Queens embraces the pace, looks to build on strong first D1 season

 

Queens coach Grant Leonard leads the Royals. (Photo:  Queens University of Charlotte Athletics)

CHARLOTTE – Queens University of Charlotte began life as a Division 1 university last season, bringing with it a tradition of success at the Division 2 level. The Royals went 18-15 (7-11 ASUN) in their opening campaign, claiming victories over Marshall, High Point, Stetson, conference champion and NCAA participant Kennesaw State, and Tobin Anderson’s eventual Cinderella Fairleigh Dickinson, to name a few. Not bad for what coach Grant Leonard called a “foundational” year.

Does Leonard see another foundational year in the cards for his 2023-24 Royals? Not exactly.

“I think this year is a statement year,” Leonard says. “We need to make a statement in the league that we’re here to compete for championships. Our guys have got to have that mindset that we’re chasing rings. We’re trying to win a regular-season ASUN championship. We’re trying to win a conference tournament. We’re going to go to the CBI – because that’s where the rules allow us to go right now – and we’re going to try to make some noise in the CBI, as well.”

The preseason polls take a slightly different view of the Royals. The coaches rate Queens 10^th of 12 ASUN squads, while the media place the Royals ninth. The confidence level inside Curry Arena is the same as – or possibly higher than – those star-laden Division 2 squads provided.

“The pace has been incredible,” Leonard says of the two scrimmages in which the Royals have played thus far. “There was an 84-possession game and an 89-possession game. Those would have been some of the fastest in Division 1. We have really increased the pace, and I’ve been really excited about that.”

Many factors come into play around the Royals’ pace. Star point guard Kenny Dye, who completed his eligibility after last season as one of the most decorated players in program history, played a key role in both ends of the floor. 6-foot-2 junior guard Deyton Albury (10.8 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 3.3 apg at Chipola College) steps into the point for the Royals, bringing a steady hand and complimentary game.

“He’s fast,” Leonard says of Albury. “He’s willing to get guys involved earlier in possessions. Kenny was like a maestro, trying to control (the game) – which there was nothing wrong with, because he’s so good and so capable of that.”

“I think you’ll see guys getting touches earlier in the possession and guys being able to create more. I think Deyton, as a full-court ballhandler, is more dynamic. He might have a little more talent than Kenny in certain areas, but Kenny’s experience and the intangibles he brought to the table…Deyton’s got a long way to go to get there.”

“Deyton is relentless offensively,” senior forward B.J. McLaurin says. “He’s able to get guys in confusion with ball screens. He’s able to get downhill. He’s able to pick the defense apart. With (opponents) putting so much pressure on the rim, it allows everybody else’s game to open up.”

The 6-foot-8 McLaurin (9.5 ppg, 5.6 rpg, .389 3FG in ’22-’23) figures to be one of the immediate beneficiaries of the new-look Royal offense. Queens added significant size at every position – Leonard says he hopes this will allow the coaching staff to manipulate the game and personnel – and the retooled roster will allow McLaurin to step away from the basket a bit more.

“I think it will be good,” McLaurin says of the change in his game. “With (Georgetown transfer) Malcolm (Wilson), he’s going to be able to take that pressure off me defensively, guarding guys that are way bigger than me size-wise. (With) me being able to elevate my game and show my inside-out (game) – it’s good that we went and got a guy like that.”

6-foot-2 junior guard A.J. McKee (15.4 ppg, 4.3 rpg in ’22-’23) will also benefit from the Royals’ focus on size and athleticism. McKee often found himself matched up against bigger players last season, but still managed to serve as an elite defender along with offering scoring prowess. With Dye gone, McKee will be looked upon to take a much larger role as a leader.

“It’s a big role,” McKee says. “With me coming up as a player, I have to embrace that role. There’s a lot that comes with it. I have to stick with it and get better every day.”

“I was with Kenny for four years. He left with me to always stay positive, always have the right mentality, and always stay in the gym. He was the hardest worker to ever come through Queens that I played with. I just always keep that on my shoulder.”

