Have you seen Derrick Rose?
Who hasn’t?
“You see him everywhere,” said Georgetown senior center Roy Hibbert of the spectacular Memphis freshman point guard. “On the cover of ESPN the Magazine, like that. He’s a really good player.”
Rose and the second-ranked Tigers (9-0) have played in five nationally-televised games this season on ESPN or ESPN2, not including two appearances on ESPNU. The fifth-ranked Hoyas (8-0) have been on just once, which explains why there is far less chatter about their own two sparkling rookies, Austin Freeman (DeMatha High) and Chris Wright (St. John’s), who both participated with Rose in the 2007 McDonald’s All-American game and Jordan Brand Classic last spring.
Saturday’s meeting between Georgetown and Memphis, the highlight of both teams’ non-conference schedule, could propel Freeman, Wright, or both into the impact freshmen conversation with Rose.
Of course, neither player was available during Georgetown’s session with the local media Wednesday. But the Hoyas’ system isn’t conducive for underclassmen, or any player for that matter, to hoard the spotlight on or off the court.
“I think those guys, if they were in the spotlight, they would be able to handle it,” said Hoyas senior guard Jonathan Wallace, who is Freeman’s roommate on the road. “But with them enabled to be in a situation — like they are here — it allows them to just play, relax, and not worry about all the attention.”
Wright, who missed most of the preseason with a broken foot, drew praise from Georgetown head coach John Thompson III after his 14-point, five-assist effort against Jacksonville. Freeman has led the Hoyas in scoring in each of the last two games, including 21 points against Radford. He made one of the more dramatic plays of the young season against the Highlanders, swooping in from the baseline to retrieve an airball and immediately launching a high-arcing fade away that swished through the net with time expiring on the shot clock.
“That’s just part of being aggressive, but atthe same time being focused and knowing what the time situation was,” said Wallace. “If you look at him being that young, but knowing all that within the course of the game, it says a lot.”
No. 5 Georgetownat No. 2 Memphis
When » Saturday, noon
Where » FedEx Forum,
Memphis, Tenn.
TV » ESPN
Freshman first semester grades
» Derrick Rose, Memphis
15.7 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 4.1 apg
» Austin Freeman, Georgetown
9.0 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 60.9 fg pct
» Chris Wright, Georgetown
5.5 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 50.0 3-pt pct
