Queens may still be new to Division I, but sleep on the Royals at your own risk

If Saturday’s effort against Villanova is any indication, Grant Leonard and Queens will be a tough out come March as Royals look for first NCAA Tournament appearance since transitioning to Division I. (Photo by Queens University of Charlotte Athletics)

VILLANOVA, Pa. — Grant Leonard conveyed a message as he walked off the Finneran Pavilion floor, simple in its context but eagerly awaiting the response.

“I hope you liked our team,” the fourth-year head coach remarked after his Queens University program competed as well as one team could in a 20-point loss to a Power 5 school such as the Villanova team his Royals faced Saturday.

For starters, Queens University is actually in Charlotte, not to be confused with Queens College in the New York borough for which the latter is named. It is a common misconception that Leonard alluded to in his postgame press conference. But what cannot be misconstrued is the level at which Queens — again, residing in the Tar Heel State — competes at. The consensus favorite among the coaches in the Atlantic Sun Conference, Queens has only been a Division I program for four years, meaning Leonard’s head coaching tenure began when the Royals ascended to the highest level, after his predecessor Bart Lundy took over at Milwaukee (Leonard is actually a Wisconsin native, growing up in the nearby town of Franklin, which counts former NASCAR driver Ted Musgrave among its most famous citizens).

But the learning curve, which is customarily steep for new Division I members as they transition up in competition and operation, is something Queens has caught up with fairly quickly. Villanova is not the only high-major school the Royals will face, as trips to Arkansas and Auburn also await in December, but an effort in which one of the newer kids on the block shot 57 percent from the floor and took smart, efficient shots will resonate as the year goes on.

“I think we’re playing a Top 10 non-conference schedule in the country,” Leonard explained. “It’s all part of being a low-major program and raising money. But also, I believe those difficult games build a lot of toughness going forward. It should give us a lot of confidence offensively that we can execute at that level when we’re playing with pace and moving the ball. Anytime you can shoot 57 percent in a game is really good, and against that level of opponent, it gives us a ton of offensive confidence.”

Leonard desires a fast pace and an uptempo attack on offense, which is evident in almost every game his team plays. With a lineup featuring one of the nation’s best shooters in Chris Ashby, plus the blue-collar scoring of Nasir Mann and Yoav Berman, points will frequently be had. It is on the defensive end where Queens must improve, especially after yielding 94 points to Villanova, as well as on the glass, but Leonard believes his team has the tools to do so after years of calibrating his personnel.

“I think this is the first year defensively, in ASUN play, that we’ll be able to shut people’s water off at times and win games,” he proclaimed. “We’ve gotta keep focusing on the little adjustments, like ball screen coverage — going from drop coverage to an aggressive hedge — and if we can do those things and just keep getting better conceptually, I think this team has a chance to be the best ASUN team defensively.”

“For us, when we move the ball offensively, we’re really good. We’re going to have to really focus on our rebounding as a group, not one or two guys, but as a team. If we can handle the glass and get rid of some of the clunky turnovers, we’re gonna be a really good team come ASUN play. But again, our guys gotta continue to grow. This is a process, it’s still early in the season, and we have to have a growth mindset as a group to get better and better as we go. I thought we had a bunch of unbelievable defensive possessions. (Villanova) had four shot clock violations, and if we can just shore up the dirty rebounds and second shots, (we have) a lot of positive things going forward.”

Not enough has been said about Ashby, Berman and Mann, or 6-foot-9 sophomore Maban Jabriel, who can play four different positions and has tremendous upside. But those four are merely the table-setters for a deep unit that includes junior college transfer Kam Clark, highly touted freshman Jordan Watford and a trio of incoming transfer forwards: Gus Larson (Cal), Avantae Parker (Georgia Southern) and Carson Schwieger (Valparaiso).

“First of all, Jordan Watford is really living up to expectations,” Leonard said. “You can see him growing, getting better and better each game once he gets comfortable. And the three big kids transferring, they all have different roles and different skill sets, but they’re doing exactly what we want, and then Kam Clark is really starting to guard the ball in the middle third. If we can get Isaiah Henry, our second freshman going, we’ll hit a lot of home runs in the recruiting class. I’m really proud of those guys.”

That pride was on full display even through a defeat that will live on as a teaching moment in a history book still being written. Queens is now eligible for the NCAA Tournament, having completed the transition process in the offseason. And Saturday’s impression is one of a team that will stop at nothing to introduce itself, with its toughness and refusal to back down speaking louder than the number under its name on the scoreboard.

“We have a very proud program,” Leonard said. “And when we were in Division II four years ago, we were nationally ranked every year. Our dudes are never gonna give up. And they’re never gonna stop fighting.”

Honestly, what’s not to like about that?