Tyreke Evans Looks to Pick Up Where Derrick Rose Left Off at Memphis

As Memphis looks to rebound from its crushing loss to Kansas in the NCAA Championship game, coach John Calipari's hopes of reloading fall on the talented shoulders of incoming freshman Tyreke Evans, who inherits a much-greener roster than big-time recruit Derrick Rose did last year.

Evans is the No. 6 rated recruit for this year’s college basketball freshman class according to Rivals.com.  At American Christian High School in Aston, Pennsylvania, Evans excelled at the point guard position, earning the No. 3 point guard rating from Rivals.com. 

However, Memphis will not be giving Evans the direct burden of filling in the shoes of this year’s No. 1 NBA draft pick, Derrick Rose.  The team has announced the veteran Willie Kemp will take over as point guard, and Evans will shift to shooting guard.  In many ways though, Evans is still expected to replace Rose.

Evans and Rose have many similarities, but it is mostly Evans’ hype coming out of high school that will draw him comparisons to the former freshman phenom.

While Evans is ranked as the No. 6 recruit in his class, Rose was the No. 3 rated recruit in the freshman class of 2007.  Rose was also the No. 1 rated point guard, while Evans ranks No. 3.  

Both Evans and Rose have very good size for the guard position.  Evans is 6’5 while Rose is slightly shorter at 6’4.  

They both also come from very similar backgrounds.  Evans is from Chester, PA, a tough area in Philadelphia, while Rose is from the south side of Chicago. 

When his incredible basketball talent began to show, Rose’s mother made sure that his older brothers looked out for him to keep him safe and out of trouble during high school.  Evans had a very similar situation, as his older brothers protected him and even sent him to a private high school away from the streets of Philly.

In his senior year of high school, Evans averaged 29 points per game.  Rose averaged fewer points at 25.2 per game in his senior season, but did lead his team to their second straight state title.

Both stars have the rare ability to make the game look very easy.  They both are extremely quick and very talented at driving the ball to the basket and finishing strong.

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