Maryland's Queen declares for NBA draft
Maryland star Derik Queen will forgo his remaining eligibility and declare for the 2025 NBA Draft, he told ESPN's Scott Van Pelt on Friday.
Queen was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year during his lone season with Maryland. The projected top-10 pick would be the first Terrapins player to be drafted in the first round since the Phoenix Suns selected Jalen Smith 10th overall in 2016.
A native of Baltimore, Maryland, Queen was a five-star recruit out of Montverde Academy.
Queen led the Terrapins in scoring, averaging 16.5 points per game to go with nine rebounds. He set the program's freshman scoring record with 594 total points.
The 6-foot-10 big man propelled Maryland to its first Sweet 16 appearance since 2015-16, which included a buzzer-beating game-winning jumper in the Round of 32 against Colorado State.
The Terrapins have faced a tough time since the season ended, with head coach Kevin Willard leaving for the vacant Villanova job. Maryland hired former Texas A&M coach Buzz Williams to fill the role.
The NBA draft takes place June 25.