Friday, March 28, 2008
They’re two super freshmen — Memphis’ Derrick Rose and Kalin Lucas of Michigan St.
HOUSTON (AP) — Everyone knows about the freshman guard who does everything. It’s Derrick Rose of Memphis, and the biggest question about his NBA future isn’t whether he’ll go, but whether he’ll have an NCAA championship in tow when he does.
But there’s another good one in this South Regional. His name is Kalin Lucas, the penetrating point guard for Michigan State, who will be trying to stop Rose — or at least neutralize him — when the fifth-seeded Spartans meet top-seeded Memphis tonight.
“He was noticeable. He was very noticeable,” Rose said of his memories of Lucas from their meetings over the past few years in AAU games. “He didn’t just pop into the limelight. He’s been there.”
The NCAA tournament ramps things up a bit, however, and when Lucas scored 19 points in Michigan State’s second-round win over Pitt last week, this week’s freshman-on-freshman guard matchup became an obvious story line for this game.
Pretty much everyone knows Rose, who is projected as a No. 1, 2 or 3 pick if he bolts college for the NBA after this season, as expected.
Not as many know Lucas, and those who do don’t seem to appreciate him all that much. He was steady this season, averaged 10 points and four assists, but was left off the Big Ten’s list of all-conference newcomers.
“Miffed would be a wrong word,” Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said of the snub. “I was disappointed that he wasn’t, hoping that especially coaches would see what this kid has done for us, instead of maybe just choosing the guys with the highest scoring average or things like that.”