Big Ten Daily (March 23): Did Derik Queen Commit a Travel on Game-Winning Shot? Expert Says No
Maryland has faced several tough losses this season, but on Sunday, the Terrapins finally had a dramatic victory when Derik Queen scored a buzzer-beater to defeat Colorado State. Despite fans calling for a travel violation, expert Gene Steratore confirmed that the referees made the correct call.
The Big Ten Daily is back with its daily roundup, bringing all the notable highlights and low points from around the league. As always, Brandon Brown will keep you in the loop with entertaining takes on Big Ten news.
Right out of the gate, we have a contentious moment from the second-round NCAA Tournament game between Maryland and Colorado State. The Terrapins have become all too familiar with heartbreaking losses this year, with their last four defeats all coming in the final seconds over the past couple of months.
It seemed like another painful loss was looming on Sunday when Colorado State’s Jalen Lake hit a three-pointer with 6 seconds left, giving the Rams a 71-70 lead. Maryland responded by advancing the ball to half-court and calling a timeout. Freshman Derik Queen demanded the ball, received it at the free-throw line, dribbled down the left side, and after picking up his dribble, took one or possibly two steps before making a game-winning layup.
Social media quickly erupted, claiming Queen traveled, and the basket shouldn’t have counted. Replays, especially in slow motion, made it easy to count the steps and dribbles. However, many fans, unfamiliar with the nuances of the game’s rules, didn’t realize the specific interpretations that apply to situations like this.
Gene Steratore, a rules analyst for CBS since 2018, weighed in on the play during a studio broadcast. Steratore, a seasoned referee with experience officiating both the Super Bowl and Final Fours, stated that the officials made the right call. According to Steratore, Queen did not travel.
“It’s a great play and a great ending,” Steratore explained. “By rule, the dribble ends when there’s firm possession, which usually occurs when both hands are on the ball. When Queen made his move, it wasn’t clear if he had full possession, but the rules allow him to continue dribbling if there’s no clear possession.”
Steratore continued, “When Queen gathered the ball, both hands were together, and as one foot hit the floor, then the other, he made the shot. To me, it’s not a big deal. The officials got it right.”
With the win, Maryland advanced to the regional finals, where they’ll face No. 1 seed Florida on Thursday in San Francisco. This victory feels particularly sweet after recent heart-stopping losses to Northwestern, Ohio State, Michigan State, and Michigan.
Queen was ready for the moment, and coach Kevin Willard had full confidence in his young star. “When Coach drew up the play, he trusted me — and my teammates trusted me,” Queen said. “I was nervous, but I was due for a moment like this, and I had to make it happen. I told my teammates, ‘This is our time.’”
Colorado State coach Niko Medved praised Queen’s play, acknowledging the tough defense from Ethan Morton, who forced Queen to use his wrong hand. “We defended well, but he made an unbelievable shot. That’s March Madness for you — sometimes you’re on the winning side, and sometimes you’re not.”
Oregon’s Surprising Loss
No. 5 seed Oregon was eliminated from the NCAA Tournament Sunday night after a tough 87-83 defeat to former Pac-12 rival Arizona in Seattle. The Ducks started strong, leading 19-4, but saw their advantage slip away. The game ended as a one-possession contest, with Arizona securing the win by hitting their final six free throws.
Oregon (25-10) has been successful at the free-throw line all season, but they struggled against Arizona, finishing just 12-for-22 from the charity stripe, including a crucial missed one-and-one late in the game.
Oregon coach Dana Altman reflected on the loss: “We’ve played 30 games, and this is the first time we lost at the free-throw line. We’ve been great in clutch situations, but tonight, we didn’t play well enough to win.”
Oregon was one of four Big Ten teams eliminated in the first weekend, along with UCLA, Illinois, and Wisconsin. Wisconsin, as a top-four seed, was knocked out by BYU.
Big Ten by the Numbers
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Reese Hits 1,000: Maryland forward Julian Reese grabbed 11 rebounds in the win over Colorado State, pushing his career total to 1,006 boards, making him just the second Maryland player to reach that milestone, joining legend Len Elmore.
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Sweet 16 for Izzo: Michigan State coach Tom Izzo is headed to his 16th Sweet 16, tying him with Arkansas’ John Calipari for the most among active coaches. The Spartans will face Ole Miss on Friday.
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A Perfect 10: Purdue started the NCAA Tournament with an afternoon win over High Point, followed by victories from Michigan State, Michigan, Maryland, and others. When Purdue and Michigan advanced to the second round, it marked a historic 10-game winning streak for the Big Ten, which ended with Wisconsin’s loss to BYU.
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