CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Queens University of Charlotte head men's basketball Grant Leonard is pleased to welcome Nick Lorensen to the coaching staff as an intern for the 2023-24 year. Lorensen will oversee the Video, Creative Services, and Digital Scouting for the Royals program. Lorensen, a senior at the University of South Carolina is set to graduate in May with a degree in Sports Management.
 
"Nick has carved out an unbelievable niche in college basketball in such a short time and it's been quite impressive," said Coach Leonard. "We are fortunate to have him with our program as he helps us in a few areas that we are growing within our program. Nick has a bright future in the basketball profession."
 
Lorensen brings extensive experience in communications and social media, specifically in the college basketball realm. For the last four years, Lorensen has worked as a Social Media Manager and Writer for SB Nation in Columbia. With the organization, Lorensen helped build a verified Twitter account which gained over 25,000 followers within the first year by covering small university college basketball teams and players. Lorensen previewed two conferences a week, developing connections with coaches, players, and media members around the country for 13 weeks heading into the season.
 
Last March, Lorensen partnered with a group called "The Portal Report" and they were responsible for connecting college coaches and student-athletes in the transfer portal. Lorensen distributed statistics and phone numbers to over 100 Division 1 coaches in order to help their recruiting efforts. Additionally, Lorensen connected with over half of the 1,600 players in the transfer portal and worked to help them find their best fit.
 
Lorensen got his start in athletics as a Communications Intern at UMBC from 2018 to 2020. With the Retrievers, Lorensen built a communications plan that featured photography, social media, and storytelling coverage. Additionally, Lorensen elevated an Instagram fan page that gained over 10,000 followers in a night.
 
In 2022, Lorensen spent the summer as a Communications and Marketing Intern for the Bowie Baysox, the Double-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. With the organization, Lorensen assisted in distributing team news and highlighting the top prospects. Despite being an intern, Lorensen developed the idea of posting highlights on YouTube which allowed the fanbase to watch team highlights for the first time.
 
Lorensen's unique storytelling capabilities earned him the "Best New Writer" award by The Daily Gamecock as a freshman. Lorensen was responsible for describing and telling Gamecock athletes stories and events to a larger audience.
 
"I cannot express how blessed and excited I am to join such a great men's basketball staff at Queens University," said Lorensen. "Thank you to Grant Leonard for the opportunity and to the program for welcoming me with open arms. I am looking forward to continuing to elevate the standard and continuing the honored programs winning ways."
 
Fans can purchase their season tickets for the 2023-24 season by visiting the Queens Athletics website. The 2023-24 full schedule has been released and can be viewed here.
 
The Royals' success in their inaugural Division 1 season came from a significant number of players who will be returning. AJ McKee was one of the most consistent performers for Queens reaching double figures in 31-of-33 games and being named ASUN Third Team All-Conference. The Charlotte native averaged 15.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game as he was top 10 in the ASUN in scoring. Prior to going down with a season-ending injury, Gavin Rains led the league in rebounds bringing down 10.2 boards per game. BJ McLaurin, Kalib Mathews, and Chris Ashby are also key returners for the Royals as the trio averaged 23.2 minutes, 8.3 points, and 2.9 rebounds per game.
 
Be sure to follow the Royals on Twitter, Instagram, and Tik Tok. Fans are also encouraged to follow Queens Athletics on social media to stay up to date on all the Royals sports in action.