Maryland Basketball: Analyst says Derik Queen 'clear choice' for Freshman of the Year
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Maryland center Derik Queen continued to make his case for being the best freshman in the country on Thursday night, notching his fourth consecutive double-double. Queen's consistent play on both ends of the floor is one of the major reasons why the Terrapins have won eight of their last nine games, and why many view Maryland as a favorite in March.
Following Maryland's convincing win over USC on Thursday night, Big Ten analyst Rapheal Davis said that Queen's production has earned him the Freshman of the Year award.
"It's not even his award to lose - it's just Derik Queen's award," Davis said. "Derik Queen is the Big Ten freshman of the Year. If you look last night, he was struggling to score the ball but ended up with 13 points and 17 rebounds. Over the last four games, Derik Queen is averaging 21 points per game and 14 rebounds per contest. He is doing it from the outside, he's doing it from the mid-post, he's driving, pushing the break off the rebound, he's knocking down shots, he's mixing it up inside. And, as a freshman, he can guard. He guards his yard, whether he's guarding a big inside, walling up and being physical, or in that ball screen action. Derik Queen is a big man that's 6-10, 250 pounds, he can jump out there and switch and he can move puppies. And he has that length to where, even if you get past him, he can still contest that shot at the rim. This is Derik Queen's year."
"It's not even his award to lose—it's just Derik Queen's award."
— Big Ten Men's Basketball (@B1GMBBall) February 21, 2025
No debate for @RaphealDavis3—@TerrapinHoops' Derik Queen is the clear choice for @bigten Freshman of the Year 👇#B1GToday x #B1GMBBall pic.twitter.com/iViTArKgSs
Queen currently leads the Terrapins in scoring, averaging 15.9 points per game. He's also second on the team in rebounds per game, averaging 9.1 per contest. With Queen serving as a focal point of a team that is viewed as a Final Four favorite, there's no question that he's now established himself as the leading candidate for Big Ten Freshman of the Year.
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Christopher Breiler launched Winged Helmet Media and began covering the Michigan Football program in an unofficial capacity in 2017. He then joined Wolverine Digest as part of the FanNation network in 2021 as a contributing writer, where he served as both a writer and a photographer on game days. In 2024, he took over as the Managing Editor for Michigan Wolverines On SI. In January of 2025, he took over as Publisher for Maryland On SI. His love for Michigan Football brought him into the industry, and his passion for being a content creator has led to some amazing experiences along the way.
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