Chane Behanan is rewriting the final chapter of his Louisville basketball journey with TBT

Punctuality eluded Chane Behanan during his three years as a member of the Louisville men's basketball team.

That's changed since he returned to his old stomping grounds on Floyd Street to prepare for The Basketball Tournament — a 64-team competition with a $1 million grand prize up for grabs — where he'll represent Louisville, as The Ville, with other former Cardinals.

"Every time I get to the gym, he's texting me, 'Where are you at?'" said The Ville head coach Mark Lieberman, a former Rick Pitino staffer who remembers the roles being reversed when Behanan arrived at U of L as a freshman in 2011.

Money is one motive. Behanan, now a 30-year-old father of three, will receive $66,666 if The Ville is the last team standing when the tournament concludes Aug. 3 in Philadelphia. While speaking to reporters earlier this month, Behanan jokingly asked retired U of L sports information director, Kenny Klein, if he knew what his cut would be from the tickets being sold to The Ville's game Tuesday night against War Ready at Freedom Hall.

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But this homecoming goes much deeper than a potential paycheck for the 6-foot-6 power forward from Cincinnati, Ohio, who was dismissed from the U of L program in 2013 due to a failed drug test, then disassociated from it in 2017 after refusing to be interviewed for an NCAA investigation into the school's escort sex scandal that erased the national championship he helped win from the NCAA record book.

Nearly 10 years removed from his abrupt exit, Behanan said he feels rejuvenated taking the court with Louisville across his chest again alongside former teammates such as Kyle Kuric, Peyton Siva and Russ Smith. This is his chance to double down on his reply to fans, and professional scouts across the world, who ask if he still has it: "I don't think it ever left."

"They say the old wine is the good-tasting one," he told reporters last month. "Right?"

This is also his chance to pay tribute to his late grandmother, Maxcine Warren, who died June 5 at age 75 after a bout with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

"That's hard on me," said Behanan, who recalled spending a good portion of his childhood at Warren's home in Cincinnati before moving to Bowling Green, as a junior in high school. "You know how it is with every grandmother — glued to the family, man — so it hurt everybody."

Lieberman told The Courier Journal Behanan sought his council in the wake of Warren's death. Drawing from his experience of losing his 4-month-old son, Maxwell, suddenly and unexpectedly in 2013, the coach offered this piece of advice: "Toughness is not trying to do everything yourself. Toughness is being able to ask for help."

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TBT has given Behanan the opportunity to embrace that mindset. During his grandmother's final months, he recommitted himself to the grind of competitive basketball for the first time since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic cut short a stint in a Puerto Rican professional league. In the process, he has slimmed down to 255 pounds — five off his listed playing weight as a sophomore with the Cardinals — after checking in at 284 when he stepped on a scale back in March.

"Chane is kind of the guy (who's) going to hold things in," Siva said. "He's always been that way, which is not great, but I feel like that's always kind of been his outlet — just to kind of hold things in. ... I'm just happy that he's getting back into basketball and using it as a positive outlet for himself instead of self destructing and going down the wrong path."

Behanan has strayed down that path several times since his dismissal from U of L. In 2014, he was cited for marijuana possession; in 2018, he was arrested on charges related to possessing drugs and a stolen gun, both of which were eventually dropped, then indicted and accused of failing to pay $9,791.43 in child support.

Since then, Behanan said, he has "changed my circle."

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"(I took) the bad people out who really weren't for me," Behanan said. "Everybody always says, 'You are who you hang around.' I don't want that stigma on (anyone) or me."

In addition to Puerto Rico, Behanan's career has taken him to the NBA G League, Mexico's Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional and Italy's Lega Basket Serie A — as well as brief stops in the Philippines. The company he's keeping now believes a return to the professional ranks is possible if he has an impressive showing in TBT and maintains the work ethic he's showcased during the buildup to tournament play.

"He has the talent; it's always been Chane's mindset," Siva said. "That's always been his biggest thing. ... If he has structure, he's perfect.

"I've talked to him a bunch of times — 'Look, man you're still young. You can (still) get into your prime years if you really focus on it.'"

We'll find out Tuesday night if Behanan's renewed drive can help lead The Ville to victory. Even if the trip down memory lane is short lived, it has allowed him to rewrite his final chapter at U of L while looking toward the future with fresh eyes.

"This is my home," Behanan said. "Since the day I committed and signed my (National) Letter of Intent, it's always been home — open arms, everybody in the city. I'm happy, and it feels like I'm back 10 years ago."

Reach Louisville men's basketball reporter Brooks Holton at bholton@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter at @brooksHolton.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville basketball in The Basketball Tournament 2023: Chane Behanan