Derik Queen And NOT Cooper Flagg Could Be Freshman Of The Year
With the NCAA men's basketball season just getting under way, it is definitely hyperbole to start crowning players with year end awards. That didn't stop the mainstream media from crowning Duke freshman Cooper Flagg as an All-American, and declaring him the top pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
While it's impossible to deny Flagg's talent and abilities, there's a slight chance that the masses have jumped the gun. Maryland freshman Derik Queen is a formidable force, and showcased that in his teams first game of the year. It may have been against Manhattan, which is no powerhouse by any means, but Flagg's debut was against the University of Maine. If Flagg gets his roses, so does Queen.
The Terrapins won the game handily, defeating the Jaspers 79-49. Queen, the 6'10 center out of Baltimore, put on a show. He finished the game with 22 points and 20 rebounds in just 27 minutes. It would not be shocking to see him repeat those figures in their next two games, November 8th against St Mary's, and November 11th against Florida A&M. Maryland's first actual challenge won't be until November 15th, when they play 18th-ranked Marquette.
Recruiting Derik Queen
As a 14-year-old freshman for Saint Frances Academy in Baltimore, Queen dropped 56 points in a win over Annapolis Area Christina School. His team went 15-1 in a Covid-shortened season. Max preps declared him the best high school freshman in America.
Queen transferred to Montverde Academy in Florida, where he played limited minutes as a sophomore for one of the nation's best prep programs. As a junior, he averaged 11.8 points and 6.7 rebounds, getting honorable mention on Max Preps Junior All-American Team.
Following his senior year, Queen was rated as a 5-star recruit by ESPN, Rivals, and 247Sports. He chose to attend Maryland, a team that started recruiting him before his first year in high school. It's unlikely he will finish the season averaging 20 and 20, but there's no doubt he has a bright future. Whether or not he hears his name called in the NBA Draft before Cooper Flagg is unknown, but everyone, especially Maryland fans, should savor the upcoming season.