Queens University makes its first NCAA March Madness appearance as a Division 1 team, featuring high-scoring offense and “street dogs”<\/p>\n
CHARLOTTE, N.C. \u2014 As Queens University embarks on its first Division 1 NCAA Tournament appearance, the Royals feature a few characteristics of a fun March Madness story, and possible Cinderella.<\/p>\n
In its first year of eligibility, the former D2 power defeated Central Arkansas to win the ASUN\u2019s bid into the bracket.<\/p>\n
The Royals feature six players who average in double-figures scoring, and as a team average 84.9 points per game, good for twenty-first in the nation.<\/p>\n
Queens also has three players (Maban Jabriel, Avantae Parker and Carson Schwieger) who average 40% or better from beyond the three-point arc.<\/p>\n
And if you\u2019re looking for some of the lighter fare, Queens has that too.<\/p>\n
Head Coach Grant Leonard has become renowned for his holiday-themed sweaters<\/a> and now can add St. Patrick\u2019s Day to the mix.<\/p>\n At halftime of the conference championship game, with his team behind, he even drew inspiration from a Christmas-styled, Ted Lasso sweater that said, \u201cBelieve.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey believe,\u201d Leonard said. \u201cAnd a lot of people outside of this room might not have believed this is possible, but here we are.\u201d<\/p>\n Making for more fun, Queens has an unofficial mascot, Buddy The Street Dog.<\/p>\n It\u2019s not a real canine, but a fake German Shepard, awarded to the player who most exudes toughness in each game.<\/p>\n Buddy even made an appearance the team\u2019s news conference on Monday morning.<\/p>\n \u201cI wanted our guys to identify with being hungry and fighting for everything,\u201d Leonard said. \u201cI found Buddy on the internet. Now he travels with us.\u201d<\/p>\n Turns out he might need to be referred to as Buddy II.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s actually the second one. We had a celebration and Buddy lost a couple of legs,\u201d Leonard said. \u201cThe player that plays the hardest (wins him).<\/p>\n Queens will find out its seeding, opponent and region of the bracket on Selection Sunday.<\/p>\n Contact Nick Carboni at\u00a0ncarboni@wcnc.com<\/a>\u00a0and follow him on\u00a0Facebook<\/a>,\u00a0X<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n