NBA Draft Notes: Derik Queen, Cooper Flagg, Yaxel Lendeborg, Boogie Fland

Maryland star Derik Queen has announced that he will forgo his remaining college eligibility and declare for the 2025 NBA Draft, he revealed on SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt.

“I’m proud to say I’m entering the 2025 NBA draft,” the 6-foot-10 center said during the appearance.

Queen’s decision comes as little surprise, with the freshman standout projected as the No. 10 overall pick in ESPN’s most recent mock draft, according to Myron Medcalf of ESPN.com. The 19-year-old also ranks No. 10 on ESPN’s latest big board.

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In his first season with the Terrapins, Queen proved to be a dynamic presence on the court, averaging 16.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.1 blocks across 36 games (30.4 minutes per game). His performances helped Maryland to a 27-9 record and a berth in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament, where he scored 27 points in a loss to Florida.

As Medcalf highlights, the Baltimore native bolstered his draft stock with several standout postseason performances, including hitting a game-winner in the second round of the NCAA tournament against Colorado State.

• • ESPN’s Jeremy Woo consulted with NBA executives and scouts about potential NBA comparables for projected No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg, receiving a range of insights. Woo highlights five players — Jayson Tatum, Kawhi Leonard, Lamar Odom, Scottie Pippen, and Andrei Kirilenko — and explores the similarities and differences between Flagg and each of them.
  • UAB power forward Yaxel Lendeborg, who led the Blazers in points (17.7), rebounds (11.4), assists (4.2), steals (1.7), and blocks (1.8) per game this past season, also plans to enter the 2025 NBA Draft while retaining his college eligibility, he told Jonathan Givony of ESPN.
  • Ranked No. 28 overall on ESPN’s latest big board, Lendeborg expressed his commitment to the draft process but noted that if he opts to return for his final season of eligibility, he intends to transfer to Michigan.
  • Arkansas guard Boogie Fland announced via Instagram that he is declaring draft. While Fland, who just completed his freshman season with the Razorbacks, has the option to test the draft waters while maintaining his NCAA eligibility, his statement makes no mention of that plan, indicating he is preparing to turn professional.
  • Fland, who won’t turn 19 until July, appeared in 21 games for Arkansas, averaging 13.5 points, 5.1 assists, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.5 steals in 31.8 minutes per contest. He shot 37.9% from the field and 34.0% from three-point range during his first — and potentially only — season with the Razorbacks.