Maryland Basketball: Where Derik Queen is headed in latest FOX Sports NBA Mock Draft
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Fox Sports college basketball analyst John Fanta recently released his latest NBA Mock Draft, and he's got Maryland center Derik Queen going early. Queen, who's currently the leading favorite for Big Ten Freshman of the Year, leads the Terps in scoring with 15.6 points per game. Queen is also averaging 9.1 rebounds per game, trailing only senior forward Julian Reese.
Fanta obviously views Queen as a hot commodity in this year's NBA Draft, projecting the freshman phenom to go No. 5 overall to the Toronto Raptors.
"The Raptors could use a big man and while there's a debate with Duke's Khaman Maluach as well, I could see Queen being the pick. It could be surprising to some, but his shooting ability and physicality give him some really strong potential. Averaging 16 points, nine rebounds and two assists per game, Queen recently went for a combined 53 points in back-to-back wins over Rutgers and Nebraska. He has some Moses Malone in him with the style he plays with. He's a total throwback."
My latest NBA Mock Draft is live:
— John Fanta (@John_Fanta) February 27, 2025
• The intangible that NBA general managers told me separates Cooper Flagg from other #1 picks
• Two big men that have risen on the board
• Watch out for Will Riley and Carter Bryant
• Thomas Sorber’s projection https://t.co/E2h88KgfQV
While there are some who believe that Queen would benefit significantly from another year of college ball, it seems highly unlikely that he'll return to College Park for his sophomore year. The good news is that he's still a Terrapin for now, and Maryland is still in the mix for a Big Ten conference championship and a deep run in the NCAA tournament. In order to achieve those goals, the Terps will certainly need every bit of what Queen has to offer.
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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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