Tigers' Rose and Douglas-Roberts to Enter NBA

Memphis announced that Chris Douglas-Roberts and Derrick Rose will enter the NBA draft as early entry to the pros.

Chris Douglas-Roberts led Memphis with 18.1 points a game and helped them set a Division I record with 38 victories. He was picked for the NCAA all-tournament team after Memphis lost the championship game to Kansas 75-68 in overtime.

Earlier in the week, Derrick Rose declared for the NBA draft. He was a 3rd team All-American. Douglas-Roberts and Rose almost went out as NCAA champions. They combined to make just 1 of 5 free throws in the last 1:12 in the loss to Kansas. Rose often overshadowed Douglas-Roberts. However, it was Douglas-Roberts that Tigers coach John Calipari turned to when the team needed a critical basket.

Rose's departure began when CNBC reported that he was close to signing with agent Arn Tellem. It became official when Memphis sent out a release that Rose would give up his final 3 seasons of college eligibility. "This is not a step I take lightly, although it has always been a dream of mine to play in the NBA," Rose said. "After weighing all of my options, I feel that it is the right time for me to take this step."

Rose was never expected to stay at Memphis more than one season. If the NBA didn't institute their rule preventing direct entry from high school, Rose probably wouldn't have played college basletball. He scored 14.9 points per game and got the Tigers close to a national championship. In the NCAA Tournament, Rose averaged 20.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 6.0 assists, making himself a candidate to be the Number one overall pick.

"Derrick is one of the best players I've ever coached, but more importantly, he is one of the best teammates," said coach John Calipari. "We are forever indebted to Derrick for what he did for not only this basketball program, but also for the university and the city of Memphis. It was a tremendous opportunity for me and the staff to coach such a fine athlete."

Besides Rose and Douglas-Roberts, Memphis will lose 2 seniors, Andre Allen and Joey Dorsey. However, they recently landed Tyreke Evans who was the most valuable player of the McDonald’s All-American game. Memphis has a signed letter of intent from another top recruit, Angel Garcia. They are expecting to get another from Matt Simpkins, who has given a verbal commitment in January.

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