Being 12th in the Big Ten Conference is not at all ideal for the Maryland basketball program. Kevin Willard needs a lot more personnel to help run the Terrapins' schematics if they want a fighting chance for the conference tournament and also March Madness. Now, they will get the chance to do exactly that with a hometown hero. This squad just landed a talented prospect from Montverde Academy, Derik Queen.

Kevin Willard is getting a top-15 recruit to join the Maryland basketball system. The decision was largely because of Derik Queen's interest in trying to make his hometown college team reclaim its lost glory in the Big Ten Conference. In his statement with Joe Tipton of On 3 Sports, he revealed the rationale behind his choice to play for the Terrapins.

“I chose Maryland because I felt the most comfortable there and it’ll be a great fit… Make Maryland great again,” Queen declared.

His relationship with Willard and the Maryland basketball program goes way back. This helped Queen pick the Terrapins over other programs that were trying to get his commitment like the Indiana Hoosiers, Kansas Jayhawks, and Houston Cougars. The Maryland basketball coaching staff started convincing him at a young age which is why the choice was made.

“Our relationship is great. It all started in the 10th grade,” he said.

The 15th-ranked player in the nation will not be without help once he enters the program. Malachi Palmer also just recently committed to the Terrapins which creates a lethal guard-forward scoring duo that will ravage the conference in the near future.

What does the Maryland basketball squad get out of Queen?

They are getting the highest-ranked prospect in their modern system since Diamond Stone. Queen has five stars for a reason and that is because he can do a lot of things on the court. On defense, he has shown a knack for being a good defender on drop coverage while also meeting other high-flyers at the rim for blocks. His averages of 11.6 points on a 64% clip from all three levels of scoring and 6.5 rebounds per contest prove his ability to be a steady presence under the rim and wings.

Will he be the Maryland basketball program's next big product?