FILM STUDY: There Aren't Many Centers Like Derik Queen

Derik Queen — a five-star center in the class of 2024 — is being heavily recruited by Mike Woodson and the Indiana Hoosiers, and he's scheduled to visit Bloomington in September. This is our scouting report on the superstar from Montverde Academy.

Daniel Olinger | Jul 31, 2023

FILM STUDY: There Aren't Many Centers Like Derik Queen /

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Indiana Hoosiers

Basketball just isn't what it used to be.

Even just a decade ago, centers were almost exclusively resigned to post-ups and screening. A big man handling the ball or trying to thread the needle on a pass was taboo.

But not anymore, because guys like Derik Queen — a 2024 five-star center being recruited by Mike Woodson and the Indiana Hoosiers — are throwing passes like this on the regular.

DERIK QUEEN LIVE DRIBBLE LEFTY HOOK PASS OH MY GOODNESS #iubb pic.twitter.com/HXpQ7s93cV
— Dan Olinger (@dan_olinger) July 30, 2023

Most high school point guards wouldn't even dream of throwing a pass like that.

Queen's rare skillset is why he's the second-highest ranked center in the class of 2024, behind Kokomo High School's Flory Bidunga, and just ahead of another IU recruiting target, Patrick Ngongba II. Queen is also teammates with five-star small forward Liam McNeeley at Montverde Academy, and the two are set to visit Indiana's campus from Sept. 8-10.

Queen is originally from Baltimore, Md., and plays for Team Thrill on the AAU circuit, a team that is sponsored by Under Armour. Though IU is in strong contention for Queen, Big Ten foe Maryland is also a major threat to land his commitment, according to 247 Sports.

With all that said, here's an in-depth scouting report on what Derik Queen could bring to Bloomington, if he chooses to commit to Woodson and the Hoosiers:

STRENGTHS

1. He's an awesome passer

If you couldn't tell from that first clip, I'll say it here — Queen is one heck of a passer for a big man.

Both Montverde and Team Thrill regularly trusted him to initiate dribble hand-off sets (DHO's) from the top of the key, create opportunities with skip passes out of the post and occasionally bring the ball up the court like he's Draymond Green or Trayce Jackson-Davis.

There are plenty of nuances to Queen's passing greatness that can be highlighted, but if you just want a good summary, here is a three minute video I compiled of the five-star dialing it up with dime after dime to his teammates.

If Queen is posting up and sees the defense send help, he'll whip a skip pass out to his teammate in the opposite corner.

If he's running a DHO and his teammates are being denied the ball by off-ball defenders, his teammates, like McNeeley, know to cut backdoor because Queen sees the open pass and will find them every time.

He's clearly a big man who has been entrusted with handling the ball and setting up his teammates for a long, long time. Thus, he's developed great ability to read the floor and capitalize on open passing windows.

Indiana saw the benefits of running the offense through a center who can distribute in 2022-23 with Jackson-Davis, and if the Hoosiers land Queen, it could be more of the same.

2. A Beautiful Jump Hook

Every post scorer needs a bread-and-butter move, and for Queen, it's the jump hook.

According to a source with 2023 USA Basketball measurements, Queen sports a 249-pound frame, and he uses his strength to create space when backing down his defenders, and he can turn over either shoulder to roll in a pillowy-soft hook shot.

Both Montverde and Team Thrill run actions to get Queen the ball, similar to what Woodson and IU ran to get Jackson-David looks inside. It's a lot of block-to-block cross screens down low being set for Queen, giving him space to establish position for a post entry.

From there, Queen is deadly. His primary move is to turn over the left shoulder for a right-handed hook, and if that gets overplayed, he's comfortable drop-stepping to his left hand for a finish. He'll even face-up and hit his big man defender with a crossover given the space, showcasing his incredible skill.

Speaking of his handle ...

3. Queen can Create Shots for Himself

Take a moment and just appreciate how this near 7-foot human is capable of bringing the ball up the court like this and finishing the layup through contact.

