenly isn't. Caracter refused to let it go. He kept after Pitino. Begging for another chance.

Pitino finally gave him the conditions with which Caracter would be taken back in 2009.

Continue going to Louisville, but without a scholarship for 2008-09 (i.e., pay his own way).
Get his academics back in order.
Get his own place to live.
Get a job -- with approval of the job by Pitino.
Workout and stay in-shape on his own.

In other words: grow-up.

Shockingly, Caracter has accepted the conditions. Whether he actually does it is still anyone's guess. His history suggests no. On the other hand, who thought he would have kept after Pitino for the past 3 months to give him another chance?