Syracuse basketball 5-star target talks teams in most contact, future visits

Syracuse basketball got into the recruiting fray for one of the top sophomores in high-school hoops last October, when Orange coaches offered a scholarship to 2024 five-star power forward Derik Queen from Baltimore, according to media reports and recruiting services.

The 6-foot-8 Queen is a consensus top-five prospect across the country in his class, according to recruiting services that have ranked 2024 players to date.

He said in one interview not too long ago that he’s in contact with all the college squads that have offered him, by and large, but I have come across several recent reports that suggest certain groups are in more frequent contact.

Queen, who is praised by national analysts and scouts alike for his exceptional mid-range game, is a sophomore at the powerhouse Montverde Academy in Montverde, Fla.

As a freshman, he received All-America honors for his stellar performance while competing for the Saint Frances Academy in Baltimore.

It looks like Syracuse basketball may be a long shot for five-star big man Derik Queen.

According to recruiting services and reports, besides the ‘Cuse, Queen holds offers from teams such as Alabama, Illinois, Indiana, Auburn, DePaul, Maryland, Texas, Virginia Tech, Georgetown, LSU and Arizona State.

In a recent piece by national analyst Jamie Shaw of on3.com, Queen is quoted as saying that he’s hearing a lot these days from DePaul, Texas, and Indiana.

In another recent story, this one by Rivals.com basketball recruiting director Rob Cassidy, when asked about possible visits down the line, Queen mentioned Texas and Indiana.

Cassidy wrote that because Queen is originally from the Baltimore area, both Maryland and Georgetown could emerge as serious contenders for Queen. That being said, since he’s a sophomore, Queen’s recruitment likely has a way to go.

Regarding what he’s seeking out in a future college team, Queen said to on3.com that he wants a school that will be able to develop him for the collegiate level and beyond.

Queen added, “Of course, relationships will matter, my relationship with the coaches. I will look at how they use me if their offense plays to my strengths.”

National recruiting analysts and scouts have said more than once that they think Queen will significantly contend for the No. 1 overall rating in the 2024 class.

Rivals.com, at the time of this writing, had him at No. 4 nationally in 2024. ESPN, which recently updated its national rankings for this cycle, places Queen at No. 3 across the country, No. 1 at power forward and No. 1 in the state of Maryland.