Derik Queen you have my attention #iubb pic.twitter.com/IzCOSyhv9q
— Dan Olinger (@dan_olinger) July 26, 2023

A center pushing the break like that stands out, but so should Queen's deceleration on that finish. That's a skill most guards and wings lack, but Queen already does a superb job on drives, slowing down his final two steps in order to maintain balance on finishes.

He's clearly been trusted to handle the ball from a young age, because he flashes creative and well-developed moves both in how he handles the ball, and in how he gathers it on finishes. Watch in these next clips how he first does a pick-up gather and extends his arms up to draw free throws, and in the second one how he hangs with right hand before snatching back with a crossover to the left.

Almost all one-to-one comparisons in sports are bad, but I don't think it's the most insane thing to think of Queen like a right-handed TJD. They obviously have differences as players, and Queen as a freshman won't be as productive as a senior-year Jackson-Davis, but they operate in similar, high-feel functions.

WEAKNESSES

1. Not the Most Vertically Gifted

Where Queen has his fellow five-star center prospects in Bidunga and Ngongba II beat as a passer, ball-handler and versatile scorer, they have him beat on the defensive end.

This not to say Queen is a bad defender. In fact, he's had many good reps in high school play and in AAU games blitzing and hedging in ball screen coverages, moving well laterally to pressure and bother perimeter players. He even offers a good amount of switchability, having numerous good reps where he can contain smaller guards in isolation.

However, rim protection is the end-all, be-all for centers on defense, and it's an area where Queen can be lacking.

Coming it at 6-foot-9 with a 7-foot wingspan, according to a source with 2023 USA Basketball measurements, Queen is already on the shorter and less-lanky side for most five-star centers. Additionally, the Maryland native is not the most vertically explosive. He takes a long time to load up and explode off the ground on shot contests, and the apex of his jump just isn't that high.

You can see it here in these clips, where Queen either resorts to a foul while rotating over, can't bother an opponent while recovering at the rim or can't get off the ground in time to challenge a driver. Queen is not a center who often covers up the defensive flaws of his teammates on the perimeter.

You can also see Queen's lackluster leaping ability on a few of his finishing attempts on the offensive end of the floor, again struggling to rise up and finish over other centers. His finishing numbers are still pretty solid due to his craft and shooting touch, but Queen rarely explodes over his opponents for massive dunks or acrobatic layups.

(Credit should also be given to Sunrise Christian's John Bol, a four-star center in the class of 2024, who bothers a lot of opposing centers with his length around the rim).

Queen not being high flyer is not the end of the world. He's still a massive body that can wreak havoc on defense, and occasionally he will time a contest just right to alter or block the shot. Queen can still be a fantastic college basketball player, but he'll probably never be an explosive leaper playing above the rim.

2. The Shot Needs Work

Same as it was for Ngongba II, Queen is not currently considered a stretch five by any means. However, whereas Ngongba II has underlying shooting numbers that would predict him shooting well from three on good volume in due time, Queen's indicators are not as kind.

According to a source, across 21 games that Queen played in the Border League, the NIBC, Geico Nationals and in the NBAPA Top 100 camp in 2023, he only attempted four threes, and he and made just one.

Additionally, across those same 21 games, Queen shot just 43-for-73 on free throws, giving him a subpar 58.9 % mark from the free throw line.

Here's a look at his some of his rare pull-up and face-up jumper attempts, as well as an up close look at his shooting form on free throws.

Even Queen's made free throws aren't very aesthetically pleasing. His off-hand and guide-hand are not in ideal spots. His elbows just too far out in both directions. He holds the ball too far out in front of his body on free throws, and he appears to be displaying cross eye dominance on his free throws (i.e. he's right-handed, but brings the ball up over his left eye because that is his dominant eye).

He's a bad shooter right now, but not a hopeless one, in my opinion. His free throw percentages, while less than ideal, are not so bad that his shot appears to be broken, and he's good enough on hooks and floaters for me to believe he has soft touch. It's really just that his shooting form that needs to be corrected. It's unlikely that happens in one year of college ball, but it's not impossible.

At the end of the day, though, even with some limited leaping ability and a shot that needs work, Queen is still a deserving five-star prospect and one Indiana fans should hope the Hoosiers are able to land.