Derik Queen busted out of a slump, but will he bust out of College Park for the NBA?
Where does star Maryland basketball freshman Derik Queen's NBA draft stock stand after a mini-slump followed by a breakout?
For the first time in his brief college basketball career, Maryland freshman Derik Queen hit a mini-slump recently with two single-digit scoring totals in three games after reaching double-figures in 12 of the first 13 games, averaging fewer than four rebounds per game during the same three games.
The Terps heralded big man bounced back with a starring performance on Monday in Maryland's 77-71 win over Minnesota, scoring a career-high 27 points on 10-for-15 shooting and grabbing seven rebounds.
It'll be a while before we know for sure whether Queen will be one-and-done in Maryland. But if the most recent 2025 NBA Mock Draft projections are an accurate indicator, his days still appear numbered.
ESPN's Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo listed Queen at No. 16 in the site's new mock last Thursday. That's a significant climb from Woo's mock most draft a month earlier, when he ranked Queen 23rd overall.
"The Pacers' frontcourt depth has been tested because of several injuries inside, which might cause the team to look at adding a young prospect whom it can develop behind Pascal Siakam and Myles Turner. Queen is one of the most productive freshmen, bringing an advanced feel for the college game and skill level, creating shots for himself and others for Maryland, scoring and drawing fouls prolifically while filling up the box score."
"He has some questions to answer regarding his defense and perimeter shooting. He is not the most modern big man and wouldn't be a fit for every team's roster because of his average mobility, intensity and lack of shooting range. Scouts will be studying his impact in the Big Ten and beyond to get a better gauge of how to weigh his impressive productivity versus his weaknesses."
Queen, one of 25 players named to the Wooden Award last week, has been at his best against Maryland's top opponents. He has five 20-plus-point games, including two against ranked opponents Marquette and Purdue.
Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman has him going 18th to San Antonio in his new mock. He wrote:
"Aside from just finding ways to use his strength and soft hands around the basket, he's showing confidence in his jump shot (despite inconsistent results), counter footwork off the dribble and touch shots.
There will continue to be debate over the legitimacy of his perimeter flashes and how his defense projects at the pro level. But Queen appears to be too productive and skilled with excellent passing IQ for scouts to nitpick outside the top 10."
Also last week, the Sporting News released a new mock, projecting Queen to go to the Pacers with the No. 15 pick
Tankathon recently updated its projections, sending Queen to the Sacramento Kings with the 11th pick. He was also a topic of conversation recently on No Ceilings' 'Draft Sickos' podcast.
"Corey and I both, I believe, had him like sixth overall on our boards. And he hasn't really done much of anything to disappoint me. I know his most recent game [against Washington] was an absolute stinker. But I think every prospect not named Dylan Harper and Cooper Flagg have had them, which is why there's a whole separate tier from those two guys. I love Derik Queen. I can't get enough of him. I'm a sucker for big men with feel. I think every NBA team wants a guy that can not only produce at the level Derik Queen is doing. But if you watch this guy move on a basketball court, he just feels like an NBA big man. Some people are saying Chris Webber, which is like a taboo thing. You're not ever supposed to ever compare anyone to Chris Webber. Reminds me a little bit of DeMarcus Cousins offensively, just being able to handle the ball and pass it. Plus, he's a little bit pudgy," host Maxwell Baumbach said.
"You don't see big men at his size move the way he does, see the court the way that he does. I know that he's not always there defensively. I will acknowledge that ... I just think that he is the best player, obviously, that Maryland has ... Sometimes it's just easy to identify an NBA basketball player on a basketball court simply by the way they move, and Queen has it."
