Derik Queen was a superstar-level talent coming out of high school alongside Cooper Flagg. They played together at Monteverde Academy and showed why they are two of the best prospects. Queen didn’t go to Duke, but he was still a force on the floor in College Park. The Maryland Terrapins were lucky to keep the Baltimore-born player in-state for his lone season of college ball. Queen proved why he was one of the best Big Ten freshmen in recent memory, not to mention how big he was for Maryland down the stretch.

Derik Queen 2025 NBA Draft Profile
College Career

Queen was born to play in the Big Ten; his size and ability fit well in College Park. His numbers only continued to be impressive throughout the year. By the end of the regular season, Queen had firmly put himself at the top of the Big Ten for freshmen. His name was nearly everywhere across the conference honors. He won Big Ten Freshman of the Year and earned First-team All-Big Ten. If that wasn’t enough, his effort during Maryland’s run to the Sweet 16 was special. Sure, he had a great supporting cast in a starting group called the ‘crab five’, which included fellow big man Julian Reese. Not to outshine the energy Reese brought throughout his four-year career with the Terps, but Queen just has superstar talent.

Queen finished his lone season in College Park with an average of 16.5 points and 9.0 rebounds. His 27 points in the Terps’ Sweet 16 loss to eventual national champion, Florida, will be remembered, as he nearly helped Maryland pull the upset himself.

Strengths

Queen’s six-foot-10 frame is just right for a guy with his speed and size. That will bode well for him at the next level, as he will battle it out on the boards with the NBA’s best rebounders. The center finished third in the Big Ten in boards. Additionally, he doesn’t always need someone to get him the ball. He wants to try to bring the ball down the floor himself. That was showcased in the Florida loss.

Queen isn’t just a post threat; he can find a way to make plays outside of the paint. Defensively, he was among the best in the 2025 class at blocking shots and grabbing steals, averaging about one of each. That also will translate, as he can be the next great 1-5 defender in the NBA.

He had a couple of games in which he shot over 40% from deep. However, he wasn’t given that many attempts. That’s certainly something to work with, especially at the NBA level. Queen is a very focused and determined basketball player who competes at a very high level.

Weaknesses

In the NBA, you need a guy to be the anchor on the defensive end of the floor. It’s unclear at this point if Queen can be that. That’s not a knock on his motor skills; he has the potential to still grow his defensive ability. He had trouble in one-on-one post defense at Maryland. In the most important game of the Big Ten Tournament, Queen had trouble limiting the Wolverines’ Vladislav Goldin and Danny Wolf. Both finished the game with over 20 points and 10-plus rebounds. Then again, both of those players are seven-footers.

Queen also has a knack for struggling to pass off the ball in certain situations. He finished with a negative assist-to-turnover ratio. He has to learn to take care of the basketball, especially when bringing the ball down the floor. He’s much taller than Draymond Green, so it’s not like he can be a point forward.

NBA Comparison

Queen is more than ready to be a major contributor in the NBA. So his ceiling might be higher than his player comparison. Both of these players had excellent careers once they established themselves. Queen’s size and scoring ability are similar to those of Brad Miller or Zach Randolph. They made an impact in more than one area of the floor. Miller was a menace on the boards, and Queen has already shown that skill. As for Z-Bo, he showed how tough he was and carved out a 17-year career. His best seasons were playing for the Memphis Grizzlies. If Queen can be in the league for that long, his future is very bright.

2025 NBA Draft Projection

Lottery pick.

 

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