| Derik Queen | |
| Team: | Maryland Terrapins |
| Number: | 25 |
| Position: | Center |
| League: | Big Ten Conference |
| Height Ft: | 6 |
| Height In: | 10 |
| Weight Lb: | 245 |
| Birth Date: | 27 December 2004 |
| Nationality: | American |
| High School: | |
| College: | Maryland (2024–present) |
| Highlights: | |
Derik Queen (born December 27, 2004) is an American basketball player who currently plays for the Maryland Terrapins of the Big Ten Conference. He played high school basketball for Montverde Academy, and was a consensus five-star recruit and one of the top players in the 2024 recruiting class.
As a freshman, Queen attended Saint Frances Academy in his native Baltimore.[1] On March 12, 2021, he scored a season-high 56 points in a 99–55 win over Annapolis Area Christian School.[2] Queen averaged 14 points, eight rebounds, four assists and two blocks per game during the COVID-shortened season, leading the Panthers to a 15–1 record and an appearance in the Baltimore Catholic League title game.[2] He was named the MaxPreps National Freshman of the Year for his performance.[2] Following the season, Queen transferred to Montverde Academy in Montverde, Florida.[3] He received limited playing time as a sophomore due to the amount of talent on the team, which won its second straight GEICO Nationals title with a 60–49 win over Link Academy.[4] [5]
On December 9, 2022, Queen recorded his first double-double at Montverde, contributing 11 points and 11 rebounds during a 78–51 win over Oak Hill Academy at the Bob Kirk Invitational Showcase.[6] [7] On December 21, he tallied 13 points and a season-high 16 rebounds in a 79–45 win over Milton High School at the 'Iolani Classic.[6] [8] On January 5, 2023, Queen scored a season-high 34 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in a 66–62 win over fellow national powerhouse Sunrise Christian Academy at the LaPorte Invitational.[6] [9] The next day, he posted 24 points and 10 rebounds in a 66–61 victory over Wasatch Academy.[6] On February 3, 2023, Queen recorded 24 points and 13 rebounds to guide second-ranked Montverde to an 85–48 win over top-ranked Link Academy in a highly anticipated matchup between the two top-ranked teams in the country.[10] However, Montverde suffered a 46–45 upset defeat to Sunrise Christian in the quarterfinals of the 2023 GEICO Nationals, which the ESPNU crew described as "the biggest upset in the 14-year history of the GEICO Nationals."[11] Queen had 10 points and six rebounds in the loss, which ended their season with a record of 23–3.[11] As a junior, he averaged 11.8 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.2 assists on 61 percent shooting, receiving a MaxPreps Junior All-American honorable mention.[12]
On November 25, 2023, Queen recorded 24 points and eight rebounds to lead Montverde to a 103–74 win over Duncanville High School.[13] In their next game, an 86–69 victory over IMG Academy, he posted 25 points and 13 rebounds.[13] [14] On December 8, Queen tallied 20 points and nine rebounds in a 71–59 win over Link Academy.[13] [14]
Queen also played for Team Thill in off-season competitions. In 2023, he led them to an Under Armour Association (UAA) 17U spring championship after recording 22 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks in their 69–49 title game victory over West Coast Elite.[15]
Queen is a consensus five-star recruit and one of the top players in the 2024 class, according to major recruiting services. On October 27, 2023, he officially narrowed his list of schools down to four finalists: Maryland, Indiana, Kansas and Houston.[16] On February 21, 2024, Queen verbally committed to play college basketball for Maryland.[1] [14] It was one of the first programs to start recruiting Queen, having offered him a scholarship during the summer before his freshman year.[1]