Derik Queen Scores Triple-Double in Impressive Homecoming Performance
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Maryland's contribution to the first round of the NBA Draft continues to impress into the new year.
Derik Queen has been building a reputation in his rookie year with the New Orleans Pelicans. After being named Big Ten Freshman of the Year after his sole college season, the Baltimore native is battling against other top selections to take home NBA Rookie of the Year honors.
While former Duke teammates Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel have been tearing it up offensively for their new teams, Queen has also been excelling in a more balanced role. His last game was one of the best instances of that.
During his first trip back to the DMV since his time with the Terps, Queen scored his second triple-double of the season - 14 points, 16 rebounds, and 12 assists - in the Pelicans' 128-107 victory over the Washington Wizards.
DERIK QUEEN TRIPLE DOUBLE TONIGHT:
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) January 10, 2026
14 POINTS
16 REBOUNDS
12 ASSISTS
7/13 FGM pic.twitter.com/Li61tjLrvr
Queen joined some rather prestigious company, becoming only the sixth rookie center in NBA history to have multiple triple-doubles. It was even more special to do it in front of family and many fans wearing his Maryland colors.
"It means a lot," Queen said after the game. "I only come here once a year, so to be here and putting on a show, hopefully it's memorable."
"And I'm looking forward to next year also," he added.
The Pelicans indeed do not head back to D.C. at any point this season - only hosting the Wizards in a return game on March 8. By the time that matchup comes around, Queen and his squad will look to have reversed their first-half struggles.
New Orleans sits near the bottom of the Western Conference at 9-31; only the Sacramento Kings have a worse record on their side of the league. Friday's win snapped an eight-game skid, ending the fourth extended losing streak of their season.
But Queen has been showing some steady improvement since his first few games - his average points, rebounds, and assists have gone up every month - and he is trying to keep things positive as the Pelicans approach their second half.
"We're just going to keep getting better and keep trusting (the chemistry)," Queen said. "We've got like 40 more games left, so hopefully we'll have a great winning percentage in the next 40 games."
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Mike joined Sports Illustrated with over four years of sportswriting experience. He started off his career in Syracuse on the Orange football beat, where he was featured on CBS Sports' Cover 3 Podcast and local ESPN sports talk radio. After a brief stint reporting on Major League Baseball, he returned to the college landscape with Maryland On SI.