Comparing Duke basketball freshman class to Michigan’s Fab Five

POINT GUARD: Duke basketball’s Jeremy Roach vs. Michigan’s Jalen Rose

Jalen Rose played his high school basketball at Southwestern High School in Detroit. His 1990 and 1991 Prospectors teams claimed the school’s first two state championships for head coach Perry Watson. The 6-foot-8 floor general averaged 18 points, eight rebounds, and six assists during his junior season for Watson. Rose was the sixth-ranked high school recruit following his senior year. Under Steve Fisher during his freshman year in Ann Arbor, Rose led the Fab Five in scoring at almost 18 points per game.

Jeremy Roach is the 23rd-ranked recruit and the fourth-best high school point guard in the nation this year. The 6-foot-2 180-pound point guard played his high school ball at Paul VI Catholic in Virginia. Although not as tall as his Michigan counterpart, Roach put up gaudy numbers in high school. During his senior season, Roach scored 19.1 points per game, grabbed 6.3 rebounds, and doled out 2.8 assists in leading his team to a Virginia state title. Following his senior year, he was selected Virginia Gatorade Player of the Year and a McDonald’s All-American.

The Fairfax native is a natural leader on the court, exhibits excellent court vision, and has a high basketball IQ. Roach is fantastic off the dribble and has no trepidation when attacking the rim against longer defenders. He is quite capable of finishing through contact. The young backcourt recruit could very well be better than his Wolverine counterpart.

EDGE: Duke’s Jeremy Roach