Maryland star Derik Queen receives invite to 2025 NBA draft combine

Derik Queen received an invitation to the 2025 NBA draft combine on Friday. He declared for the draft last month after an impressive freshman season at Maryland.

The NBA shared the list of 75 invited prospects on social media, with the event set to take place in Chicago from May 11 to 18. It will feature a full week of evaluations, including medical examinations, interviews, athletic testing, shooting drills and five-on-five drills, all under the watchful eyes of coaches, general managers and scouts.

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Queen lit up college basketball last season, setting a true freshman program record with 594 points, while he led the Terrapins to the Sweet Sixteen in the 2025 NCAA Tournament.

The 6-foot-10 center averaged a team-high 16.5 points per game, while he also contributed 9.0 rebounds and 1.9 assists, making 52.6% of his shots. He also had 15 double-doubles during the campaign.

Queen made the All-Big Ten First Team and Big Ten All-Freshman selection, while he was also named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year.

The ESPN draft projection has Queen as a top 10 pick, with his stock receiving a big boost after the 27-point performance in Maryland’s 87-71 loss to Florida in an NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 matchup.

The Baltimore, Maryland native declared for the draft last month on "SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt."

"I'm proud to say I'm entering the 2025 NBA draft," he said. "I'd like to thank my mom for everything and all unconditional love."

For a while, there was hope among Maryland fans that Queen might return for a second season. However, once coach Kevin Willard stepped down, the likelihood of Queen remaining with the program diminished, making his decision to enter the draft all the more expected.

Toronto Raptors projected to take Derik Queen

In the latest 2025 NBA mock drafts, the Toronto Raptors are projected to select Derik Queen with the No. 8 pick, addressing a significant need for a long-term solution at the center position.

Raptors president Masai Ujiri has noted the importance of bolstering the frontcourt, especially with Jakob Poeltl under contract for only one more year and no clear successor in place.

Queen can create his shot, finish effectively around the rim and facilitate plays with passing skills for a player of his size.

About the author

Babatunde Kolawole is a college sports journalist at Sportskeeda with over eight years of experience in the field with Canoncrested.com, Garbersports.com, LiveScore Bet Nigeria and Pulse Sports Nigeria.

Kolawole studied Agricultural Economics on the tertiary level but delved into sports writing after school. Over half a decade later, the experience garnered helped him land this role.

Historically, the Alabama Crimson Tide stands out as Kolawole's favorite team as he was drawn to their rich history.

As for basketball, JuJu Watkins is Kolawole's favorite current player due to how much diversity she has in her game, while Kareem Abdul-Jabbar gets the nod for past players because of how he dominated with UCLA.

Kolawole has appeared on several TV and Radio shows as a guest analyst, and in his spare time, likes to watch movies (a sucker for the Marvel Cinematic Universe) and listen to a lot of music. He also loves to travel.

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Edited by Ribin Peter