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Derik Queen on being home, Ravens' outlook, mindset heading into year one

The retooled roster is now set after head coach Kevin Willard filled his 13th and final scholarship for the 2024-25 season, while the bulk of the new additions have already arrived on campus with summer workouts in full swing for Maryland basketball. As Willard and the staff look to begin putting the new pieces together in hopes of a bounceback season, a big piece of the puzzle for the new-look Terps is freshman big Derik Queen, and after arriving on campus, the five-star addition sat down for a Q&A in his first media appearance with the program. On whether he realized he realized how notable his recruitment was for Maryland fans “I really didn't know.” What went into his decision to Maryland “Basically being home again and I felt like this was the place for me." On the idea of playing at home “It can be bad but it also can be special. A lot of people coming to the games, a lot of people supporting us. First we’ve got to win first, all that, and then everybody and when we win, everybody gonna get the love.” On what he’s seen from his new teammates so far “That they just get after it and they all like each other.” On whether the team is driving toward a specific goal “Today was my first day and it was pretty -- it wasn't hard. It was just tiring and stuff but the other day they were really getting after it, talking, beating each other up.” On the reunion with Julian Reese “I think it's gonna be really fun. We complement each other. We can kind of do the same things.” On the Baltimore connection to Maryland “I guess like they probably just want to be home also, don't want to go too far. probably think it's a great conference for them.” On the end to the Ravens’ season “I think it's a money thing and it’s a Taylor Swift show. And Travis Kelce, Pat Mahomes -- Pat Mahomes is the new Brady so he gonna get all the non-calls and calls. I think it's just like, I think it's gonna be something magical. He gonna propose to her probably at the Super Bowl, AFC Conference. Championship. Yep. Basically a money thing for them.” On the 2024 Ravens, the addition of RB Derrick Henry “I think we're feeling really good. I think we’re probably going to be better than last year. Our defense. So we lost, first of all, the main person, Mike McDaniel and we lost my allegedly cousin, Patrick Queen. No relation. But I think we're gonna be fine on the defensive end, and our line will be really good.” On whether he’s been to Orioles games recently “No, I went last year at like the beginning of the season but I literally just got home from like settling and all that but I’ll make sure I head up to a game.” I always watch like the highlights that we have like six, seven minute highlights. I always watch those.” On Queen's favorite part about Baltimore “The sports and like, it’s like so easy to adapt. It's not really a lot because I've been living there for all my life. It's like, there’s this stuff to do and people to meet and it's like downtown is pretty, pretty cool.” On Queen's favorite spot in downtown Baltimore “It’s called Jimmy’s Seafood. I love their food.” Thoughts on how his game translates to the college level “My goal is to get to the NBA so I'm just trying to do everything that I need to do for me to get there…a lot of hard work, a lot of listening and a lot of studying.” On the NBA player his game most resembles “I try to learn from a lot of people. I watch, it’s this YouTube channel called Maxamillion and it's like 10 minutes and I watch like almost everybody. Like almost the all all stars and try to like take like a part or piece, see what they do, a move out their game.” On the most ridiculous tweet he’s received during his recruitment “It was a lot of stuff. I didn’t really see no Kansas fans. Probably an Indiana fan. They sent a lot of stuff. A lot of them Indiana fans crazy.” Music he’s listening to right now “Future’s new album.” On the TV show he just finished and currently streaming “The one I finished was Suits and Snowfall. They’re really like the best shows ever.” Favorite part of home that he can still enjoy being in College Park “Probably my house, my family and everything, everybody is so close to me." Funniest player on the team “Tafara . He’s funny.” Related Links Former Maryland RB Kenny Goins Jr. passes away at 30Comfort, fit resonate with Florida LB Kellen Wiley on Maryland officialMaryland football releases freshmen jersey numbers, adds walk-onsMaryland football OV primer: QB Malik Washington

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