Queen named Big Ten Freshman of the Year

20-year-old from Baltimore becomes first Terps player since Joe Smith in 1994 to receive honor

Maryland center and Baltimore native Derik Queen has been named Big Ten Freshman of the Year. Karl Merton Ferron/Staff file

The legend of Derik Queen grows.

The 20-year-old Maryland center from Baltimore was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year by both the men’s basketball coaches and media, the conference announced Tuesday afternoon. He also earned a spot on the first team and all-freshman team as chosen by the league coaches.

Queen is the first Terps player to collect conference Freshman of the Year honors since center Joe Smith was the Atlantic Coast Conference winner in 1994. Queen is only the program’s third freshman to receive such recognition after Smith and power forward Buck Williams in 1979.

Queen is also the first Maryland freshman to be placed on the Big Ten first team since point guard Melo Trimble was a first-team choice by the media in 2015. Queen is the school’s seventh first-team selection since joining the league in 2014 and second in a row after point guard Jahmir Young was cited by the media last winter.

Queen, who spent his freshman year at St. Frances before transferring to Montverde Academy in Florida, led the Terps in scoring at 15.7 points per game. He also ranked second on the team in rebounds (9.2) and steals (1.1) and second in the Big Ten and 18th nationally with 13 double-doubles.

Queen was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week five times during the season. He triumphed over a deep and talented freshman class.

Rutgers point guard Dylan Harper leads all conference rookies in points per game (19.2) and ranks second in assists (3.9). Rutgers shooting guard Ace Bailey ranks second among the freshmen in points (17.6) and rebounds (7.2). And Illinois point guard Kasparas Jakucionis leads the rookies in assists (4.8) and fourth in points (15.2). All four rookies are projected as first-round picks in the upcoming NBA draft.

Joining Queen on the first team as picked by the Big Ten coaches are Purdue point guard and league Player of the Year Braden Smith, Boilermakers junior power forward Trey Kaufman-Renn, Wisconsin senior shooting guard John Tonje and Nebraska senior shooting guard Brice Williams. Smith, Kaufman-Renn and Tonje are unanimous selections.

Queen was a unanimous choice for the all-freshman team. He was joined by Bailey, Harper, Jakucionis and Michigan State freshman shooting guard Jase Richardson.

Queen was left off the first team picked by the media and relegated to the second team. Michigan senior center Vladislav Goldin replaced Queen on the first team consisting of Smith, Kaufman-Renn, Tonje and Williams.

Queen headed the media’s second team that was composed of Minnesota senior power forward Dawson Garcia, Northwestern junior small forward Nick Martinelli, Ohio State junior point guard Bruce Thornton and Michigan junior center Danny Wolf.

Terps junior point guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie earned spots on the third team chosen by the coaches and media. The Belmont transfer led the conference in total 3-pointers (76), tied for third in steals per game (1.9), and ranked sixth in assists (4.7) while averaging 14.9 points.

Senior power forward Julian Reese was honored with honorable mention accolades by the coaches and media. The Randallstown native and St. Frances graduate led the league in double-doubles (14) and ranked second in rebounds per game (9.3) and third in blocks (1.6) in addition to averaging 13.2 points.

An honorable mention selection for the third consecutive year, Reese joins Trimble and point guard Anthony Cowan Jr. as the only Maryland players during the Big Ten era to be cited by the conference three times in a career. Reese is the 16th player in program history to earn all-conference accolades three times.

Graduate student small forward Selton Miguel was one of 18 players recognized by the coaches as a Big Ten Sportsmanship Award honoree. The South Florida transfer led the team in 3-point percentage (42.7%) and ranked fifth in points (12).

In other local news, Penn State graduate student point guard Ace Baldwin Jr. — a Baltimore resident and St. Frances graduate — is the sixth player in Big Ten history to be named the league’s Defensive Player of the Year two straight seasons. He led the conference in steals per game at 2.4 (which ranks 10th nationally) while averaging 14 points and 7.1 assists and is one of only two players in the country to produce 14 points, 7 assists and 2 steals per game.

Baldwin Jr. was recognized as an honorable mention choice by coaches and media. He also headed the league’s All-Defensive team.

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