Top 10 prospect Derik Queen commits to home state of Maryland

Top-10 prospect Derik Queen, the top-ranked uncommitted senior, has committed to Maryland, giving the Terrapins their first five-star, top-10 commitment since 2018.

Queen chose the Terrapins over a final list that also included Indiana, Kansas and Houston.

“It's my home,” the Baltimore native told ESPN. “The fans have always been great to me. Everywhere I went, they were with me. Being from the area, I also know a lot of students. There is free playing time in the attacking zone. I am friends with a lot of the other players on the squad and “I feel very comfortable with them.”

Queen, a 6-foot-10 center who plays at Montverde Academy (Florida), is ranked No. 10 on the ESPN 100 for the class of 2024. He is the No. 2 player at his position, behind only Flory Bidunga, who is heads to Kansas.

Queen has been consistently dominant since early in her high school career and has been a key cog in Montverde's success as a number one ranking so far this season. He had 25 points and 13 rebounds against IMG Academy (Florida) in November and scored 20 points and nine rebounds against Top 10 opponent Link Academy (Missouri) in December. Earlier this month, he had 18 points and eight rebounds against national power La Lumiere (Indiana).

Overall, Queen is averaging 16.7 points and 7.8 rebounds in 28 games.

He is a true presence in the position. Queen can block or set up for a high-low action in the middle of the paint and score. What makes him special are his exceptional hands, which allow him to catch passes and then use his advanced footwork, court awareness and touch to finish inside. He is also a committed rebounder. Queen has great defensive mobility, allowing him to play effective defense on the ball. He displays an uncanny ability to strip a ball handler of his hedges without fouling.

“Derik Queen is a unique combination of size, skill, IQ and personality,” said Team Thrill coach Donnell “Mookie” Dobbins. “Montverde Academy and head coach Kevin Boyle did a great job instilling everyday work habits into Derik's regimen. Collaborating with them throughout this journey has been an incredible partnership.”

Queen is Kevin Willard's second commitment in Maryland's 2024 class, joining four-star guard Malachi Palmer, who committed to the Terrapins last month. He could pair with former St. Frances Academy (Md.) product Julian Reese, who is averaging 13.8 points and 10.0 rebounds this season in College Park and has one year of eligibility remaining.

With star guard Jahmir Young out of eligibility, Willard will need to look for a backcourt player, and the Terps have been linked to former ESPN 100 prospect and Virginia Tech transfer Rodney Rice.