Head coach Kevin Willard has been busy in the transfer portal over the last two weeks after adding a pair of portal guards in Ja’Kobi Gillespie and Rodney Rice. With a chance to add one more piece to next year’s roster, the rest of the Terps’ staff will also get a chance to watch their star incoming big man in action this week with five-star center Derik Queen set to take part in the McDonald’s All-American game.
The five-star shined in Sunday’s practice and was named one of the top performers ahead of today’s scrimmage set for 4 PM EST on ESPN+.
Via On3:
Derik Queen is a tough matchup at the high school level. On the block, he has such a great understanding and feel for carving out space and getting open looks. He has excellent hands in traffic, and his touch is natural around the rim, with both hands. At this level, Queen gets opposing post players on his back and does not let them out of jail. He is a below-the-rim type and the motor can be inconsistent at times, but the continued production is hard to ignore for the Maryland commitment.
Queen will have two more chances to showcase his offensive efficiency with the Powerade Jam Fest set for Monday night at 7:30 PM on ESPN2 then the All-American game set for Tuesday at 9 PM on ESPN. After that, Queen will look to make his pledge official during the April signing period as he restocks the frontcourt for Maryland in 2024-25. Reese opted to return home over a final group including Indiana, Houston and Kansas.
With Reese officially back for his senior season, Maryland will get a chance to pair the former St. Frances duo together as Willard surrounds them with more scoring. The addition of Gillespie and Rice gives Maryland a chance to do exactly that while Willard eyes the transfer portal to fill the final vacant scholarship for next season.
Derik Queen became the first Maryland pledge to be named a McDonald’s All-American since Jalen Smith did so back in 2019. He is also the second-highest rated pledge in program history and finished the regular season averaging 16.8 points and 7.8 rebounds per game as Montverde Academy posted a perfect 28-0 record.
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