Chicago Simeon, led by Derrick Roses 28 points, 9 assists, and 8 rebounds knocked off Oak Hill Academy 78-75 at the University of Illinois-Chicago. Rose single handedly willed his team to victory, and dominated highly touted junior guard Brandon Jennings. Below are our observations from the top performers in this outstanding high school contest.
Derrick Rose, 63 PG, Senior, Chicago Simeon, Signed with Memphis
28 points, 9 assists, 8 rebounds, 9-18 FG
Rodger Bohn
The matchup of Rose and the nations top junior point guard Brandon Jennings was a bit disappointing, as Rose dominated the entire game and Jennings was held scoreless until the fourth quarter. The dominant performance that he put on in leading his undersized, less talented Simeon squad to upset the top ranked team in the country marks just another chapter in the storied high school career that Derrick Rose had had so far.
It was clear from the tip that we were looking at the most explosive point guard that high school basketball has seen in recent memory. Roses combination of first step, leaping ability, and raw power have allow him to blow past anyone who attempted to guard him throughout the game. At 63 and 190 lbs., he already has a body superb to that of any point guard prospect for this years draft, and has the quickness and leaping ability to match. It is simply a thing of beauty to watch him get into the lane, absorb contact, and contort his body enough to gracefully finish at the rim. While we could go on for days about his marvelous athletic ability, there is far more to his game then that.
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Against Oak Hill, Derrick came out gunning from the perimeter. As many know, that is definitely his biggest weakness and it seemed as if he was trying to make it a point to silence all of his critics. While he was unsuccessful in the majority of three point attempts, he did show improved form from the last time we saw him over the summer. It was clear to anyone watching the game however that shooting was surely not the strength of the Memphis signees game.
In terms of what you are looking for in a point guard, Rose has proven that he can fit the scoring point guard role just as well as he can the pure point guard role. His playmaking abilities were on display against Oak Hill as he finished with 9 assists, which would have easily been around 15 had his teammates been able to catch and/or finish his passes. Roses playmaking ability was never more evident then on his stunning left handed pass that most collegiate point guards couldnt make with their right hands, which led to a Kevin Johnson slam dunk.
Defensively Derrick was fantastic throughout the game, no matter if he was guarding Jennings or Duke bound Nolan Smith. He used his fantastic athleticism and length to constantly stay in front of the two guards when guarding them, and was able to burst through the passing lanes a few times, leading to Simeon fast break points. Never more was it more clear that Rose has the potential to be an outstanding defender once he learns to defend at the collegiate level, which should surely happen upon his arrival at Memphis.
When writing about a player with such an abundance of strengths, it is often hard to pick out many weaknesses. Obviously, Roses outside shot, or lack thereof, is the only thing that has kept O.J. Mayo ahead of him as the consensus top player in the class of 2007. His brothers, who have shielded him mightily from the media until this past year, are not dumb and will surely find the best shooting coach money can buy for Derrick when it comes time for him to enter the NBA Draft. Roses handle could also use a little improvement in its consistency, as he can get a bit wild with his handle at times and dribbles a bit high. This is also partially in part due to Derricks love for the spectacular play, which he has the capability to give you on each and every possession. This can also be a downfall as well however, as shown by his breakaway slam
As far as the NBA is concerned, there have been rumors in the past of Derrick going and playing professionally overseas for a year or possibly going to the NBDL, which were immediately shot down by his camp. Memphis will be an outstanding fit for him, as their uptempo system will allow him to thrive. The Tigers should dominate C-USA yet again, as Rose should have four super athletes to join him in the starting five in Antonio Anderson, Chris Douglas-Roberts, Robert Dozier, and Joey Dorsey. With the Tigers style of play and Roses immense talent, it will be very surprising to see him stay in Memphis longer then a year and we should see him as a high lottery pick in 2008.
It was clear from the tip that we were looking at the most explosive point guard that high school basketball has seen in recent memory. Roses combination of first step, leaping ability, and raw power have allow him to blow past anyone who attempted to guard him throughout the game. At 63 and 190 lbs., he already has a body superb to that of any point guard prospect for this years draft, and has the quickness and leaping ability to match. It is simply a thing of beauty to watch him get into the lane, absorb contact, and contort his body enough to gracefully finish at the rim. While we could go on for days about his marvelous athletic ability, there is far more to his game then that.
Against Oak Hill, Derrick came out gunning from the perimeter. As many know, that is definitely his biggest weakness and it seemed as if he was trying to make it a point to silence all of his critics. While he was unsuccessful in the majority of three point attempts, he did show improved form from the last time we saw him over the summer. It was clear to anyone watching the game however that shooting was surely not the strength of the Memphis signees game.
In terms of what you are looking for in a point guard, Rose has proven that he can fit the scoring point guard role just as well as he can the pure point guard role. His playmaking abilities were on display against Oak Hill as he finished with 9 assists, which would have easily been around 15 had his teammates been able to catch and/or finish his passes. Roses playmaking ability was never more evident then on his stunning left handed pass that most collegiate point guards couldnt make with their right hands, which led to a Kevin Johnson slam dunk.
Defensively Derrick was fantastic throughout the game, no matter if he was guarding Jennings or Duke bound Nolan Smith. He used his fantastic athleticism and length to constantly stay in front of the two guards when guarding them, and was able to burst through the passing lanes a few times, leading to Simeon fast break points. Never more was it more clear that Rose has the potential to be an outstanding defender once he learns to defend at the collegiate level, which should surely happen upon his arrival at Memphis.
When writing about a player with such an abundance of strengths, it is often hard to pick out many weaknesses. Obviously, Roses outside shot, or lack thereof, is the only thing that has kept O.J. Mayo ahead of him as the consensus top player in the class of 2007. His brothers, who have shielded him mightily from the media until this past year, are not dumb and will surely find the best shooting coach money can buy for Derrick when it comes time for him to enter the NBA Draft. Roses handle could also use a little improvement in its consistency, as he can get a bit wild with his handle at times and dribbles a bit high. This is also partially in part due to Derricks love for the spectacular play, which he has the capability to give you on each and every possession. This can also be a downfall as well however, as shown by his breakaway slam
As far as the NBA is concerned, there have been rumors in the past of Derrick going and playing professionally overseas for a year or possibly going to the NBDL, which were immediately shot down by his camp. Memphis will be an outstanding fit for him, as their uptempo system will allow him to thrive. The Tigers should dominate C-USA yet again, as Rose should have four super athletes to join him in the starting five in Antonio Anderson, Chris Douglas-Roberts, Robert Dozier, and Joey Dorsey. With the Tigers style of play and Roses immense talent, it will be very surprising to see him stay in Memphis longer then a year and we should see him as a high lottery pick in 2008.