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Derik Queen puts up career-high against Rutgers, headlines a star-studded Big Ten freshmen class

A league usually dominated by upperclassmen, in 2024-25 the Big Ten has had more than its fair share of stars blossom in the class of freshmen. We all knew about Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey making their way to Rutgers to play under Steve Pikiell, but the forgotten five-star Derik Queen has taken the headlines as of late.

Queen leads Maryland in scoring at 15.5 ppg, averaging 8.5 rpg on top of that as well as over two assists per game, and over one steal and one block per game. His play has only picked up as the Terps went into Big Ten play, going for 25 or more four times already against conference opponents. On Sunday afternoon, Queen set a new career-high, scoring 29 points while hauling in 15 rebounds and dishing out five assists in a 90-81 win over Rutgers and fellow freshmen Harper and Bailey. This performance sparked my interest in covering all of the conference’s freshmen studs so far, but I didn’t want it to be the only one I talked about.

Dealing with illness throughout a portion of conference play, Harper (19.1 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 4.1 apg, 48.3% FG) hasn’t been very consistent as of late, but his last two games are a sign of promise. In a surprise win over Illinois last Wednesday, Harper led Rutgers with 28 points, adding six rebounds, five assists, and four steals for a terrific all-around stat line. Bailey (19.4 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 47.1% FG) is inconsistency in a nutshell, but his microwave scoring ability and elite athleticism and shot creation make him one of the most exciting pro prospects we’ve seen in a long time. Bailey has gone for 30 or more three times already against Big Ten opponents, including scoring 39 points at Indiana in a game Harper missed due to illness.

At Ohio State, John Mobley Jr. (13.1 ppg, 40.8% 3P) has broken out as one of the elite shooters in the league, a guy with unlimited range and a lightning-quick release. Mobley has 11 games with three or more made threes, and after a rough stretch near the holiday season, has had a handful of solid performances including a 21-point performance with five made triples in the Buckeyes’ loss Sunday at Nebraska.

If we’re talking about freshmen that have heated up during conference play though, it’d be a disservice not to mention USC’s Wesley Yates III (16.7 ppg in 12 B1G games). A 12.5 ppg scorer on the season, Yates is scoring nearly 17 a game against conference opponents, setting a career-high with 30 points in USC’s loss to Purdue on Friday night. Known as an athletic guard, Yates has really started to knock down his threes and has become a tough guard for anyone in the conference as of late.

Michigan State has its own pair of talented freshmen out in East Lansing, with Jeremy Fears Jr. (7.7 ppg, 6.2 apg) and Jase Richardson (10.2 ppg, 53.9% FG, 41.2% 3P). Fears and Richardson help make up one of the most balanced teams in the country, Fears providing elite playmaking and a speed in transition that few can match, while Richardson is Sparty’s top volume three-point shooter. When Fears missed last week’s matchup with Oregon, it was Richardson who was inserted into the starting lineup, finishing with 29 points on 9-13 shooting to earn an 86-74 comeback win for Michigan State.

Another team with multiple freshmen in the primary rotation is Illinois, who has seen the volatility of freshmen throughout conference play, but the talent among them is undeniable. Kasparas Jakucionis (15.6 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 5.2 apg, 46.9% FG) is the leader of the group, an all-around talent as a 6-6 point guard who can create like few others. Jakucionis has had his share of ups and downs like any freshman will, but when he’s at his best, Illinois is at his best. The Lithuanian’s best stretch came early on in the year, when he scored 20+ in five straight games against power conference opposition, including 24 points, six rebounds, and five assists in a win over Wisconsin.

Will Riley has been another exciting watch in the Illinois lineup, a score-first wing who is averaging 21.3 ppg over the last four for the Fighting Illini. Maybe not at the same level as the rest of the group, Illinois forward Morez Johnson Jr. (6.8 ppg, 6.7 rpg) has been heating up as of late, going for a monster 14-point, 15-rebound double-double in the Illini’s win over Ohio State to open February.

For a league that is rarely reliant on freshmen, the young talent in the Big Ten this season is undeniable. I don’t envy anyone who has to come up with a five-man All-Freshman team in the conference, as the list could easily go ten names long.

Other Things to Note:

• PJ Haggerty goes for 20 as #17 Memphis takes down Temple 90-82
• Xavier’s at-large hopes dwindling after 80-68 loss at Villanova
• Brice Williams scores 24 as Nebraska takes down Ohio State 79-71
• Fresh off a big win, #23 Clemson hosts North Carolina on ESPN Big Monday (7:00 ET, ESPN)
• In-state rivalry continues to blossom as #6 Houston hosts Baylor (9:00 ET, ESPN)