Friarsgate Park, also known by many locals as "The Gate," was the place to be for young basketball players looking for a challenge on the court. A 20-acre recreational park located in Irmo, South Carolina was the spot where Queens legend and current assistant coach Dan Bailey saw his passion for basketball and lifelong friendships come together.
 
As a kid, Bailey found his love for the game similar to most hoopers by simply playing outside with friends and siblings. With two older brothers, Bailey always traveled with them to The Gate for an evening of hoops. As most older siblings do, they pass it amongst themselves leaving the younger Bailey trying to figure out a plan to get his touches in for the night. Eventually, it clicked!
 
"They never passed the ball," Bailey recounted. "So, the only way I got the ball was to actually rebound and that's where it started for me."
 
Most kids that age might shy away from the physicality of rebounding with the older kids, but not Bailey. His approach to the game eventually brought him close to a fellow Irmo native, and former Ole Miss rebounding legend Murphy Holloway. The pair's passion for crashing the glass turned into a friendly challenge as they got older throughout their high school and collegiate careers.
 
"We pushed each other to compete," said Bailey. "If I had a game where I grabbed 15 boards, I'd get a call from him saying, "I see you had 15 rebounds. I'm going to get 16 this game."
 
That motivation and extra drive translated to an outstanding junior season in high school. The success caught the attention of Queens, but also major programs like the College of Charleston, Coastal Carolina, Wofford, and many others. However, a broken arm took Bailey out for a season resulting in a lot of those programs rescinding their interest. But not Queens!
 
"Queens was the most persistent school during my recruiting process and I loved that," explained Bailey. "The family-like feel, the campus, and the Charlotte area made me feel at home."
 
After arriving in the Queen City in 2008-09, Bailey wasted no time making an impact. As a freshman, the 6-5 rookie averaged 13.8 points and 8.9 rebounds per game en route to being named the Conference Carolinas Freshman of the Year. Against league opponents, Bailey pulled down 10.2 rebounds marking a conference-high.
 
"I credit my coach, Wes Long for my early success," said Bailey. "To play in his system, you had to crash the boards and I wanted to be on the floor. It was also the easiest way for me to adjust to the college game."
 
The adjustments were seamless for Bailey throughout his career as he led the team in rebounds in three of his four seasons. In his career, Bailey averaged 7.1 boards per game which is tied for eighth all-time. Additionally, he pulled down 812 total rebounds which is second all-time, and 758 defensive boards which is the most in program history.
 
"I just consider it an honor to be mentioned in the record books with the many great players that came to Queens," explained Bailey.
 
Following a stint of professional basketball overseas which included stops in Romania, Finland, Germany, Saudi Arabia, and Japan, Bailey returned to the States and made the transition to coaching by starting Gamechangers Basketball Camp. His strong background in game strategies and basketball analytics paired with his connection to current head coach Grant Leonard earned him the call last summer to join the Royals coaching staff.
 
"Hiring DB was first on my list of things to do when I first got the job," said head coach Grant Leonard. "Dan had distinguished himself as one of the greatest players in Queens history, but more importantly remained present in the program as he was a professional player. DB's character, personality, and intellect made it a no-brainer to have him on staff going forward."
 
Since joining the staff, Bailey has taken point on rebounding and breaking down film on the glass.
 
"We cut down and grade each play individually for every practice and every game. I've got a spreadsheet with a formula that breaks down and spits out a guy's rebounding grade. Our guys are competitive, so when they see their grades they accept it as a challenge. Numbers don't lie!"
 
The culture of Queens Basketball attacking the glass didn't waiver in their transition from NCAA Division 2 to Division 1 this past season. The Royals were second in the league averaging 37.3 rebounds per game, including the second-most offensive boards per game at 11.2. Amongst current transitioning schools, the Royals were the second-best program on the glass in part to Coach Bailey's analytical approach.
 
"I think it's something we emphasize every day," stated Bailey. "Every guy has a particular role when the shot goes up. Every practice, every drill, it's drilled into our guys."
 
A significant part of the Royals' success on the boards came from senior Gavin Rains. The Trinity, North Carolina native led the conference and ranked top 25 in the country with 10.2 rebounds per game before a season-ending injury.
 
"He always jokes with me saying, "He's going to beat my record," which he will this year," said Bailey jokingly. "The main differentiator in Gavin is effort. He's very persistent and relentless and his motor is just top-tier. He goes after every shot and you know that if you're guarding him, then you're going to get hit every play."
 
As the Royals prepare to embark on their second Division 1 season, the mindset remains the same according to Coach Bailey. "Every single day is a new day and we try to get 1 percent better as we say in our program. On the boards, it's an all-out effort. We learn by playing hard."
 
"Despite being new to coaching because he was transitioning from a professional career, allowing him to build his voice through rebounding, an area that he was excellent at and has a passion for just makes sense," said coach Leonard. "Despite us being undersized this past year, we were still very successful rebounding in large part to Dan's dedication to rebounding. Rebounding is our separator and DB is the voice of that."
 
While Bailey isn't the one actually getting the rebounds anymore, his physical and analytical approach has set the Royals up for an immense amount of success on the glass. All there's left to do is wait and see who will be the one to eclipse his record-breaking career.