Queens gathers at center court as they prepare to watch the NCAA tournament selection show Sunday.\u00a0 (Photo:\u00a0 Brian Wilmer\/Daly Dose of Hoops)<\/p>\n
CHARLOTTE \u2013 Queens fans are not accustomed to
\nwaiting.<\/p>\n
The Royals joined Division I in May of 2022. Six months
\nlater, Queens defeated Marshall, 83-82. It was then announced before the
\n2025-26 season that the Royals\u2019 transition was finished and they would be
\neligible for the NCAA Tournament. Six months after that, the team brought an ASUN
\ntournament title trophy back to Charlotte and set up a celebration inside Curry
\nArena for the team\u2019s first-ever tournament berth.<\/p>\n
Despite a false start or two, there was an audible gasp before
\nDuke\u2019s first-round opponent, Siena was revealed \u2013 the faithful who filled the
\nbuilding got to celebrate during the second bracket reveal. The CBS announcers
\nhad not even finished saying that Purdue would be facing a team going to the
\ntournament for the first time before the crowd erupted in celebration. <\/p>\n
\u201cToday is surreal. It could be the biggest moment in school
\nhistory,\u201d Queens coach Grant Leonard said in remarks after the selection show. \u201cAll
\nthe unique things that have happened (this season). Winning that (ASUN
\nchampionship) game and then having Selection Sunday here\u2026that crowd was
\namazing. I\u2019m glad to be a part of it.\u201d<\/p>\n
To call Leonard a part of it is quite the understatement.
\nThe head Royal has been a key part of Queens\u2019 success even before the events of
\nthe last four years. Leonard recognizes that history, along with the faith
\nshown by the leadership at Queens.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m probably the only coach in college basketball history
\nthat went from Division II assistant to Division I head coach in the same year,\u201d
\nLeonard said. \u201cThat was Queens\u2019 belief in our culture and our players. Thank
\nthem for having the belief in what we did, and for me, it\u2019s about building
\ncommunity through basketball and being a part of this unbelievable community in
\nMyers Park and Charlotte. I\u2019m just elated for everyone to get to be a part of
\nthis. Yeah, I\u2019m proud of myself, but as I always say, our standard is our
\nstandard. We kind of expect to do well.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Royals\u2019 first tournament team is loaded with interesting
\nstories. There are transfers who found themselves again at Queens, star
\nfreshmen from the area, and a group of players that have invested in each other
\nas much as any group Leonard has ever coached. Two of those stars, senior
\ntransfers Gus Larson and Nas Mann, both cited on Senior Day how they had
\nrekindled their love for the game in Charlotte.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe most rewarding part about coaching is those
\nrelationships,\u201d Leonard said. \u201cI\u2019d like to think that we do things the right
\nway. The biggest thing is watching those guys like Gus who maybe weren\u2019t in
\nlove with basketball when they got here because they had tough situations. To
\nwatch them now is truly rewarding as a coach.\u201d<\/p>\n
The local stories like freshman guards Isaiah Henry and
\nJordan Watford are also incredibly compelling. Henry battled adversity to
\nbecome a key contributor on this year\u2019s squad, while Watford made the
\nAll-Freshman squad in the ASUN after averaging 11.9 points, 2.6 rebounds, and
\n3.8 assists per game.<\/p>\n
Watford drew specific praise from his leader.<\/p>\n
\u201cWat\u2019s awesome,\u201d Leonard said. \u201cI\u2019m glad we\u2019re part of his
\njourney. He\u2019s a fantastic player, but an even better person. I think he
\nbelieved in our family values and how we treat people. He wanted to be a part
\nof a culture that was about growth and development. He came here and he got
\nbetter and better, too. I\u2019m happy that players can see, \u2018Hey, if I choose
\nQueens, I\u2019m going to get what I want out of this.\u201d<\/p>\n
This may be Queens\u2019 first time on this national stage, but
\nthe Royals will not be blinded by the lights. The Royals played Villanova,
\nFurman, Virginia, and Arkansas \u2013 all on the road \u2013 among this season\u2019s NCAA
\nparticipants. That scheduling was admittedly challenging, but it paid off in a
\nbig way for Queens.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think scheduling difficult (games) in the non-conference
\nis really important,\u201d Leonard said. \u201cYou learn a lot of lessons early so that
\nyou can fix them for conference (play). Our guys will be prepared. They won\u2019t
\nbe shocked by Purdue\u2019s size.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re an unbelievable opponent. We\u2019re going to go there
\nnot to smell the roses, but to show them how Queens basketball goes.\u201d<\/p>\n
That scheduling should also play dividends for Leonard\u2019s
\nsquad and how they process the moment.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m going to tell them that it\u2019s okay to be nervous. I
\nthink when you\u2019re nervous, it\u2019s good \u2013 that means it\u2019s important,\u201d Leonard
\nsaid. \u201cThe biggest thing is not to try to shoot your way out of the nerves. It\u2019s
\nto make hustle plays to kind of get the butterflies out. The biggest thing is
\njust to play with incredible energy.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOur guys are going to be really focused, and they\u2019re super
\nexcited about this. Again, our standard is our standard. I know they\u2019re going
\nto go there trying to win that game.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Royals will greet the Boilermakers with a balanced
\nscoring attack and an offense that is at its best when the ball moves
\nfrequently throughout each possession. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe way we play is that we play for each other,\u201d Leonard
\nsaid. \u201cThe reason we have six guys (averaging) in double figures and a seventh
\nthat\u2019s close is because they share the ball and they love each other. I know
\nthey\u2019re going to play with that spirit and Purdue is going to be incredibly
\ndifficult to score on. Our guys are going to show that they can really score.
\nOur offense has been fantastic all year.\u201d<\/p>\n
As much as this is a significant moment for Queens, it is equally
\nsignificant for the surrounding Myers Park neighborhood in which Queens is
\nlocated. A quiet, mostly residential area of Charlotte, Myers Park has rallied
\naround the Royals. The two neighbors seem quite fond of each other.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis moment isn\u2019t just about us. It\u2019s for the whole
\ncommunity and the whole school,\u201d Leonard said. \u201cFor us, it\u2019s going to do unbelievable
\nthings for the entire institution \u2013 from admissions to advancement to our
\nathletic department. You\u2019ve seen the steady growth over four years with our
\nteam, and now our university is going to get rewarded with it. It takes a
\nvillage to do something like this. I\u2019m just so happy that Queens has been so
\nsupportive over these four years.\u201d<\/p>\n
The 15th-seeded Royals open NCAA tournament play Friday
\nnight against second-seeded Purdue in St. Louis, Mo. Tip time is set for 7:35
\n(Eastern), with coverage on truTV. <\/p>\n
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