Derik Queen strolled confidently into the Under Armour House at Fayette Sunday evening with soon-to-be teammate and fellow Baltimore native Julian Reese by his side. Despite his baby face and braces, this 19-year-old University of Maryland freshman playing for a championship in the city’s toughest summer basketball pro-am looked like he belonged.
“When you’re going against a bunch of pros and you’re able to hold you’re own,” said Sean Brunson, founder of the Brunson League, “it says a lot about the level you are at and where you’re headed.”
The nickname Baltimoreans bestowed upon one of their own is a good indicator of where many in that packed gym feel his game is headed. They call him “Black Baby Jokic” — a reference to three-time NBA Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets.
Queen was invited to play with Brunson League team Family Over Everything. It was a chance to suit up with Baltimore legends, he said. Before his first game at the start of the summer, Malcolm Delaney, a Towson Catholic graduate who has played professionally for more than a decade overseas, told Queen he was only concerned about helping him get better.
“Not just come out here and play pickup-style basketball,” Delaney said. “We want him to work on his game and I think he got a little bit better. He got to play against some grown men, play against some pros. He learned a lot. Shoot, I can’t wait to see him this year.”
The Brunson League is Baltimore’s sacred summer hoops cathedral. In this city, it’s “where you get your name known.” Well, folks here have known Queen for quite some time. As a 6-foot-10 freshman at St. Frances, he averaged 14 points, eight rebounds, four assists and two blocks during a pandemic-shortened season. That earned him MaxPreps National Freshman of the Year honors, and Queen was whisked away to greener pastures.
He played his last three high school years at powerhouse Montverde Academy in Florida where he blossomed into a McDonald’s All American. The five-star recruit’s decision to become a Terp was simple: “I’m coming home.”
The Baltimore native chose Maryland over a final list that included Houston, Kansas and Indiana.
Queen spent the past two summers playing sparingly in Baltimore’s pro-am. His AAU schedule with Team Thrill often dominated weekends, allowing only a few appearances. This summer, he was a fixture at the Brunson League playing on a loaded squad under elite mentorship.
Who better to learn from than playing alongside decorated overseas pros Delaney and Donté Greene?
“When you see the change in his mindset as the game goes along from him not being aggressive enough, Donté is gonna call him out,” Brunson said. “If he is not running the floor, like he’s got a mismatch on the outside and use that to his advantage, Malcolm is calling it out. You’re gonna see both those guys [telling him], ‘Do your thing, take advantage of the game and show who you are.’”
1 of 8
Expand
Queen came off the bench in Sunday night’s championship game. His first touch was a defensive rebound, swarmed by four opposite-colored jerseys. The teenager pressed the ball to his chin, ripped his elbows back and forth, kicked an outlet pass up the floor and hockey-assisted a 3-pointer.
Queen was by no measure the game’s top player. But he admirably invited contact throughout the game against competition that, in some cases, was twice his age.
At one point, Queen snagged a rebound and while he took one dribble up the floor, tossed aside a defender like a rag doll. Later, he showcased a nifty spin move to the baseline that led to an and-one. That stirred Greene, Delaney and the packed crowd, one with a well-documented reputation for holding everyone accountable while their toes touch out-of-bounds lines.
“A lot of people can’t play in these environments,” Delaney said. “He started to drive and the crowd got into it. He thrived. Hopefully playing in that [Big Ten] Conference — fans are crazy — nothing will rattle him.”
“It’s perfect for him because going into college … he’s gonna have a target on his back,” FOE coach Terence Jones said. “He was one of the top guys in the country. Everyone knows who he is. He played well at school. Won a championship. Playing in this environment just helped him out.”
Queen’s playing time was cut short in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s final. With his team already up 20 and the game largely in hand, he attacked the paint and slipped. Every person in that gym held their collective breath. He was perfectly fine. But that was enough for every player and fan to wave their hands as a call to get him off the floor, a show of protection for the one who could realistically be Baltimore’s next pro.
Whether or not Queen will be the savior of Kevin Willard’s Maryland program remains to be seen. Expectations are high as he is the Terps’ second-highest-rated recruit ever behind only Diamond Stone. He’s the No. 8 player in his class, according to ESPN, and the top center.
Queen has spent some of this summer working out with Greene and Jamaal Haywood, a Washington- and Maryland-based trainer. He has also worked out with another Baltimore legend, Carmelo Anthony, at Chris Brickley’s famed Manhattan Life Time Athletic gym.
Greene smirked while trying to give a scouting report of how Queen has evolved. “Everything on the court he can basically do.” The Towson Catholic alumnus lauded his talent while they worked on developing his motor and killer mentality. Delaney has been most impressed by the 19-year-old’s willingness to learn.
“I always tell him, you can never learn too much about the game,” Greene said. “I’m 36 years old, been a pro for 16 years, and I’m still learning. It’s good to see him out there and see him grow from the beginning of the summer until now.”
Queen is already living in College Park. He said his conditioning has been his own most noticeable improvement. Reese doubled down that the freshman has dropped weight running every day. The two couldn’t be more excited to share the floor.
“I’m tired of getting double-teamed, I’m passing him the ball,” Reese joked. Queen added he gets to “have somebody to help me protect the rim and guard. It’s gonna be fun.”
So, what can fans expect from the Baltimore-bred frontcourt?
“Winning,” Queen said.
