“I’m From Baltimore:” What the Declaration By the Terps’ Derik Queen Really Means

Lots of people are quoting what freshman power forward Derik Queen replied when asked how he mustered the confidence to take (and make) the buzzer beater that catapulted the Maryland Terrapins into the Sweet Sixteen: “I’m from Baltimore,” he replied.

But that wasn’t the whole quote.

It wasn’t a cocky declaration or T-shirt ready catch phrase (although it will undoubtedly end up on many a T-shirt soon). What he actually said was, “So…um…I think I’m from Baltimore, that’s why.”

The hesitation, the words “I think” are key. Queen was really mulling it over and this was the conclusion that he drew. It was the Baltimore in him—he answered after some consideration—that gave him that toughness, that heart, that edge to bank in the game winning fadeaway. (That and a whole lot of natural talent, of course.)

The 6’10” freshman has been all he was advertised—and more—since his much hyped commitment to the Terps last year. It’s not just his incredible footwork, soft hands, variety of shots, and stout defense that make him great—it’s the joy with which he plays the game. With a smile on his face and his mouthguard always dangling from his lips—maybe his mom could talk to him about that?—he looks like a big kid out there, having more fun than anyone else. It’s contagious.

Rodney Rice, the team’s sophomore guard, said that he tends to get a little too intense out there, and that Queen’s goofy, easygoing presence always relaxes him.

Queen came in great, but he has steadily improved throughout the season, to the point where he’s a near dominant force, making the Terps—whose phenomenal starting five have been dubbed The Crab Five (a Maryland-centric play on Michigan’s Fab Five)—a legit contender for the title.

He’s aided in the frontcourt by another Baltimore kid, Julian “JuJu” Reese—Angel’s kid brother. Reese has been a Terp for all four years, a rarity in this age of NIL deals and a robust transfer portal. It’s even rarer that he stuck around, since the Terps made a coaching change after his freshman season, replacing Mark Turgeon with current coach, Kevin Willard.

But Reese, like Queen, has stayed loyal to his local team. And like his big sister, he plays with an incredible amount of grit and toughness. (He was robbed a slot on the All-Defense Team for the Big 10 in my humble opinion.) The dominance of Queen and the leadership of Reese should do wonders for Maryland’s recruiting in Baltimore.

At the post-game press conference, Queen said, “A lot of people don’t make it out of Baltimore and I just wanted to come here and make a change and hopefully…Coach Willard can keep getting a lot of local kids.”

Queen’s “I’m from Baltimore, that’s why” quote went viral on social media because everyone knew exactly what he meant. The legend of Derik Queen—and Baltimore—grows.