As the college basketball season winds down, some of the biggest stars in the game are making their decisions about what they are doing next. Maryland basketball had a great season that ended with a Sweet 16 loss to Florida, and now star freshman Derik Queen has officially made his decision about his future.
Queen has officially declared for the NBA Draft and will forego his remaining eligibility, as he said on SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt.
“I have made a decision,” Queen said. “First I would like to give glory to God for guiding me and blessing me and for the opportunity to pursue my dreams. I would like to thank my mom for unconditional love and being there every step of the way. … With that being said, I'm proud to say that I will be entering the 2025 Draft.”
Queen was one of the best freshmen in the country all season long and is a projected lottery pick with a chance to go as high as the top 1o, so this decision comes as no surprise. That was the case before the NCAA Tournament, and it is especially true after Queen's game-winning buzzer-beater against Colorado State to send the Terrapins to the Sweet 16.
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Queen's offensive skillset is especially intriguing for NBA teams due to his ability to function as both a scorer and a playmaker as a big man. He is one of the best passers in this draft class at any position, has great touch around the rim and even showed an expanded shooting range toward the end of the season.
Queen is a bit of a tweener at 6-foot-10 and needs to improve his foot speed to keep up defensively in the pros, which could scare some teams away from drafting him.
Maryland will have a lot of work to do to replace everything that it has lost this offseason. Guards Rodney Rice and Ja'Kobi Gillespie have both entered the transfer portal, big man Julian Reese is graduating, and now Queen is headed to the NBA.
On top of all of that, Kevin Willard bolted to become the new head coach at Villanova. Maryland has brought in Buzz Williams as its new head coach, and now he will have another spot to fill with Queen headed to the draft.
