Maryland star Derik Queen sends clear message to former HC Kevin Willard following Villanova move
Kevin Willard made a big move this offseason following the Maryland Terrapins' elimination in the Sweet 16 of March Madness. Shortly after the team was eliminated, it was announced that Willard would leave the Terps and join the Villanova Wildcats. The move caused a big stir in college basketball as many Maryland players entered the transfer portal.
One player who did not enter the transfer portal is star center Derik Queen. However, he is still leaving the team as he declared for the 2025 NBA draft.
Queen played his freshman season at Maryland and was highly effective. He averaged 16.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.1 blocks and 1.1 steals per game. Part of the reason he was able to have so much success is because of the coaching of Kevin Willard.
On Thursday, Willard posted a video on X of him speaking about how excited he is to join the Villanova Wildcats. Shortly after the video was posted, Queen responded on X. He admitted that he is still upset with him for leaving, but he still plans to visit him at some point:
"Still mad at you but I’ll be there visiting you wearing all Maryland gear."
Kevin Willard's former player, Derik Queen, is projected to be a top-10 selection in the 2025 NBA draft
Derik Queen only played one college season before declaring for the NBA draft. As a result, he was not as affected by Kevin Willard's decision to leave Maryland as many of his teammates were. Queen had a great season under Willard and, as a result, is projected to go in the top 10 of the NBA draft.
The 2025 NBA draft will be held on June 25, and the draft lottery will be held on May 12. As a result, the exact draft order is not known yet. However, that has not stopped many prominent media outlets from conducting mock drafts.
Sports Illustrated posted its latest mock draft on Saturday, and it had Derik Queen going ninth to the Houston Rockets. The Rockets are one of the best young teams in the NBA this season. However, they have a lottery pick because they own the Phoenix Suns' first-round pick.
ESPN is another outlet that conducted a recent mock draft, releasing its own on April 8. It had Queen going just outside the top 10, 11th to the Miami Heat. Regardless, Queen appears likely to go in the top 10 or just outside of it.