Maryland hero Derik Queen noncommittal about Terrapins future after Kevin Willard exit

Maryland's magical March Madness moment came to end in the Sweet 16 against Florida. It was a memorable run, however, spearheaded by star freshman and projected top-10 pick Derik Queen, a Baltimore native who won the hearts of fans both local and international with his running game-winner against Colorado State in the Round of 32.

Queen was a real March Madness main character. He's almost too easy to root for, with a beaming personality and all the on-court skill to match his energy. So, when Kevin Willard announced his departure from the Terrapins program in favor of Villanova's head coach opening, all eyes naturally went to Queen.

There has long been an expectation that Queen will commit to the NBA Draft and spend next season in the pros, but the 19-year-old does not seem so sure yet. His response to Willard's exit unexpectedly left the door wide open for a sophomore season at Maryland.

"I don't know," Queen told ESPN. "We ain't got no coach now, so I don't know."

He then added a sobering note: "All I can say is I'm sad that he left."

That all sounds like a thinly-veiled exit statement, but Queen doubled back on Twitter amid the standard exodus of ex-Willard recruits who entered the transfer portal.

"I did not enter the portal."

Derik Queen leaves door open for Maryland return despite Kevin Willard's departure and NBA interest

Queen deciding to forgo the NBA to return to Maryland after his coach's high-profile departure would qualify as one of the most shocking college basketball developments in recent memory. This almost certainly won't happen, but Queen loves Maryland, and his Twitter account is full of heartbroken reactions to the Willard news. The dude really enjoyed his season and he does not seem all that interested in leaving.

He's also doing Dairy Queen promo for the Maryland basketball account, so... who knows?

We just don't get these outcomes in modern college basketball. Long gone are the days of Al Horford, Joakim Noah, and Corey Brewer running it back for a second championship at Florida. There is too much money available, both in the NBA and with NIL, for stars to stick around when their coaches pick up and leave.

Queen, again, will almost definitely be on an NBA court next season, but it's hard not to root for a sophomore campaign in College Park. Just imagine year-two Derik Queen; that feels like a Wooden Award candidate. Maryland has a lot of work to do replacing Willard and the rest of its starting lineup, but a Queen return would put the Terps in a favorable position. It helps that he's a local kid. He clearly cares about Maryland basketball on a deeper level than most recruits.

The 10th-ranked prospect on FanSided's big board, Queen was last projected as the No. 7 pick to Oklahoma City in our mock draft. He's close to a lock for the lottery if he declares for the draft, with the potential to sneak as high as the top five. Major respect to Queen if he's willing to table such an appealing future to help Maryland get through a rough patch. That would only cement Queen's place in Terps lore.