For the second consecutive week, Maryland men’s basketball freshman Derik Queen has been named the Big Ten’s Freshman of the Week.
Queen becomes the first Terp to win the award multiple times since Jalen Smith won it three times during the 2018-19 season.
Queen added consecutive double-doubles against Ohio State and Purdue, averaging 21.5 points and 11.5 rebounds, while his 26 points in Sunday’s loss vs. Purdue marked the most by a Maryland freshman in a true road game since 1996-97. It also marked his fifth career 20-point game, giving him sole possession of the second-most in program history behind Melo Trimble (10).
His third and fourth career double-doubles last week also tie him with Diamond Stone for the third-most in program history. Through his first ten college games, Queen leads Maryland in scoring, averaging 17.5 points per game, which marks the second-most in program history behind Joe Smith (19.4).
Queen has been a candidate to land in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft while he was recently projected to land in Boston with the 29th overall pick.
“I mean, Maryland fans better get used to watching him, in my opinion, because I don't think he's going to be here next year. He's an old-school type player and that's probably the best compliment I can give somebody. He plays like a 50-year-old man. He sees the game that way. He's so smart. He doesn't have to go fast. He doesn't have to – he knows where everybody is. He knows every offense. He puts everybody in the right position. Put him in the NBA situation with a big lane and a bigger arc. I mean, that kid's gonna be special. I mean, he really is. So, I mean, you're watching a pro and I've been around pros. You're just seeing what a pro looks like at 19 years old as a freshman. So it's not anything special. It's just he's a pro.”
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