Inside The Nets

Nets Prospect Watch: Derik Queen Showing Top-Five Potential

Maryland's center has been shining on college basketball's biggest stage. He should be on Brooklyn's radar.

Jed Katz

Mar 23, 2025; Seattle, WA, USA; Maryland Terrapins center Derik Queen (25) celebrates with teammates after scoring the game-winning shot against the Colorado State Rams at Climate Pledge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images
Mar 23, 2025; Seattle, WA, USA; Maryland Terrapins center Derik Queen (25) celebrates with teammates after scoring the game-winning shot against the Colorado State Rams at Climate Pledge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images / Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images
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As March Madness moves from the second round to the Sweet 16, certain NBA Draft prospects will be put on an even higher stage through the tournament. Teams like the Brooklyn Nets will be paying very close attention to certain players, including Maryland's Derik Queen.

Queen, the 6-foot-10 freshman from Baltimore, has had an impressive first season at the collegiate level. 16.2 points, 9.1 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game have pushed him into mid-lottery range and should be on the Nets' radar. Despite already having a prominent center in Nic Claxton, the Nets could look to move on from the 25-year-old as he may be just outside of their timeline. Queen is certainly a better offensive talent.

There had been questions surrounding the 20-year-old all season that could've hindered his draft stock: frame, athleticism, and outside shooting. However, his ability to score by putting the ball on the floor, along with all of the strengths a traditional NBA center possesses, makes him a prime candidate to become one of the better bigs in the league.

Lately, Queen has taken his game to the next level on some of the biggest stages in college basketball. In the Big Ten Tournament, he averaged 25.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.5 blocks, and 1.5 steals, including a 31-point performance in the semifinal against Michigan.

Through the NCAA Tournament, Queen's performance hasn't changed. He's averaging 14.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 2.0 blocks through the first two rounds, but his shining moment came against Colorado State when he hit the game-winning shot at the buzzer to keep the Terrapins alive.

Maryland will face the first seed in their region, the Florida Gators, in the Sweet 16, which will certainly be an uphill battle. Win or lose, if Queen can have another stellar performance, his draft stock should rise into the top-five range. He's been that good.

The Nets could use an offensively geared center like Queen put alongside prolific scorers like Cam Thomas and Cam Johnson. They could certainly take him with their lottery pick and then develop him behind Claxton in the rotation, or Brooklyn could put him at the forefront of the franchise.

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Jed Katz
JED KATZ

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