University of Memphis Athletics
Memphis' Derrick Rose Selected No. 1 In 2008 NBA Draft By Chicago Bulls
Jun 26, 2008 | Men's Basketball
June 26, 2008
NEW YORK, N.Y. - Well, after a season of since thens and firsts in 2007-08, the University of Memphis men's basketball program made more history Thursday night when freshman guard Derrick Rose was selected as the No. 1 pick in the 2008 NBA Draft in New York City. The Chicago Bulls, who owned the No. 1 pick, drafted the Tigers' point guard, making it the first time in school history that a Memphis player went No. 1 overall in the NBA Draft.
Later in the NBA Draft's second round, Joey Dorsey was the No. 33 pick by the Portland Trailblazers (before his rights were traded to Houston) and Chris Douglas-Roberts was the No. 40 selection by the New Jersey Nets. It is the third time in Memphis hoops history that three Tigers were taken in the same draft. Memphis also had three players selected in the 1973 (Larry Kenon, Ronnie Robinson, Larry Finch) and 1986 (William Bedford, Baskerville Holmes, Andre Turner) NBA Drafts. Like this year's Tiger players, the 1973 and 1986 Memphis draftees all played in the NCAA Final Four (1973 NCAA title game, 1985 NCAA Final Four).
As for the Rose selection, the previous highest Tiger player drafted was Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway in 1993 when he was the No. 3 overall pick by the Golden State Warriors. Hardaway was later traded on draft night to the Orlando Magic. Overall, Rose is the 11th Tiger selected in the NBA Draft first round, joining Win Wilfong (1957), Wayne Yates (1961), Keith Lee (1985), William Bedford (1986), Hardaway (1993), David Vaughn (1995), Lorenzen Wright (1996), Dajuan Wagner (2002), Rodney Carney (2006) and Shawne Williams (2006).
Rose is only the second guard selected with the No. 1 overall pick since the NBA Draft lottery began in 1985. Allen Iverson was the other guard taken with the first overall selection in 1996 by the Philadelphia 76ers. Rose is also only the second Conference USA player to be a No. 1 overall pick, as New Jersey selected Kenyon Martin No. 1 in the 2000 NBA Draft.
Rose, a Chicago, Ill., native, is the third NBA Draft lottery pick for head coach John Calipari. In the 1996 draft, Marcus Camby (UMass) was the No. 2 overall selection, and Wagner (Memphis) was the No. 6 pick in the 2002 draft.
The Tigers' 6-foot-3 guard was the team's second-leading scorer at 14.9 ppg, and also averaged 4.5 rebounds and 4.7 assists. He shot 47.7 percent from the field and 71.2 percent from the free throw line. A consensus All-America Freshman Team pick, Rose was an Associated Press All-America third team selection and a Bob Cousy Award finalist. He also was selected to the All-Conference USA first team and was the league's Freshman of the Year.
Dorsey finished his four-year Memphis career as the program's winningest player with 126 wins, which is also the 10th-best, four-year mark in NCAA history. The two-time Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year, the 6-foot-9 forward is the No. 2 rebounder and No. 2 shot blocker in Tiger basketball history. Dorsey is the No. 1 rebounder in Conference USA history. As a senior in 2007-08, Dorsey averaged 6.9 points and 9.5 rebounds while blocking 74 shots.
Douglas-Roberts, a 2007-08 consensus All-America first team pick, led Memphis in scoring with an 18.1 average. The 2007-08 Conference USA Player of the Year, the 6-foot-7 guard was a finalist for three National Player of the Year awards (Wooden, Naismith, Robertson) and was named to the NCAA All-Tournament Team. Douglas-Roberts, who became the 43rd Tiger in school history to score 1,000 points last season, shot 54.1 percent from the field and 71.2 percent from the foul line.
The Detroit, Mich., native was a part of the Tigers' junior class that won an NCAA record-tying 104 games the past three years (104-10 mark).
This past season, Rose, Dorsey and Douglas-Roberts helped lead the Tigers to the program's best campaign in school history. Memphis won an NCAA record 38 games (38-2 record) and advanced to the NCAA title game. The Tigers, who spent a school-record five-straight weeks in the No. 1 spot in both national polls, won the Conference USA regular season and tournament titles and the NCAA Tournament South Region crown en route to the NCAA championship game.
