Unsurprisingly, star freshman Derick Queen is leaving Maryland after one season. Queen announced his decision to forego his final years of collegiate eligibility and enter the 2025 NBA Draft on ESPN SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt on Friday.
“I’m proud to say I’m entering the 2025 NBA draft,” Queen told Van Pelt. “Once the season progressed and we got to the middle of the season, the end of the season, I felt like I was ready for it.”
Maryland Star Freshman Entering NBA Draft: Where Is He Projected To Get Selected?
Queen had a fantastic freshman season. The 6-10 center, the Big Ten Rookie of the Year and all-Big Ten first-team selection, was a force on both ends of the floor and helped Maryland to its best season in nine seasons.
Queen was absolutely sensational in the NCAA Tournament as the Terrapins reached the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2016. Queen scored 56 points, including 27 against Florida in the Sweet 16, as he made 50% of his field goal attempts (19-39) and 42.9% (3-7) in three NCAA tournament games. He also added four blocks and two steals while compiling a double-double against Grand Canyon.
Overall, Queen averaged 16.0 points, 9.0 rebounds (2.3 offensive), 1.9 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.1 blocks in 36 appearances. The 20-year-old shot 52.6% from the field, 20% from the three-point line, and 76.6% from the charity stripe. He has scored in double-digits 30 times, topping the 20-point mark on 12 occassions, and produced 15 double-doubles.
Derick Queen’s Scouting Report
Strengths:
- Scorer
- Shot-Creator and Playmaker
- Rebounding
- Great Body and Strength
- Athletic
- Length: owns a 7-1 wingspan
- Basketball IQ: positioning, decision-making
- Quick Hands
- Good Help/Secondary Defender – quick sections and ability to contest with agility
Weaknesses/Areas Of Improvement
- Perimeter Shooting – appears confident out to about 20′
- Ball-handling
- Setting Screens
- Okay on-ball defender, whether in the post or on the perimeter.
- Does not possess elite athleticism
Queen is one of the better big man prospects to come out of college over the past decade, along with Zion Williamson, DeAndre Ayton, Paolo Banchero, Jaren Jackson Jr., Domantas Sabonis, Evan Mobley, and Chet Holmgren.
Of those seven players, Queen’s game is most comparable to Ayton’s. Like Ayton, Queen is a big body, standing at 6-10 and weighing 246 pounds, who is fairly long and athletic. Also, like the former Arizona Wildcat star, he is much more polished offensively than defensively.
The Film
Queen is an offensive big man who can score in various ways. He is at his best around the rim, where he converted almost 68% of his attempts, whether he gets there on drives, posts up, or hits the offensive glass. While he doesn’t have great handles, he is like a run tank when going downhill and capable of handling the ball on the break.
In the post, Queen has impeccable footwork, with the drop step being his go-to move. He is also great at getting position in the paint and using his body to create space to get open. His strength and girth cause problems for opposing defenders.
Queen makes quick decisions in the post, whether he takes the ball to the hoop or finds a teammate cutting or spotting up for a three-pointer. He has a developing mid-range game in which he uses a combination of his footwork and body to create space for a shot. In addition, he has exceptional vision and body control, along with a high basketball IQ.
Queen is an outstanding rebounder on both ends of the floor. Queen has a nose for the ball and does not just rebound in his area. However, he is not a great screener, and his perimeter shooting needs work. He doesn’t look confident from outside 20 feet and sometimes looks to be leaning into his 3-point shot rather than going straight up and down.
Defensively, Queen is a better help defender than when he is on the ball, whether on the perimeter or in the post. Quenn has quick hands and does an excellent job at reacting and contesting on defense; his problem is that while he is agile, he is not fast enough to stay with smaller players.
Last Word
Queen is a top-10 talent in the 2025 NBA draft, although a strong NBA combine could see him move into the top five. USA Today has him No. 9 in their rankings, NBA Draft Net (No.12), For The Win (No. 4), Bleacher Report ( No. 5), On3 (No. 14), The Ringer (No.6), and ESPN (No. 10).
“Queen’s offensive versatility and high basketball IQ make him one of the most exciting big men in this draft class, said Cyro Asseo de Choch of HoopsHype. “He’s got the potential to be a modern playmaking center who can score, rebound, and facilitate offense.”
Photo Credit: © Eakin Howard, Imagn Images
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