The five-star freshman put up the first 20/20 game for a Terp since Joe Smith in his debut.
Derik Queen's most impressive play on Monday was arguably the most subtle. It wasn't the and-one euro step layup, or the three offensive rebounds he snagged.
At the 6:16 minute mark in the first half, Queen collected a defensive rebound and spotted his frontcourt partner Julian Reese streaking down the court. Queen calmly took two dribbles and flung a perfect pass to Reese for a layup.
The freshman scored 22 points and grabbed 20 rebounds in his debut. It was a historic debut performance, as Queen became the first freshman in Maryland history to record a 20-20.
MDSports watched every Queen basket to gather what skills will translate to tougher competition and how Queen's game fit in the Maryland offense.
The Plays
Queen's first two baskets were an example of his sheer size and physicality. Stacked up against a Manhattan team with only two defenders standing 6 ' 9 or above, Queen grabbed multiple offensive rebounds on Monday.
He should be an effective option on the glass along with Reese, as Queen's rebounding was praised at Montverde. His second basket was more translatable than the first as he attacked off the dribble from the top of the key, before following his missed layup with a put-back.
I would expect Queen to grab at least two offensive rebounds a game, due to his height and wingspan and a potentially leaky perimeter shooting team.
"I just had to go out there and rebound, play how I usually play," Queen said.
The passing is the least noticeable thing about Queen, but it's maybe the most important aspect to the Terps offense.
His passing gravity, which forces defenders to stay at home on perimeter shootings, is needed in Maryland's offense. Because Queen plays alongside Reese, the Terps need as much spacing as they can get; that doesn't just include shooting.
Queen threw two nice passes on Monday, including the deep pass down the floor to Reese. Former national championship coach Gary Williams said that's a rare pass for a big man to make.
Big men are often lauded for their crafty footwork, or a smooth finishing touch in the paint. But coaches often say that the most critical step in post offense is establishing position before a player touches the ball. Queen looked like he understood that in his first game. The freshman planted himself in the paint and had to take less than two dribbles inside. Queen's adept at finishing with both hands, which forces defenders to guard him straight up.
"We wanted to get the ball inside. We knew the size, we had a really big size advantage. We didn't do a good job of getting the ball inside in the first half," coach Kevin Willard said. "Again, when you have really talented players, certain guys can take over games. I think Derik, we got a good steal, he got a big dunk. He's a talented player. Sometimes, [you] just get gotta get out of his way."
His right shoulder is his dominant side, though, which showed up on two baskets. Queen simply overpowered the Manhattan defenders and finished through them. He'll likely have to be craftier against Big Ten opponents, but if he's matched up with a smaller big man, the baskets will come in waves.
