With the addition of Rose and led by veteran upperclassmen Joey Dorsey and Chris Douglas-Roberts , the Tigers started out the season ranked third in the nation . Memphis sprinted to a 26 – 0 start and claimed the number one ranking in the country for the first time in over 25 years before falling to the University of Tennessee Volunteers 66 – 62 in February . Memphis was able to bounce back and capture the Conference USA Tournament to qualify for the " Big Dance " with a 33 – 1 record . Rose averaged 14.9 points per game , 4.7 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game during the regular season and earned All-American Third Team honors among others . He finished as a finalist for the Bob Cousy Award as well as the John R. Wooden Award
Conference USA Tournament
2008 Conference USA Men's Basketball Tournament
Derrick Rose