Derik Queen strolled confidently into the Under Armour House at Fayette Sunday evening with soon-to-be teammate and fellow Baltimore native Julian Reese by his side. Despite his baby face and braces, this 19-year-old University of Maryland freshman playing for a championship in the city’s toughest summer basketball pro-am looked like he belonged.
“When you’re going against a bunch of pros and you’re able to hold you’re own,” said Sean Brunson, founder of the Brunson League, “it says a lot about the level you are at and where you’re headed.”
The nickname Baltimoreans bestowed upon one of their own is a good indicator of where many in that packed gym feel his game is headed. They call him “Black Baby Jokic” — a reference to three-time NBA Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets.
Queen was invited to play with Brunson League team Family Over Everything. It was a chance to suit up with Baltimore legends, he said. Before his first game at the start of the summer, Malcolm Delaney, a Towson Catholic graduate who has played professionally for more than a decade overseas, told Queen he was only concerned about helping him get better.
“Not just come out here and play pickup-style basketball,” Delaney said. “We want him to work on his game and I think he got a little bit better. He got to play against some grown men, play against some pros. He learned a lot. Shoot, I can’t wait to see him this year.”
The Brunson League is Baltimore’s sacred summer hoops cathedral. In this city, it’s “where you get your name known.” Well, folks here have known Queen for quite some time. As a 6-foot-10 freshman at St. Frances, he averaged 14 points, eight rebounds, four assists and two blocks during a pandemic-shortened season. That earned him MaxPreps National Freshman of the Year honors, and Queen was whisked away to greener pastures.
He played his last three high school years at powerhouse Montverde Academy in Florida where he blossomed into a McDonald’s All American. The five-star recruit’s decision to become a Terp was simple: “I’m coming home.”
The Baltimore native chose Maryland over a final list that included Houston, Kansas and Indiana.
Queen spent the past two summers playing sparingly in Baltimore’s pro-am. His AAU schedule with Team Thrill often dominated weekends, allowing only a few appearances. This summer, he was a fixture at the Brunson League playing on a loaded squad under elite mentorship.
Who better to learn from than playing alongside decorated overseas pros Delaney and Donté Greene?
“When you see the change in his mindset as the game goes along from him not being aggressive enough, Donté is gonna call him out,” Brunson said. “If he is not running the floor, like he’s got a mismatch on the outside and use that to his advantage, Malcolm is calling it out. You’re gonna see both those guys [telling him], ‘Do your thing, take advantage of the game and show who you are.’”
1 of 8
Expand
Queen came off the bench in Sunday night’s championship game. His first touch was a defensive rebound, swarmed by four opposite-colored jerseys. The teenager pressed the ball to his chin, ripped his elbows back and forth, kicked an outlet pass up the floor and hockey-assisted a 3-pointer.
Queen was by no measure the game’s top player. But he admirably invited contact throughout the game against competition that, in some cases, was twice his age.
At one point, Queen snagged a rebound and while he took one dribble up the floor, tossed aside a defender like a rag doll. Later, he showcased a nifty spin move to the baseline that led to an and-one. That stirred Greene, Delaney and the packed crowd, one with a well-documented reputation for holding everyone accountable while their toes touch out-of-bounds lines.
“A lot of people can’t play in these environments,” Delaney said. “He started to drive and the crowd got into it. He thrived. Hopefully playing in that [Big Ten] Conference — fans are crazy — nothing will rattle him.”
“It’s perfect for him because going into college … he’s gonna have a target on his back,” FOE coach Terence Jones said. “He was one of the top guys in the country. Everyone knows who he is. He played well at school. Won a championship. Playing in this environment just helped him out.”
Queen’s playing time was cut short in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s final. With his team already up 20 and the game largely in hand, he attacked the paint and slipped. Every person in that gym held their collective breath. He was perfectly fine. But that was enough for every player and fan to wave their hands as a call to get him off the floor, a show of protection for the one who could realistically be Baltimore’s next pro.
Whether or not Queen will be the savior of Kevin Willard’s Maryland program remains to be seen. Expectations are high as he is the Terps’ second-highest-rated recruit ever behind only Diamond Stone. He’s the No. 8 player in his class, according to ESPN, and the top center.
Queen has spent some of this summer working out with Greene and Jamaal Haywood, a Washington- and Maryland-based trainer. He has also worked out with another Baltimore legend, Carmelo Anthony, at Chris Brickley’s famed Manhattan Life Time Athletic gym.
Greene smirked while trying to give a scouting report of how Queen has evolved. “Everything on the court he can basically do.” The Towson Catholic alumnus lauded his talent while they worked on developing his motor and killer mentality. Delaney has been most impressed by the 19-year-old’s willingness to learn.
“I always tell him, you can never learn too much about the game,” Greene said. “I’m 36 years old, been a pro for 16 years, and I’m still learning. It’s good to see him out there and see him grow from the beginning of the summer until now.”
Queen is already living in College Park. He said his conditioning has been his own most noticeable improvement. Reese doubled down that the freshman has dropped weight running every day. The two couldn’t be more excited to share the floor.
“I’m tired of getting double-teamed, I’m passing him the ball,” Reese joked. Queen added he gets to “have somebody to help me protect the rim and guard. It’s gonna be fun.”
So, what can fans expect from the Baltimore-bred frontcourt?
“Winning,” Queen said.
