Is the Kansas basketball program still in the mix for 5-star center Derik Queen?

While Bill Self and the Kansas basketball program have likely capped off their 2024 recruiting class, there is still a 5-star on the Jayhawks radar who still has not made his college decision. Fans of four schools — Indiana, Maryland, Houston, and Kansas — await his highly anticipated decision.

A 6-foot-10, 240-pound prospect who attends Montverde Academy, Queen is among the most skilled players in his graduating year. He is an inside-out big man with smooth footwork and tremendous playmaking for his size. Queen is a finesse player who uses exceptional technique to outmatch his opponents.

Rated a 5-star recruit and No. 12 overall in 247 Sports rankings, the Baltimore native has naturally been tied to Maryland the most due to it being his hometown. He has received one crystal ball to Kevin Willard and the Terrapins.

Despite seemingly falling out of the mix for Queen, he has yet to drop Kansas from his list. That has led fans to speculate whether he is truly set on Maryland or if he is having second thoughts that could lead him to any of the three other schools.

He has already taken official visits to Kansas, Houston, Maryland, and Indiana, and his recruitment truly seems like a wildcard. On3.com created a scouting report for the savvy high school senior. Here is an excerpt of what they had to say:

“Derik has a very versatile skill set for his size,” USA Basketball coach Don Showalter told Zagsblog. “I especially like to way he competes on the court every play and obviously loves the game.” Queen said he likes impacting the game by scoring, rebounding and playing defense. “I also like making plays for my teammates, talking and knowing where everybody is supposed to be."

Queen should still be a name on the radar for Jayhawk fans, even if the fit does not make sense at the time. Kansas seems like the least likely landing spot because of signee Flory Bidunga and the potential return of Hunter Dickinson, but it says something that it is already February and he is still considering Lawrence as an option.