One of the few elite uncommitted prospects remaining in the 2024 class, five-star center Derik Queen has a list of finalists comprised of Maryland, Kansas, Indiana and Houston. Queen is yet to set a timetable for a decision but sources indicate one could come before the end of January.
Below, Rivals national recruiting director Rob Cassidy takes a deep dive into the decision that lies before Queen and outlines the buzz as it relates to both a timetable and each of the Montverde Academy star’s four finalists.
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THE TIMETABLE
Nothing has been confirmed when it comes to a timetable for an announcement, but the annual Hoophall Classic event in Springfield Mass., is a possibility that has been kicked around behind the scenes.
The event starts on Jan. 11, with Queen’s Montverde Academy team scheduled to play Jan. 12-13. Select games from the event have been broadcast on the ESPN family of networks in the past, so it seems like a logical setting for a nationally relevant commitment.
Regardless of whether or not Hoophall is the setting, a decision is unlikely to come before the calendar turns to 2024.
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CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC: Indiana
Once seen as running in second place, the Hoosiers got a dose of optimism when Queen decided against committing in the early period at the 11th hour. Obviously, Indiana shouldn’t start counting chickens just yet because this situation seems especially volatile, even for something in the recruiting world.
A public announcement at Hoophall could read as a positive development for IU, however, as it would allow Queen to announce in the presence of his high school teammate and Hoosier signee Liam McNeeley, who has publicly been helping Mike Woodson recruit the five-star big man for months.
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NOT DEAD YET: Maryland
Maryland is Indiana’s foil in this situation. The rush of excitement that washed over IU fans when Queen declined to announce in the early period was mirrored by the sense of dread that took hold of the Terrapin faithful. Maryland appeared to lead Queen’s recruitment for roughly a year and was the heavy favorite to be the pick had the five-star committed in October as planned.
These days, the situation in College Park feels less promising. Losing out now, after spending years dumping every available resource into chasing their top target, would be a difficult pill to swallow, especially when fans would be forced to wash it down with the clunky, 6-4 start the team is off to this season.
The Terrapins shouldn’t be ruled out yet, however, as the relationships Queen built in and around Kevin Willard’s program over the last year won’t be easy to cast aside. Hope remains, even if it feels a bit fleeting.
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DARK HORSE: Houston
Queen landing at Houston isn’t exceedingly likely, but the Cougars don’t feel dead, either. Queen's official visit to Houston is said to have gone especially well and, at least for a time, UH was a more serious player than most realized.
Whether or not that has changed in the weeks since he decided against committing in the early period is a bit of an unknown. Still, Kelvin Sampson’s team shouldn't be totally dismissed even if it feels like the Cougars sit squarely in third place.
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NOT GONNA HAPPEN: Kansas
It feels almost insane to rule Kansas out of a high-profile recruitment in 2023, so it’s with a bit of reluctance that the Jayhawks land in this spot. There’s been a total lack of smoke linking KU and Queen in recent weeks, and the presence of top-flight center prospect Flory Bindunga on Bill Self’s commitment list could be a factor there.
Is there a chance that Bill Self pulls this off at the last minute and Kansas fans spend a week throwing this story in my face? Of course there is. It’s Bill Self, after all. It feels pretty unlikely, though.
