Flashback: Rose's debut

By the time Simeon sophomore Derrick Rose took the floor for his varsity debut Saturday afternoon at the Curie Shootout, things were a bit out of hand.

There were more than 3,000 fans in the gym, with not a single seat or spot to stand left. There were no programs left at the door, and there was no food left at the concession stand. Television cameras from local stations were staked out underneath the basket, and Marquette coach Tom Crean was one of more than 20 college coaches on hand to see the most hotly anticipated debut game in recent city history.

"I've never seen the gym as crazy as this," Curie coach Mike Oliver said. "People came out to see what Rose was all about."

Rose never seemed to notice any of it. The 6-3 guard kept his head down during introductions. He scored the game's first points on a jumper in the lane and then went on to do the nearly impossible by living up to the hype.

Rose scored 22 points, grabbed seven rebounds, had five steals and dished out two assists, leading the No. 11 Wolverines to a 53-49 victory over No. 10 Thornwood.

"Derrick keeps his composure at all times," Simeon coach Robert Smith said. "This is pressure some adults can't handle. It's a compliment to his mother. She's a very strong woman, and she keeps him understanding he needs to be humble."

With 6:46 to play in the third quarter, Rose intercepted a pass at the top of the key and broke away. He looked poised to deliver a knockout dunk that would have brought down the house. But at the last second, he lost a bit of his grip on the ball and had to settle for a layup.

"I couldn't wait till this game was over," Smith said. "We talked about it, win or lose, let's just get the first game over with and all the hype out of the way."

Rose seemed to be getting a feel for the game in the first half, scoring seven points. He played more aggressively in the second half, scoring nine in the third quarter and six in the fourth.

"He is really, really quick," said Thornwood guard Lorenzo Williams, who guarded Rose much of the game. "We were jawing at each other a little bit when the game got intense. He's a pretty cool character."