Syracuse basketball should offer Derik Queen, likened to Carmelo Anthony

He’s only a freshman in high school, but some recruiting analysts and other insiders are raving about 2024 forward Derik Queen out of Baltimore, whose skills are being likened to another player who lived in that city for many years, former Syracuse basketball legend Carmelo Anthony.

We’ve detailed in the past how the Orange reportedly was showing interest in Queen, a 6-foot-8 power forward out of the Saint Frances Academy in Baltimore.

It’s unclear to me at this time whether that interest remains, however, I’d love to see the ‘Cuse officially offer a scholarship to Queen, who could absolutely contend for the No. 1 national ranking in his class when recruiting services begin to publish their ratings for the 2024 cycle.

Queen, who suits up for the Baltimore-based Team Thrill on the AAU circuit, recently was named the National Freshman of the Year by MaxPreps for the 2020-21 campaign. He also received inclusion on the MaxPreps freshman All-America first squad.

In his first year for the Saint Frances Academy, Queen tallied an impressive 16 points, 10 rebounds and four assists a game, according to MaxPreps.

Derik Queen, a 2024 forward, is drawing comparisons to former Syracuse basketball star Carmelo Anthony.

Now, given that Queen is a freshman in high school, it’s probably a bit early on to start declaring him the next version of Anthony, who captured a national championship with the ‘Cuse in 2003 and recently moved into 10th place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list.

Still, I’ve read a handful of articles about Queen that speak to his tremendous talent and future potential to shine at the collegiate level and, eventually, reach the professional ranks.

"In a recent story by Rivals.com national analyst Jamie Shaw, Queen said in part, “What I do best on the court is I can score it and I also pass it really well. A lot of people have said I play like Melo, because of where I like to catch it on the floor, in the mid-post.”"

At this juncture, Queen owns scholarship offers from fellow Atlantic Coast Conference squad Virginia Tech, former Big East Conference rival Georgetown, Maryland, LSU and Arizona State.

I think it’s an understatement to say that many, many more offers will arrive for Queen. He told Shaw that his “favorite school growing up was Kentucky.”

It wouldn’t surprise me in the least if blue-blood teams such as Kentucky get involved with Queen. Competition will be fierce. Hopefully, Syracuse basketball enters the recruiting fray for Queen.