CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) – Queens learned a week ago it would be dancing for the first time in program history.
Now the Royals know who their dance partner will be in the NCAA Tournament.
Queens earned a 15 seed in the West Regional, and will face 2-seed Purdue in the first round on March 20 in St. Louis.
Nearly a thousand people packed out Curry Arena on Selection Sunday for a watch party to celebrate the program’s first-ever trip to March Madness.
“It was all sorts of emotions,” head coach Grant Leonard said of the moment he saw Queens listed in the bracket. “It was just a dream come true. As a little kid you dream of being a part of March Madness, and here you are. It’s awesome.”
Leonard said his coaching staff prepped as if Purdue would be 3-seed, so Queens hasn’t done much advance scouting on the Boilermakers over the last week.
“We did a lot of work on us (in practice), now we have a few things we’re going to have to tweak to go at Purdue,” Leonard said. “They have probably the best point guard in the country. They have a depth of post players that we’re going to have to handle.”
Purdue comes into March Madness fresh off a Big 10 Championship after topping Michigan in the conference tournament Sunday afternoon.
“Big 10 basketball is so different,” Leonard said. “It’s so physical, and big and strong. We’re going to have to ramp up to handle that.”
Tip-off between the Royals and Boilermakers will be March 20 at 7:35 p.m., the game will be broadcast on TruTV.
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