‘Give me the ball’ – Maryland star made X-rated demand to his coach before hitting shot that changed NCAA Tournament
Derik Queen knew exactly what had to be done. So when Maryland head coach Kevin Willard asked an open-ended question, Queen strongly fired back. GettyDerik Queen, center, was swarmed by his teammates after a huge shot[/caption] “I asked everybody, I said, ‘Who wants the ball?'” Willard said. “And he (Queen) said, ‘Give me the MF ball.'” Queen and Maryland never looked back. The No. 4-seed Terrapins edged No. 12 Colorado State 72-71 on Sunday night, thanks to Queen sinking a thrilling buzzer beater high off the glass with one second remaining. Fans screamed in the stands as Maryland celebrated on the court. The Terrapins were onto the Sweet 16, riding Queen’s cool confidence to the next round of the NCAA men’s tournament. “When coach drew up the play, he trusted me and my teammates trusted me,” Queen said. “I was a little bit nervous, but I was due for one, and I had to — had to — make this.” The freshman center sprinted toward the top of the key and collected the ball with 3.7 seconds left on the clock. With Maryland down 71-70 and in serious danger of a second-round upset, Queen drove left and took his defender into the paint. x@BleacherReportQueen carried Maryland into the Sweet 16[/caption] x@BleacherReportThe freshman demanded that his coach give him the ball[/caption] x@BleacherReportFans went crazy after the final shot[/caption] x@BleacherReportQueen hugged his coach[/caption] Then he pulled up for a running jumper near the left baseline and turned the glass into a game-winning advantage. “March legend,” one fan tweeted. “You can’t teach that kind of clutch mentality,” a second fan posted. “Big dawg status,” a third fan wrote. “He wanted the moment,” a fourth fan said. Queen finished with a team-high 17 points as Maryland pulled off one of the best finishes of the tournament. March Madness Top Stories Ranking the greatest players in NCAA men’s March Madness history – from Michael Jordan to Magic Johnson ‘This sister is special’ – Stephen A. Smith identifies rising star who can challenge Caitlin Clark’s WNBA dominance NCAA March Madness is bigger and better than the College Football Playoff – the springtime phenomenon is bigger than ever Biggest March Madness upsets in history of NCAA Tournament – top seeds humiliated as small schools enjoy their moment The Terrapins advanced to face No. 1 Florida on Thursday in the Sweet 16. Before his last-second kiss off the glass, Queen told his teammates that it was “our time to make our moment happen.” Willard praised the freshman who demanded the ball and backed up his bold words. “Not too many people in this world have positive energy anymore,” Willard said. “He’s so fun to be around, because he’s always positive. So when he said that he wanted the ball, and the way he said it, I knew something good was going to happen. “Because good things happen to good people, and he is a great, great person.”
Derik Queen knew exactly what had to be done.
So when Maryland head coach Kevin Willard asked an open-ended question, Queen strongly fired back.
“I asked everybody, I said, ‘Who wants the ball?'” Willard said.
“And he (Queen) said, ‘Give me the MF ball.'”
Queen and Maryland never looked back.
The No. 4-seed Terrapins edged No. 12 Colorado State 72-71 on Sunday night, thanks to Queen sinking a thrilling buzzer beater high off the glass with one second remaining.
Fans screamed in the stands as Maryland celebrated on the court.
The Terrapins were onto the Sweet 16, riding Queen’s cool confidence to the next round of the NCAA men’s tournament.
“When coach drew up the play, he trusted me and my teammates trusted me,” Queen said.
“I was a little bit nervous, but I was due for one, and I had to — had to — make this.”
The freshman center sprinted toward the top of the key and collected the ball with 3.7 seconds left on the clock.
With Maryland down 71-70 and in serious danger of a second-round upset, Queen drove left and took his defender into the paint.
Then he pulled up for a running jumper near the left baseline and turned the glass into a game-winning advantage.
“March legend,” one fan tweeted.
“You can’t teach that kind of clutch mentality,” a second fan posted.
“Big dawg status,” a third fan wrote.
“He wanted the moment,” a fourth fan said.
Queen finished with a team-high 17 points as Maryland pulled off one of the best finishes of the tournament.
March Madness Top Stories
Ranking the greatest players in NCAA men’s March Madness history – from Michael Jordan to Magic Johnson
‘This sister is special’ – Stephen A. Smith identifies rising star who can challenge Caitlin Clark’s WNBA dominance
NCAA March Madness is bigger and better than the College Football Playoff – the springtime phenomenon is bigger than ever
Biggest March Madness upsets in history of NCAA Tournament – top seeds humiliated as small schools enjoy their moment
The Terrapins advanced to face No. 1 Florida on Thursday in the Sweet 16.
Before his last-second kiss off the glass, Queen told his teammates that it was “our time to make our moment happen.”
Willard praised the freshman who demanded the ball and backed up his bold words.
“Not too many people in this world have positive energy anymore,” Willard said.
“He’s so fun to be around, because he’s always positive. So when he said that he wanted the ball, and the way he said it, I knew something good was going to happen.
“Because good things happen to good people, and he is a great, great person.”
