Derrick Rose has spent most of the summer away from Chicago. He worked out in Los Angeles, often teaming with Oklahoma City guard Russell Westbrook. He attended a USA Basketball minicamp in Las Vegas and made a promotional trip to China late in August. The reigning NBA Rookie of the Year did find time to spend a week hosting his first annual basketball camp in Deerfield, Ill., not far from the Bulls' practice facility. The camp provided a chance for Rose to speak with the local media for the first time since the playoff series with Boston ended in May. "One thing I'd say (I've been working on) is my jump shot, but (also) just being consistent with everything I do and being a professional," Rose said. "All my moves, getting angles on people, just going around them, cutting them off -- like Steve Nash does -- and just be a pro." Rose had to endure some bad publicity this summer. The NCAA ordered Memphis to forfeit its NCAA-record 38 wins from Rose's freshman season of 2007-08, in part because his SAT score was invalidated by the Educational Testing Service.
Rose apparently took the ACT test three times and failed to get a score high enough to be eligible to play as a freshman. He finally achieved the SAT score he needed in the spring of May 2007, but took the test in Detroit, not his hometown of Chicago. According to the NCAA report, Rose did not respond to two letters asking him to clarify the circumstances.
"I know I didn't do anything wrong," Rose said. "Coach Cal (John Calipari) told me don't worry about it."
Another violation listed by the NCAA involved Rose's older brother Reggie failing to reimburse the school for traveling with the team to certain road games.
Earlier this summer, Derrick issued an apology for a photo that appeared on the Internet. During a college party, Rose and a friend made apparent gang signs while posing for a photo.
"I'm not a kid anymore. I'm always in the spotlight," Rose said. "I've got to be the leader of this team. I can't do foolish things anymore.
"It's still tough, but I'm learning. When I go out in public, I can't really act the way I want to act with my friends, kid around with them. It's like I've got to grow up and I'm only 20."
