Derik Queen was taking the final shot for Maryland on Sunday at all costs.
4th-seeded Maryland trailed 12th-seeded Colorado State 71-70 with 3.7 seconds left in their second-round matchup at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Wash. With a potential upset looming, Queen stepped up for the Terrapins.
Queen received the sideline inbound at the top of the key and quickly made his move toward the basket. The Maryland freshman banked in a fallaway shot over Rams senior Ethan Morton just as time expired. The Terrapins won 72-71.
Maryland player Derik Queen celebrating
DERIK QUEEN FTW 😱
OH MY GOODNESS 🤯#MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/06QRH6eK3R
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 24, 2025
Here’s an even better angle of Queen’s dagger.
INSANE VIEW OF DERIK QUEEN'S GAME WINNER 🤯#MarchMadness @TerrapinHoops pic.twitter.com/lGpjOFQzzc
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 24, 2025
During his postgame interview, Maryland head coach Kevin Willard shared Queen’s profane message in the Terrapins’ huddle moments before the play. Willard made sure to clean it up for the viewers watching at home.
“I asked everybody,” Willard told the interviewer.
“I said, ‘Who wants the ball?’ And [Derik Queen] said, ‘Give me the MF ball.'”
Maryland's coach Kevin Willard on Derik Queen's game winner 🔥
Coach: "I asked everybody … 'Who wants the ball?'"
"[Queen] said, 'Give me the MF ball!'" 😤 pic.twitter.com/EbIzZDj0i5
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 24, 2025
Queen scored a game-high 17 points on 7/12 shooting from the floor to power his team to the Sweet 16. The freshman phenom is expected to be a lottery pick in the upcoming 2025 NBA draft if he decides to leave school early.
But even if Queen ends up playing just one season at Maryland, the man’s name will forever be etched in program history.