“I think he’s going to continue to score at the clip that he has,” Leonard says of McKee. “This year, he’s our leader. He leads by voice. He’s a very boisterous, energy-driven leader. This team has definitely matched A.J.’s energy. The question I have for A.J. is when things aren’t going great – which happens to every team – can he handle that?”

McKee and McLaurin are joined by a solid group of returners. 6-foot-4 junior guard Kalib Mathews (8.3 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 2.2 apg) started 28 of 33 games and bolsters the Royals’ backcourt , especially on defense. 6-foot-7 senior forward Gavin Rains (6.1 ppg, 10.2 rpg) battled injury for a significant portion of the season but was a force on the boards in the 19 games (18 starts) he tallied. 6-foot-2 junior guard Chris Ashby (7.2 ppg, 0.6 rpg, .413 3FG) provided a jolt of instant offense off the bench last season and has been shooting well in workouts thus far. 6-foot-3 freshman guard Logan Threatt (2.1 ppg, 0.7 rpg) returns off a shortened campaign.

Albury and Wilson lead a group of newcomers about which Leonard offers an enthusiastic response. 6-foot-3 freshman guard Kobe George (10.3 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 4.0 apg at Winston-Salem Christian School) joins the backcourt, with 6-foot-8 forward Luke Krawczyk from nearby Carmel Christian transferring to the Royals from the Naval Academy. 5-foot-11 guard Jordon Nevill (22.3 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 3.0 apg at nearby East Mecklenburg High School) also joins the club.

6-foot-5 freshman wing Bryce Cash (14.9 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 3.5 apg at Carmel Christian) has also drawn early praise from Leonard and his staff, bringing an athletic presence to the roster.

“Bryce is an unbelievable player,” McLaurin says.

Two additional transfer talents join the roster. 6-foot-7 junior forward Jaxon Pollard (8.2 rpg, 6.2 rpg at Salt Lake Community College) brings size and physicality to the roster.

“Jaxon is a great player,” McLaurin says. “He can stretch the floor and be able to facilitate. He’s an all-around guy. He does the dirty work.”

6-foot-6 sophomore wing Jacobi Sebock (11.2 rpg, 8.0 rpg at Dodge City Community College) is dubbed a “high-flyer” by McLaurin and has already served as a great fit for the system Leonard runs at Queens. Leonard is both excited for what Sebock offers and clear about what he and his staff need to see.

“He’s got to understand the speed and the pace of the game and the value of each possession, but as he does that, his talents will grow,” Leonard says. “He brings unbelievable energy and passion for the game. His motor is infectious. I expect that will be the first thing you’ll see in the first game, and he’ll grow from there.”

Sebock has adjusted well thus far.

“The team treats me like family,” Sebock says. “We have that close bond to where nothing can break us apart.

“The coaches were in touch with me the whole time during my JUCO season. Before my season even started, they were contacting me. They kept in touch, just checking in on me every day and seeing how I was doing. They built a bond with me.”

Queens starts its season Monday with a trip to Marshall. The Royals defeated the Thundering Herd in Charlotte last season to win their first Division 1 game. Queens then travels to Southern Illinois before returning home to face High Point in the first home game of the year on Tuesday, Nov. 14.  Fairleigh Dickinson visits on Nov. 22, with games against regional opponents including home dates with Gardner-Webb (Nov. 29) and Appalachian State (Dec. 13) and trips to Winthrop (Dec. 5), Clemson (Dec. 22) and Duke (Dec. 30) serving as highlights on the slate.

How does Queens avoid a sophomore slump? To Leonard, the answer is simple.

“Our biggest focus is to make large improvements in conference play and compete for an ASUN championship,” Leonard says.

The Royals start ASUN play with a road date at defending league champion Kennesaw State on Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024. Queens then welcomes Florida Gulf Coast for the first league game inside Curry Arena on Wednesday, Jan. 10.