A Beasley alum as well, McIntosh was close to those rumbling about a new basketball prodigy roaming the halls of the elementary school. At the time, McIntosh said a number of high schools, including his alma mater Mt. Carmel, were clamoring to recruit the young basketball star. To all their disappointment, Rose had already chosen Simeon as his high school destination. Before Rose, the school was synonymous with Benjamin “Benji” Wilson Jr, a basketball savant whose greatness was tragically cut short at age 17 when he was gunned down in 1984 while walking his girlfriend home. At Simeon, Rose wore no. 25 in honor of Wilson.
