Get to know Derik Queen
Derik Queen sits down with Andy Katz to discuss this year's NBA Draft and what he brings to the table.
Overview
After an incredible season at St. Frances Academy in Baltimore, which included a 56-point game, Queen was named the MaxPreps National Freshman of the Year and transferred to Montverde Academy in Florida. It took some time for Queen to earn playing time at the high school powerhouse, but he emerged as a star by his senior season and earned MVP honors at the 2024 McDonald’s All-American Game. Queen started all 36 of his appearances during his lone season at Maryland, averaging 16.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.1 blocks and 1.1 steals in 30.4 minutes. The 6-foot-10, 245-pound big man was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year and earned First-Team All-Big Ten honors.
Analysis
Queen was nearly unguardable in college when his footwork was on point. He got into trouble when he tried to do too much and only relied on his athleticism to get looks, but those are normal growing pains for a freshman who’s by far the best offensive player on their team. Queen has a lethal face-up game, where he can blow by bigger defenders or bully small ones, and his work in transition is elite, which both culminate in a ton of free throw attempts. His jumper isn’t up to par yet, but Queen has a fluid motion and shoots with confidence. He’s also not a technically sound defender, but he has the size, athleticism and versatility to eventually excel on that end of the court.
Quotable
“It’s like having a 6-11 point guard. We can iso, we can post, we can run offense through him. He knows every play from every possession. Tell me the last 6-11 guy in college who could do that? — Villanova head coach Kevin Willard, who coached Queen as a freshman at Maryland, to CBS Sports
Some stats & tidbits
Queen became the second NCAA Division I player since 1996-97 (after Michael Beasley) to post a 20-20 game in his freshman debut, finishing with 22 points and 20 rebounds against Manhattan on Nov. 4, 2024 … Maryland teammates called him “Baby Jokić” … Played high school basketball at Montverde Academy with fellow 2025 NBA Draft prospects Cooper Flagg, Liam Mc Neeley and Asa Newell.
Projection
Queen’s upside could rival Cooper Flagg, Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper, but the Maryland product is a riskier selection. Queen isn’t a true center, which isn’t a dealbreaker in today’s NBA, but it does raise questions: Which position will he play, and who will he be able to guard at the next level? Given his size, strength and face-up game, the easiest comparison to make is Zach Randolph, who excelled as an undersized big for the Grizzlies. Julius Randle (6-9, 249) and Alperen Sengun (6-11, 243) are two current players who have similar builds to Queen, but they have drastically different styles. Queen has the skills and potential to develop into either of those players, but it’s unclear what skill set he’ll prioritize at the next level.
— Profile by RotoWire.com