TESTUDO TIMES: After months of speculation, Maryland men’s basketball finally landed the most prized piece of its 2024 recruiting class: five-star forward Derik Queen.
“I chose Maryland because I felt the most comfortable there and it’ll be a great fit,” Queen told Joe Tipton of On3Sports.
A longstanding priority for the Terps, Queen — a Baltimore native who attends Montverde Academy in Florida — was first extended an offer by former Terps head coach Mark Turgeon in fall 2020.
Queen is the second-highest rated recruit to commit to Maryland since tracking began, behind only Diamond Stone, per the 247Sports Composite. Listed at 6-foot-10, 240 pounds, Queen is ranked as the No. 15 player and No. 3 center in his class.
He notably pondered between Maryland, Indiana, Houston and Kansas. The Terps hosted Queen’s final official visit during the weekend of Oct. 20.
The Baltimore native spent the first two seasons of his high school career at St. Frances Academy, where he played with current Terps Julian Reese and Jahnathan Lamothe. Queen played for Team Thrill on the AAU circuit, an Under Armour-sponsored program that has become one of the best in the area.
Following his sophomore season, he was the only player in his class to be invited to try out for the USA U18 national team.
As a junior at Montverde Academy last season, he averaged 11.6 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. This season, starring alongside Duke commit Cooper Flagg, the No. 1 player in the 2024 class, Queen has averaged 16.8 points and 7.4 rebounds per game to help Montverde to a 28-0 record.
Five of Kevin Willard’s six recruits as Maryland’s head coach have been from either Virginia or Maryland: Lamothe, Noah Batchelor, Deshawn Harris-Smith, Jamie Kaiser Jr. and now Queen.
He will be able to sign his National Letter of Intent as early as April 17, which is when the regular signing period begins.
