According to his brother Reggie, Derrick will visit Illinois Friday for the Orange and Blue game, a scrimmage of the Illinois basketball team.
“Sometimes you have to step back and re-evaluate the whole process,��? Reggie Rose said. ‘‘We don’t want to look back after it’s all over and too late and realize we made the wrong decision. We have discussed it with some close confidants and believe Illinois is a great place. The school has a great [basketball] program and it is in our home state. And no decision would be valid without giving Illinois a serious look.��?
In August, Rose cut his list to five schools: DePaul, Indiana, Kansas, Memphis, and UCLA. He also mentioned that Notre Dame and Marquette were still in the picture. Since then, Rose has made trips to Notre Dame, Memphis and Indiana.
It was Reggie Rose that reached out to Illinois. Bruce Weber and the Illinois staff did not continue recruiting Rose after he named his final list of five.
Just last week it seemed that Rose was down to Memphis and Indiana. Memphis has been the heavy favorite all along, contrary to a published report on Friday.
Rose’s decision is expected very soon. Right now, the smart money is on Memphis, but there must be a reason why the Rose’s decided to take one last look at Illinois.
Sources close to Rose insist that the trip to Illinois isn’t just a publicity move or a face-saving favor to the Illinois coaching staff. The Rose’s are interested in checking out what Illinois has to offer.
