The Maryland men’s basketball team received a much anticipated commitment Wednesday from five-star prospect Derik Queen, the Terrapins’ highest-rated recruit since Coach Kevin Willard and his staff took over before last season and vowed to revive the program with top players from the area.
The 6-foot-10 center from Baltimore made the announcement on social media, choosing his home-state school over other finalists Kansas, Houston and Indiana. The senior at Montverde Academy, a prep school outside Orlando, is rated the No. 10 prospect in the Class of 2024 by ESPN, No. 12 by 247 Sports and No. 15 by Rivals.
Recruiting News: ‼️
Derik Queen tells ESPN he has committed to Maryland. Queen is currently ranked the No.10 overall prospect in the class of 2024.
“It’s home. The fans have always been great.” @derikqueen1
Queen is the first 5-star recruit to Maryland since Jalen Smith in… pic.twitter.com/edZSh3rK7l
— Paul Biancardi (@PaulBiancardi) February 21, 2024Queen was the last of this recruiting cycle’s most prized prospects to announce his college decision and had long been a primary target for Willard and associate head coach David Cox, who played a major role in Queen’s recruitment.
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Among Queen’s most polished skills are a knack for creating space in the paint and finishing, according to Rivals.
“It’s home. The fans have always been great,” Queen told ESPN.
The commitment from Queen provides Maryland with its most significant addition for next season, when the roster is likely to be overhauled because of expiring eligibility and perhaps the transfer portal. Certain to depart are point guard Jahmir Young, the Terps’ leading scorer, and starting forward Donta Scott, both fifth-year players.
Junior forward Julian Reese, the Terrapins’ second-leading scorer and most reliable post presence, has not declared publicly whether he intends to return.
Queen will join a roster for next season that should include freshmen DeShawn Harris-Smith and Jamie Kaiser Jr., Willard’s highest-rated recruits last season. Harris-Smith, a 6-5 guard, was the All-Met Player of the Year in 2023 at Paul VI and is averaging 6.9 points and 4.4 rebounds.
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Kaiser is averaging 4.0 points and 2.1 rebounds. Called a gifted shooter by Willard, the 6-6 guard has made just 26.1 percent of his three-pointers.
The Terrapins (14-13, 6-10 Big Ten) next play Sunday against Rutgers in Piscataway, N.J. They have lost five of six and face the prospect of having to win five games in as many days in the Big Ten tournament as their only path to a berth in the NCAA tournament.
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