Friday, July 9:  Former UTEP Miner Derrick Caracter started tonight in the Los Angeles Lakers NBA Summer League opener against Detroit.  Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas is hosting the NBA Summer League Las Vegas Division.  Caracter helped lead the Miners to the NCAA Tournament last season, then was selected 58th overall by the LA Lakers in the NBA Draft.  Caracter has lost nearly 30 pounds since joining the Lakers.

Caracter becomes the first Miner selected in the NBA Draft since George Banks was chosen by Miami in the second round with the 46th overall pick in 1995. Caracter is the 26th UTEP player to have his name called in the NBA Draft.
 

The 6-9, 275-pound Caracter was a second team All-Conference USA player last season and a first team All-District pick by the NABC. He averaged 14.1 points, 8.1 rebounds and 0.9 blocks, ranking 16th nationally in field goal percentage (.567). The Fanwood, N.J. native led the Miners in scoring eight times and in rebounding on 19 occasions. He was second on the squad in double figure scoring games (22), and scored 20+ points on five occasions. Caracter recorded seven double-doubles, with season-highs of 22 points versus Houston and 15 rebounds versus Mississippi and Norfolk State. Caracter made 10-of-13 shots in tallying 20 points and nine rebounds in UTEP's first round NCAA Tournament loss to eventual national runner-up Butler.

One of the most decorated players in the country coming out of Notre Dame Prep, Caracter played his first two seasons at Louisville and averaged better than eight points per game each year.