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NCAA Basketball Recruiting: Analyzing 6 contenders for 5-star center Derik Queen

By Tristan Freeman

Mar 18, 2023; Birmingham, AL, USA; Maryland Terrapins forward Julian Reese (10) is taken out of the game by Maryland Terrapins head coach Kevin Willard during the second half at Legacy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 18, 2023; Birmingham, AL, USA; Maryland Terrapins forward Julian Reese (10) is taken out of the game by Maryland Terrapins head coach Kevin Willard during the second half at Legacy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports /
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NCAA Basketball
NCAA Basketball Georgetown Hoyas introduces Ed Cooley (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /

When talking about true centers in the 2024 NCAA Basketball recruiting class, Flory Bidunga has recently been hailed as the No. 1 prospect after a big rise up the rankings. However, Derik Queen has always been a top-10 prospect for a while, viewed as an elite offensive talent.

At 6’9 and over 220 pounds, Queen is capable of scoring inside and out as a true spacing option. He’s a quality rebounder and good defender as well and someone that could be a focal point of a team. Queen plays at Montverde Academy in Florida but is originally from Baltimore, Maryland.

The top prospect from the DMV area has had national interest for a while, with plenty of offers to this point. In an article by Travis Branham of 247sports, Queen talked about programs that he’d like to visit in the near future. It’s a list of six, including a couple of viewed “favorites” to land him.

Here’s a look at how Queen would fit with each of these options.

Georgetown Hoyas

New head coach Ed Cooley has been making it a priority to land local talent from the DMV. That included the attempt to land Michigan transfer Hunter Dickinson, which ultimately failed. They do have Thomas Sorber, a four-star commit in the 2024 class.

Queen would certainly be the starting center but on a roster that right now isn’t very proven. There’s a mix between solid role players and young transfers on the roster but not one projected to do too much this upcoming season. But if they break out and do big things, then Queen could end up being the last key piece for the following year.

Houston Cougars

Coach Kelvin Sampson got his first five-star prospect at Houston in Jarace Walker last season and it worked perfectly for both sides, with him ending up as an NBA Draft lottery pick. With the team not moving to the Big 12, the program will need to take its recruiting to another level to remain at the top of NCAA Basketball.

Houston will be losing J’Wan Roberts after next season but does have a pair of four-star bigs coming in Jacob McFarland and Joseph Tugler. The main concern may be that guards are prioritized more in the offense compared to frontcourt players so that could limit Queen’s production in his lone year.

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