Derrick Rose doing his 'Melo impersonation
Pick your favorite Derrick Rose superlative. Astonishing. Unbelievable. Phenomenal. They all apply to Memphis’ freshman point guard.
So what’s left? Champion.
Just five years ago, Carmelo Anthony etched his name into NCAA lore as the best freshmen we’d ever seen. Rose is one victory from matching ‘Melo. Who knew history repeated itself so often? (For symmetry’s sake, the title-game opponent is the same as Anthony’s: Kansas. Go figure.)
Anthony’s legend is fairly well documented. He torched Texas for 33 points in the 2003 Final Four. Two days later, playing on a bad back, his 20 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists led Syracuse to its only NCAA title, the only freshmen who’d ever carried such a load. (Greg Oden did his best last season, but fell short.) Anthony turned pro a few weeks later and is now an NBA star.
Rose’s tourney line thus far is just as impressive: 25 points, nine rebounds, four assists vs. UCLA; 21 points, nine assists vs. Texas; 27 points, five assists vs. Michigan State; 21 points, 9 assists against Miss State.
He wasn’t a first-team All-American this season – neither was Carmelo in 2003 – because he wasn’t Memphis’ most obvious star. That would be junior swingman Chris Douglas-Roberts, the team’s leading scorer. But Douglas-Roberts thinks Rose is better than just an All-America. He should be player of the year.
“If it was up to me I would go with him not only because he is my teammate but I think he is the complete player,” Douglas-Roberts says.
Simply put, Rose is unstoppable. And he’s the reason the Tigers are 2-point favorites to beat Kansas on Monday. (If NBA general managers are smart, he’ll be the No. 1 pick in June’s draft, not K-State’s Michael Beasley. Power forwards, even ones as good as Beasley, aren’t as rare as a top-flight point guard.)
Kansas will try to stay in front of Rose using senior Russell Robinson, a superb on-ball defender. That’s a tall order. Rose (6-3) is bigger, stronger and faster than Robinson (6-0). Great players have been stopped by lesser athletes before, but it’s a rare feat.
“He’s just an all-out player,” says Memphis’ Antonio Anderson. “He’s such a great athlete; he can make a regular right or left hand lay-up look spectacular. He does something amazing every time out.”
Sound like ‘Melo, circa 2003?
Rose entered the season as one of five superb freshmen. Three of them – Rose, UCLA’s Kevin Love and Indiana’s Eric Gordon – were tabbed as most likely to win a title. Rose seemed like a good bet because of his physical gifts and willingness to actually be a pass-first point guard.
The first time Tigers coach John Calipari saw Rose in a gym “I busted out laughing. I said, ‘This kid is ridiculous.’ He was so fast.
“When I knew I really wanted him, he lost an AAU game, and he cried tears ‘cause he lost a game. I said, ‘I got to get that guy. That’s who I want.’ If a kid’s gonna cry over an AAU game, he’s going to have a will to win.”
Once he put on a Memphis uniform, he impressed fans, opponents, media, his coaches and teammates. It was hard to fathom at the time, but he turned a really good 33-4 Memphis team into a dynamite 38-1 squad. Throughout, he’s been humble, hard working and ensuring his teammates have thrived.
“He came in with so much hype, and the way he handled it, I had to admire it, because he fit right in,” Douglas-Roberts says. “When people say things about him, he tries to put it right on us. Like I’ve done this because of my teammates.”
A victory would give Memphis its first NCAA Tournament title. Against a balanced, excellent defensive team like Kansas it won’t be easy. The Jayhawks (36-3) have plenty of stars, a deep frontcourt and enough guard depth to keep throwing defenders at Rose even if Robinson gets into foul trouble.
For Rose to match ‘Melo as a transcendent player, he must overcome all that. Will we get a glimpse of history and future NBA stardom on Monday? It’s on Rose.
