Maryland HC: Derik Queen Said 'Give Me the MF Ball' Before Buzzer-Beater vs. CSU

Maryland freshman Derik Queen used a late timeout to demand the ball before making the game-winning shot that sent the Terrapins to the Sweet 16 with a 72-71 second-round NCAA tournament win over Colorado State.

Head coach Kevin Willard said after Sunday's win that Queen asked for the opportunity while the Terrapins trailed by one point with three seconds left on the clock.

"I asked everybody. I said, 'Who wants the ball?' And he said, 'Give me the MF ball," Willard said.

"And I said, 'Alright. You're getting it.' And I said, 'Don't mess around, go after it, and do it.'"

Queen responded by making a basket as time expired to seal Maryland's comeback win.

When asked where he got the confidence to call for the ball in the timeout, Queen answered: "I'm from Baltimore, that's why."

Queen continued: "I kind of had it going all game. Me and my teammates had it going, and like I said, they trusted me to take that last shot."

The freshman finished the victory with a game-high 17 points while shooting 7-for-12 from the field.

Maryland is now through to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2016 in what could be Queen's only college season. The 20-year-old is projected as the No. 5 pick in the 2025 NBA draft in the latest mock by Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman.

The Terrapins may need more big moments from Queen to keep playing through the second tournament weekend. Maryland is set to face the program's biggest March Madness test yet during a Thursday matchup with top-seeded Florida.