Maryland center Derik Queen is one of the most talented bigs looking to make the big league leap. The former five-star recruit was a top 20 player in the 2024 class and showcased immense maturity in his scoring all season.

In an interview with DraftExpress' Jonathan Givony, Queen highlighted the players he has followed over the years. He also gave fans an insight into the star players he's following to alter his game for the NBA .

The Baltimore native named the NBA's $160 million-worth center Anthony Davis (as per Celebrity Net Worth) as one of his inspirations to model his scoring after. He also named Carmelo Anthony, citing that he focuses on Melo's footwork.

Derik Queen also named Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid, saying that he watches them for their foul-drawing abilities, playmaking and dominance on the floor, respectively.

Despite being a true freshman, Queen started all games for Maryland last season. He averaged 16.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.1 blocks on 52.6% efficiency. He earned the Big Ten Freshman of the Year and conference Rookie of the Year award and was named in the tournament and Big Ten's first teams.

Derik Queen could be a top 10 pick in the 2025 NBA draft

Derik Queen's ability to score and impose himself near the basket at 6-foot-10 makes him a one-of-a-kind talent in the 2025 NBA draft. As he showcased a consistent upward climb in his performances during the previous season, he's seen as a potential top 10 pick next month.

The high ranking comes from CBS Sports' mock draft. Moreover, NY Times, Bleacher Report and Yahoo Sports also predict him to go within the same stretch.

However, it's also expected that Derik Queen's age could prove counterproductive in his draft stock. While the 20-year-old is offensively gifted, age plays a huge factor in the NBA when it comes to assessing player potential. It was one of the reasons why the LA Lakers' Dalton Knecht slid to the mid-first round in last year's draft.