Kevin Willard has used words like special, different and generational to describe freshman phenom Derik Queen.

Maryland men’s basketball’s coach expressed a new sentiment on Sunday after Queen scored a season-low three points in a narrow win over Nebraska. Amid Queen’s quiet stretch, Willard said everyone needs to “take a deep breath,” adding that regardless of his talent, a freshman playing against fifth-year seniors is bound to struggle.

Queen has the past month — but Willard said he’s one of the few freshmen who’ve handled the downs just as well as the ups. That showed on Thursday.

Queen notched 25 points, six rebounds and four assists with a season-best field goal percentage. He and fellow big man Julian Reese led the Terps to their best win of the season, a much-needed one at No. 17 Illinois.

“Everybody goes through slumps, and I just went through a freshman slump,” Queen said. “I knew this was a game that we needed to win, and we’ve been struggling on the road and I needed to bring it today.”

[Maryland men’s basketball earns first true road and marquee win over No. 17 Illinois, 91-70]

The center’s strong outing came one game after his worst of the year, which was his fourth time scoring in single digits in January. Queen posted double-digit points in all but one game before the New Year.

Queen, who’s averaging 13.3 points in January, brought his scoring average down by nearly 3.5 points across the month. His struggles have extended beyond scoring, too, as Thursday was his first time since Dec. 1 posting more assists than turnovers.

The freshman’s passing woes are surprising given that’s always been one of his biggest strengths, a trait that makes him unique for his position. He showed that ability on Thursday with a touch pass to Reese and didn’t have as many of the same head-scratching mistakes as earlier in the month.

Those passing errors often seemed unforced, and Queen showed a lack of focus and intensity on both sides of the ball. It was apparent when Reese shouted at Queen in a huddle after an uninspiring attempt to grab a rebound against Northwestern on Jan. 16.

Reese is one of Queen’s biggest mentors. The two played together for a year in high school and knew each other beforehand due to their Baltimore roots.

Reese said one of the biggest things he tries to help Queen with is his motor, a trait that was a weakness for the senior when he entered college and is now a strength. Queen appeared more engaged on both sides of the ball than he’s looked throughout conference play.

“[He’s] just staying level-headed,” Reese said. “[We’re] not letting him get down on himself, and making him understand he’s a freshman and he’s gonna go through stuff because it’s his first year in the Big Ten.”

Queen’s still been outspoken when he struggles. After scoring a career-high 27 points against Minnesota, he expressed his displeasure with his performances in the three games leading up to it.

[As Maryland men’s basketball’s opponents get better, so does Derik Queen]

He’s also celebrated the highs. Queen marched down the court after his last basket at Illinois, holding up his fingers as a “too small” gesture while hysterically laughing at the student section.

The freshman made similar taunts against Purdue in December, where he scored 26 in a five-point Terps loss. His confidence evidently hasn’t wavered, nor has the theme of success against Maryland’s top opponents.

Queen’s averaged 25 points in Maryland’s three games against top-15 KenPom teams. But none of those programs — Illinois, Purdue and Marquette — have a particularly strong defensive presence at the rim.

The freshman will face more size on Sunday at Indiana. The Hoosiers were a finalist in his recruitment and Queen has said they’re the team he’s most looking forward to playing against.

The result could depend on which version of Queen Maryland gets. Another win would almost certainly negate the growing outrage about the Terps’ lack of road success, at least for now.

“​​He’s as talented a player as there is and he’s going to be in that three-letter league pretty soon,” Willard said, alluding to the NBA. “But … we’re asking a freshman to do a whole lot in a league that’s full of fifth-year covid guys.”.