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Maryland men’s basketball’s five-star freshman, Derik Queen, wanted the basketball in the final moments of Sunday’s NCAA Tournament game against Colorado State.
“Give me the MF ball,” Queen told coach Kevin Willard.
Willard obliged, giving the soon-to-be NBA draft pick the team’s final shot. He sent the Terps to the Sweet 16, nailing a fadeaway midrange jumper off the glass to give Maryland a 72-71 victory. Asked postgame why he wanted the ball in such a stressful situation, Queen replied succinctly.
“I’m from Baltimore, that’s why,” he said.
Here’s how members of the college basketball community reacted to Queen’s exhilarating shot:
“I think we were finally due for us to have one,” Willard said in his postgame TV interview. “Our last four losses have all been buzzer-beaters … we were due to get one.”
Willard could barely finish his sentence as his players came up behind him and gave him a hug.
“That’s our coach,” forward Julian Reese yelled into the microphone.
For the first time in weeks, Maryland was on the right side of a one-possession game. It was the Terps’ first one-possession victory since a one-point 79-78 win over Indiana on Jan. 26. ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt joked postgame about Sunday’s thrilling conclusion, which looked dire for the Terps in the final five seconds.
“Wooooooooooooooo!!!!! Never a doubt, as a wise man says,” Van Pelt posted on X.
An excited Wes Moore posted a meme on X moments after Queen’s shot. The meme shows Tiger Woods dapping someone up with a subtitle saying, “Big dog.”
“The next time I see Derik Queen,” Moore captioned the post.
Moore has been a vocal supporter of Maryland athletics in recent years, and he even went through a football practice with the Terps over the summer. He’ll likely be tuned into the game Thursday when Maryland faces top-seeded Florida in the Sweet 16.
“Derik Queen just has that special thing, man,” Vecenie wrote on X. “Just totally fearless. Was always going to be a monster in March. Literally every single time that kid has been in a big spot, he’s performed.”
Queen finished the game with 17 points, six rebounds and two blocks.
“DERIK QUEEN IS CLUTCH,” Frazier wrote on X.
Norlander weighed in on the controversial angle of the shot, as some believe Queen should’ve been called for a travel before the shot went up.
“In the interest of checking in and making sure with those who know best, I just spoke to a veteran official and they said without wiggle room for interpretation: Derik Queen absolutely traveled on this shot,” Norlander wrote on X. “Maryland advances, nonetheless.”
“We’ve watched the Queen play in the studios from every angle 20 times and I still can’t decide,” Davis wrote on X. “If it’s that close, you don’t call a travel. If they had called it people would be going nuts.”
“You could be in the gym by yourself, shoot that shot and not make 50% of them with no defense,” Kellogg said of Queen’s shot on CBS’ postgame show. “Going against your body, well defended and then to shoot it exactly where it needed to be on the glass, that is one of the most difficult shots in the game of basketball, especially under those circumstances.”
Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Bennett Conlin at [email protected], 410-332-6200 and x.com/BennettConlin.
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“Give me the MF ball,” Queen told coach Kevin Willard.
Willard obliged, giving the soon-to-be NBA draft pick the team’s final shot. He sent the Terps to the Sweet 16, nailing a fadeaway midrange jumper off the glass to give Maryland a 72-71 victory. Asked postgame why he wanted the ball in such a stressful situation, Queen replied succinctly.
“I’m from Baltimore, that’s why,” he said.
Here’s how members of the college basketball community reacted to Queen’s exhilarating shot:
Terps coach Kevin Willard
“I think we were finally due for us to have one,” Willard said in his postgame TV interview. “Our last four losses have all been buzzer-beaters … we were due to get one.”
Willard could barely finish his sentence as his players came up behind him and gave him a hug.
“That’s our coach,” forward Julian Reese yelled into the microphone.
Scott Van Pelt, ESPN
For the first time in weeks, Maryland was on the right side of a one-possession game. It was the Terps’ first one-possession victory since a one-point 79-78 win over Indiana on Jan. 26. ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt joked postgame about Sunday’s thrilling conclusion, which looked dire for the Terps in the final five seconds.
“Wooooooooooooooo!!!!! Never a doubt, as a wise man says,” Van Pelt posted on X.
Gov. Wes Moore
An excited Wes Moore posted a meme on X moments after Queen’s shot. The meme shows Tiger Woods dapping someone up with a subtitle saying, “Big dog.”
“The next time I see Derik Queen,” Moore captioned the post.
Moore has been a vocal supporter of Maryland athletics in recent years, and he even went through a football practice with the Terps over the summer. He’ll likely be tuned into the game Thursday when Maryland faces top-seeded Florida in the Sweet 16.
Sam Vecenie, senior writer at The Athletic
“Derik Queen just has that special thing, man,” Vecenie wrote on X. “Just totally fearless. Was always going to be a monster in March. Literally every single time that kid has been in a big spot, he’s performed.”
Queen finished the game with 17 points, six rebounds and two blocks.
Tate Frazier, The Ringer
“DERIK QUEEN IS CLUTCH,” Frazier wrote on X.
Matt Norlander, CBS Sports
Norlander weighed in on the controversial angle of the shot, as some believe Queen should’ve been called for a travel before the shot went up.
“In the interest of checking in and making sure with those who know best, I just spoke to a veteran official and they said without wiggle room for interpretation: Derik Queen absolutely traveled on this shot,” Norlander wrote on X. “Maryland advances, nonetheless.”
Seth Davis, cofounder of Hoops HQ
“We’ve watched the Queen play in the studios from every angle 20 times and I still can’t decide,” Davis wrote on X. “If it’s that close, you don’t call a travel. If they had called it people would be going nuts.”
Clark Kellogg, CBS Sports
“You could be in the gym by yourself, shoot that shot and not make 50% of them with no defense,” Kellogg said of Queen’s shot on CBS’ postgame show. “Going against your body, well defended and then to shoot it exactly where it needed to be on the glass, that is one of the most difficult shots in the game of basketball, especially under those circumstances.”
Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Bennett Conlin at [email protected], 410-332-6200 and x.com/BennettConlin.
Continue reading...
