NBA Draft: Record-Setting Games in Three Freshmen Debuts

Derik Queen, Tre Johnson and Will Riley wasted no time in making names for themselves as they each began their collegiate careers with record-breaking debuts

Nov 4, 2024; College Park, Maryland, USA; Maryland Terrapins center Derik Queen (25) grabs a rebound during the first half against the Manhattan Jaspers at Xfinity Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images / Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

After the first day of the regular season in college basketball, our first look at top-tier freshmen did not disappoint. Three extremely intriguing prospects put their best foot forward with historic debuts that have cemented them as names to monitor as the season progresses. Although these were just single-game performances, making such headlines in their first real look at collegiate action has drawn attention and will surely give them a head start up the majority of draft boards. Let’s take a look at these three performances and how they could impact the stock of a few of the 2025 draft’s names to know.

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Derik Queen | Center | Maryland | 6-foot-10 | 246 lbs  

Nov 4, 2024; College Park, Maryland, USA; Maryland Terrapins center Derik Queen (25) grabs a rebound during the first half against the Manhattan Jaspers at Xfinity Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images / Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

Derik Queen began his college career with a showstopping performance, finishing with 22 points and 20 rebounds. His 22 points were the most scored by a Maryland freshman in their debut since Joe Smith's 26 points in 1993. Not only did Queen’s scoring numbers solidify his place in Terrapin history, but his 20 rebounds were the most for a Maryland debut in the history of the program. This was also the first debut with at least 20 points and 20 rebounds since college basketball legend Michael Beasley’s debut in 2007. It was an outright dominant performance and offered a great look at how effective he could be throughout the rest of the year.

While Queen was clearly the best player in this matchup, his game has more to show, as he was a very solid connective playmaker prior to joining Maryland. He finished this game with only one assist, which came on an impressive outlet pass for an easy layup on the other end. He stayed in attack mode consistently during the game, as he had a clear advantage on the interior. However, as he begins facing tougher competition, his passing vision should continue to showcase itself more consistently.

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Tre Johnson | Guard | Texas | 6-foot-6 | 190 lbs 

Nov 4, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Texas Longhorns guard Tre Johnson (20) gestures after scoring against the Ohio State Buckeyes during the first half at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images / Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Tre Johnson scored 29 points in his Texas debut, surpassing Kevin Durant as the Longhorns’ record holder for most points scored in a freshman debut. He scored the ball very efficiently, shooting 10-of-20 from the field and 5-of-10 from three-point range. Although Texas ended up falling to Ohio State with a final score of 80-to-72, Johnson looked like the best player in the game and should continue to impress as the apparent first option for scoring for the Longhorns this season. Aside from his scoring, Johnson also finished with five rebounds, four assists, two steals and one block. He is seen as a top-tier prospect by many evaluators, but showing this level of versatility outside of just scoring should continue raising him up draft boards.

While the one-game sample of his playstyle could change as the season progresses, big scoring nights appear to be a safe bet. Johnson attempted eight more shots than the second-most by a player on the Longhorns in this game, so it looks like he will continue to be one of the higher-volume shooters among freshmen nationwide.

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Will Riley | Forward | Illinois | 6-foot-8 | 195 lbs

Nov 4, 2024; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini forward Will Riley (7) reacts after scoring during the second half against the Eastern Illinois Panthers at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images / Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Will Riley broke onto draft radars by scoring 31 points, which is an Illinois freshman debut record, doing so on incredibly efficient shooting. He shot 10-of-13 from the field and 5-of-6 from three-point range. This was a showstopping performance, and while it seems remarkably difficult to replicate this level of efficiency throughout the season, breaking onto the scene like this has skyrocketed his draft stock. As one of the younger prospects in this class, he still has plenty of room to grow, which only makes this debut even more impressive. Aside from his great scoring performance, Riley also added seven rebounds, three assists, and a block in his 25 minutes of action.

Leading up to the season, Riley had a wide draft-range but now seems set to quickly solidify himself as a lottery-level talent. While he is currently listed as a forward, mainly based on his 6-foot-8 frame, he plays more like a guard and was very impressive with the ball in his hands. He may not ever be a primary initiator on offense, but he is certainly capable of running the show when needed and excels while pushing the ball in transition, where he can create easy points for himself and his teammates.

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