Good morning, class, and welcome to Character Building in College Sports 101. Our topic today is Mr. Tony Woods, a former student-athlete at Wake Forest University. When Mr. Woods was in high school, he was branded with a five-star rating in the recruiting meat market, at least partly because he stands 6-feet-11 and can run up and down the floor without tripping on his Nikes.

All seemed to be going reasonably well for Mr. Woods in Winston-Salem, N.C., until the fateful day in September, 2010, when Mr. Woods got into an argument with his girl friend over their 8-year-old son. The woman, Ms. Courtney Barbour, later told authorities that her fractured spine had nothing to do with the fact that Mr. Woods pushed her off a bed.

After pleading guilty to misdemeanor assault charges and being suspended from the Demon Deacon basketball team, Mr. Woods asked Wake Forest for a release from his grant-in-aid so he could continue his dogged pursuit of a college education at another citadel in the groves of academe.

He settled on the University of Louisville, perhaps thinking that the sordid sex scandal swirling around Coach Rick Pitino might help him get his moral life in order. More likely, however, it was because Mr. Pitino had retained the services of assistant coach Tim Fuller, who had helped recruit Mr. Woods to Wake Forest before leaving there for Louisville.

At Louisville, Mr. Woods lived with his uncle and father, got a job at UPS, enrolled in a community college, and completed his court-ordered community service at the Daniel Pitino Foundation in Owensboro, Ky. From all appearances, he was doing everything necessary to obtain a scholarship in Mr. Pitino’s program and become a member of the 2011-’12 varsity squad.

As fans of the University of Kentucky watched this character-building tale unfold, they cynically questioned Mr. Pitino’s motives. Most agreed with a columnist for The Louisville Courier-Journal, who wrote, “I don’t know which group should be angrier – victims of domestic violence or Louisville supporters tired of their program being linked to unsavory stories.”

But Mr. Pitino didn’t flinch. He had vetted Mr. Woods with his family, his former coaches, and even the aforementioned Ms. Barbour. As Ms. Barbour told the website Yahoo! Sports, “People think Tony is some sort of monster. It’s frustrating to everyone around him because we know that’s not the case.”

Not to be cynical, but it’s in Ms. Barbour’s best interests for Mr. Woods to be rehabilitated so he can get back on track toward becoming good enough to earn an NBA contract so he can take care of their child.

On April 13, the story took another turn when Fuller pulled up stakes at Louisville after only one season and took a job on the staff of new Missouri coach Frank Haith, an old friend who had been on the Wake Forest staff in the late 1990s when Fuller was playing for Dave Odom.

“Frank Haith has been like a father to me,” Mr. Fuller said. “He’s been a part of my life since I was a freshman in college and has helped mentor, advise, and direct me in every respect as a person and professionally. I’m so thankful for everything Coach Pitino has done for me at Louisville. At this time in my life, being with Frank Haith at Missouri is a family decision and it’s the best fit for us right now.”

Mr. Fuller’s departure from Louisville led Mr. Woods to reconsider his options in his dogged pursuit of a higher education – and never mind all the heat that Mr. Pitino had taken for giving him a second chance. Declaring that he was again putting his carcass on the recruiting meat market, Mr. Woods began entertaining invitations from devoted social workers and character-builders in the coaching profession.

When it was learned in early May that Mr. Woods had visited the University of Kentucky and discussed his academic future – what else? – with President Lee Todd and Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart, the Wildcat fan base – the same one that had pilloried Mr. Pitino for giving Mr. Woods a second chance – rejoiced almost to the point of dancing in the streets of Lexington.

In the blink of a Big Blue eye, Mr. Woods had been miraculously transformed from a no-good thug into a good kid who obviously was smart enough to turn his back on Mr. Pitino, the wretched traitor who had ended a sensational eight-year run at UK in 1997 to join the Boston Celtics. When Mr. Pitino left the Celtics four years later to replace Denny Crum at Louisville, he committed a sin for which he will never be forgiven by the more devout members of the UK fan base.

During his tenure at Memphis, where he was employed before jumping his contract to take the Kentucky job in 2009, Mr. Calipari had a player named Jeremy Hunt. He beat up his girl friend, then chased her and threw her down in the street. Before taking the UK job, Mr. Calipari talked to President Todd and Mr. Barnhart about Hunt in order to get their assurances that they “wouldn’t throw guys under the bus” if they happened to stray from their studies and get in trouble with the law.

No problems there. Social work is important at UK. Kids will be kids and students deserve second chances. And, of course, it’s the same for all students. Anybody who thinks Mr. Woods is getting special treatment just because he’s a 6-11 basketball player simply doesn’t understand UK’s solemn commitment to salvaging the lives of troubled young people.

As of this writing, Mr. Woods still was considering his options. It would not be shocking to see him follow Mr. Fuller to Missouri. It would not be shocking to see him matriculate in Lexington, where a 6-11 center would enhance a roster already loaded with big-time talent. But it would be surprising, if not shocking, to see him return to Louisville, considering the way he has rewarded Mr. Pitino for sticking out his neck for him.

O.K., students, your assignment is to find a hero in this story and write a paper about him or her. Class dismissed.