Maryland Professional Athletes

Maryland alumni had a week to remember in the NBA's opening stretch, headlined by a rookie making noise on the court — and off it.

Derik Queen Announces Himself

Derik Queen didn't ease into his NBA debut. The New Orleans Pelicans rookie posted 10 points and 10 rebounds in just 18 minutes during a 123-120 season-opening loss to the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday — an efficient, physical introduction that turned heads league-wide. Then things got spicy.

Late in the game, Queen and Tyrese Haliburton had to be separated after a verbal altercation on the sideline. Haliburton — making his own highly anticipated return from an Achilles injury and finishing with 23 points — appeared to take exception to something Queen said, and the two had to be pulled apart by teammates and officials. For a rookie in 18 minutes of action, generating that kind of moment against one of the league's marquee point guards is either a red flag or a statement. Maybe both.

Queen followed up that debut two days later against the Jazz, playing a more extended 29 minutes and finishing with 12 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 blocks in a narrow 119-120 loss. The preseason raised questions about his offensive readiness and defensive awareness, but through two games, Queen looks like a presence the Pelicans can lean on — even if the organization around him remains, charitably, a work in progress.

Aaron Wiggins Catches Fire in Atlanta

While Queen was making his debut in New Orleans, Aaron Wiggins was quietly putting up one of the week's more impressive bench performances in Atlanta. The former Terp dropped 19 points on 21 minutes of work as the Hawks demolished the Charlotte Hornets 128-81 on Friday. Wiggins also chipped in 2 steals and a plus-8 rating — the kind of efficient, impactful outing that solidifies rotation spots early in a season.

He wasn't far behind earlier in the week either, scoring 16 points against the Magic on Wednesday in 31 minutes. Two games in, Wiggins is posting consistent scoring off the bench for Atlanta and looks like a reliable piece in their rotation.

Jalen Smith: The Quiet Double-Double Machine

Don't overlook Jalen Smith. The Bulls forward had a brutal blowout loss to the Raptors on Wednesday (15 points, 8 boards in an ugly 92-135 defeat), but bounced back Friday against Milwaukee with 14 points and 13 rebounds — a genuine double-double in 24 minutes. Smith's three steals in that game added some defensive pop to an otherwise efficient night. The Bulls won that one 132-125.

Kevin Huerter: Looking for Footing in Detroit

Kevin Huerter's week was quieter. He logged 3 points in 18 minutes against the Celtics on Tuesday and 5 points in 20 minutes against the Heat on Saturday, going a combined 2-of-9 from three-point range across both games. Three-point shooting is the primary lens through which his value in Detroit will be evaluated this season — and early returns are modest. There's time, but Huerter will need to heat up from deep to lock in his rotation spot with the Pistons.

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Through one week of NBA action, Maryland's most compelling storyline belongs to Queen — a rookie already generating drama and production in equal measure. Wiggins and Smith are making steady cases for themselves, while Huerter has work to do. Terp Nation, the season is very much underway.

Maryland's NBA alumni are making noise before a single regular-season game tips off, with Derik Queen commanding attention in New Orleans and Jalen Smith forcing Chicago's hand in a way nobody anticipated.

Queen: Already at Home in the Bayou

The Pelicans drafted Derik Queen to help end a postseason drought that stretches back to 2018, and the rookie big man is wasting no time establishing himself — on and off the court. Queen made headlines this week when he handed out dunk contest rankings after training camp, sizing up teammates that include Zion Williamson, Yves Missi, Trey Murphy III, and the surprisingly explosive Karlo Matkovic. It's exactly the kind of confident, personality-driven moment franchises hope for when they hand a high pick to a young frontcourt piece.

But Queen isn't just playing social director. He went to bat publicly for new head coach Jamahl Mosley, defending the first-year sideline boss's process as the Pelicans work through a reshuffled roster. Queen also revealed that Mosley has encouraged his players to "dream" about their roles within an unconventional rotation — a coaching style that appears to be landing well with the rookie. Whether Mosley's vision translates to wins is an open question, but having a key young piece locked in as a believer is a useful early data point.

The enthusiasm comes with caveats. Sports Illustrated flagged Queen as a potential weak link in the Pelicans' primary rotation, citing questions about his fit alongside Zion, his offensive efficiency, and his defensive readiness at the NBA level. Queen's preseason readiness was also listed as a top storyline heading into New Orleans' opener against the Thunder. The upside is real — so is the range of outcomes.

Smith: The Right Place, Right Time

In Chicago, Jalen Smith's training camp was supposed to end with him entrenched as a backup. Then Nic Claxton tweaked his hamstring.

Coach Tiago Splitter announced Claxton will miss at least two weeks, with a reevaluation scheduled before the Bulls' Oct. 21 opener. Smith stepped in during a preseason matchup against Phoenix and, by all accounts, made a strong enough case that his starting role is no longer a formality — it's a genuine conversation. As Heavy Sports put it, Smith's push has given the Bulls "a surprise problem," the kind where the backup performs well enough that a straightforward decision suddenly gets complicated.

Smith's performance comes at a delicate moment organizationally. A proposed trade idea also surfaced this week pairing him with Leonard Miller in a deal for Golden State's Kristaps Porzingis, underscoring that his value around the league is real even as he auditions for a bigger role in his own building. Whether the Bulls view him as a starter, a high-value trade chip, or both will become clearer once Claxton's timeline sharpens.

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Two Terrapins, two entirely different situations — but both demanding attention in a week when most of the NBA is still just trying to sort out its rotations. Queen is carving out a personality and a role in a city desperate for a winning identity. Smith is quietly making someone's preseason plan look very naive. Maryland's NBA footprint is small, but right now it's well-placed.