Derik Queen opened his Maryland men’s basketball career with a ho-hum 22 points and 20 rebounds. It was the first time in over two decades that a Terps men’s player scored 20 points and snagged 20 rebounds in the same game.
Queen’s final stat line in a 79-49 win over Manhattan also included two blocks, one steal and an assist. He was 9-for-14 on shots from inside the arc, 0-for-2 on 3-pointers and a respectable 4 of 5 from the free throw line. The performance impressed fans and national pundits, but it didn’t shock Queen’s teammates.
“He came in as a five-star, and I heard a lot about him,” Belmont transfer Ja’Kobi Gillespie said. “I really expected that.”
A five-star recruit indeed. National recruiting website 247Sports listed Queen as the No. 12 prospect in the 2024 recruiting class. Only 20 players in the class were five-star prospects, with Queen being one of just three centers in the top 20.
How did Queen’s showing stack up against the debuts of those other five-stars? Let’s take a look at other notable showings from five-star players who debuted Monday and Tuesday.
Cooper Flagg, Duke, No. 1 overall prospect
Flagg, the projected No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA draft, kept his hype train moving with an 18-point showing against Maine on Monday. The Blue Devils star also added seven rebounds, five assists and three steals.
While Flagg’s stat line was nothing to scoff at, Queen’s 20-20 game beats out his former high school teammate at Florida’s Montverde Academy as far as eye-popping debut numbers.
Tre Johnson, Texas, No. 6 prospect
If any five-star prospect has a case that their debut was better than Queen’s, it’s Johnson. The Texas freshman scored 29 points, a program-record for a debut, to go with five rebounds and four assists. Most impressively, it came Monday against Ohio State. The Longhorns lost, but Johnson looked the part against a Big Ten opponent.
Queen’s stat line is hard to argue against, but there’s a major difference between a 20-point game against Ohio State and a 20-point game against Manhattan. Both freshmen helped validate their top-15 ranking.
Jayden Quaintance, Arizona State, No. 9
The only center ranked higher than Queen in the 2024 class, Quaintance struggled offensively in his debut Tuesday against Idaho State. He scored just two points on 0-for-6 shooting, but he did add six blocks. Arizona State’s entire offense struggled in the win over Idaho State, scoring just 55 points in a low-scoring affair.
Queen outperformed the top-ranked center in the 2024 class in Game 1, but it’s far too early to make any long-term declarations about either player.
Flory Bidunga, Kansas, No. 14
Another center, Bidunga scored 13 points in just 17 minutes in a win over Howard on Monday. He looked good, making all six of his shots and contributing eight rebounds and a pair of blocks. It looks like he’ll be a key bench player if he doesn’t break into the Jayhawks’ starting lineup later this season.
Kansas faces a much bigger test in its second game of the season, facing North Carolina on Friday. How will Bidunga fare in his first major test?
Kon Knueppel, Duke, No. 18 prospect
Another Duke star, Knueppel matched Flagg’s 18 points in the Blue Devils’ blowout over Maine. He was highly impressive and looks the part of a first-round NBA draft pick, but Queen’s overall stat line was more impressive than the Duke youngster.
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The verdict
Queen’s debut performance not only exceeded his significant preseason hype, it was also perhaps the best performance of any five-star freshman in the country on their opening night. He scored his 22 points and added his 20 rebounds in just 27 minutes, meaning he was on pace for roughly 33 points and 30 rebounds if he played the full 40 minutes.
“What he did tonight is what he does every day in practice,” coach Kevin Willard said. “It was not really that surprising.”
While it’s not expected that Queen will maintain his torrid pace, a one-game sample size gives Maryland fans plenty to be excited about for the rest of the season. Willard suggested before the season and again Monday that Queen could be the best freshman in the country. Queen will have to work hard to change the mind of national experts on that topic, but fans in College Park are quickly beginning to believe the Queen hype.
Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Bennett Conlin at bconlin@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/BennettConlin.
