CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Queens University of Charlotte head men's basketball coach Grant Leonard is excited to welcome Nasir Mann to the 2024 signing class, as made official on Tuesday afternoon. Mann joins the Royals following one season at McNeese State and two years at Santa Fe College.
 
"Nas is coming from a 30-win conference championship team that was a 12 seed in the NCAA Tournament this past season," said Leonard. "He is a phenomenal athlete with great skills, experience, and character. He has the tools to be an elite defender at this level, which we needed as a team. Nas has an opportunity to have a huge impact on our program!"
 
Last season with the Cowboys, Mann appeared in four games and averaged 7.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 0.8 assists, and 1.0 steals per game. Against Champion Christian, the 6-5 product scored a season-high 10 points on an efficient 4-of-5 shooting. A few weeks later, Mann turned in a near double-double pouring in nine points and grabbing eight boards against MUW. Mann was a member of a Cowboys program that won the 2023-24 Southland Conference Tournament title before falling to Gonzaga in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
 
Before heading to McNeese State, the forward spent two seasons at Santa Fe College where he was ranked a Top 100 JUCO prospect by JUCO Recruiting. In his first season with the Saints, Mann played in 29-of-30 games, including three starts in the backcourt. The guard-forward combo averaged 6.2 points and 3.5 rebounds per game behind a 37.5 percent shooting clip from the field. Mann reached double figures in eight games and notched a double-double with a season-high 18 points and 12 rebounds against Central Pointe Prep. The Gainesville native helped the Saints capture their eighth conference title.
 
The solid first season carried over into year two for Mann as he started 25-of-27 games. Mann averaged 14.4 points and 6.5 rebounds per game, totaling double figures in eight games. Mann was one of the best perimeter shooters for the Saints, finishing second on the team with 53 three-pointers made while topping the squad with a 40.5 three-point percentage. Mann earned multiple NJCAA Division 1 Player of the Week recognitions and was named Second Team All-Conference.
 
Coming out of high school, Mann was a McDonald's All-American nominee after being named the 4A Player of the Year and All-State recipient. Mann helped The Villages secure the District 3 Championship.
 
"I chose Queens because of the culture, and I feel like it's a place where I can grow as a player and a person," said Mann. "Queens is a great community that fully supports its university athletics. The Queens coaching staff welcomed me with open arms and an opportunity to be great. I'm excited for the season! Go Royals!"
 
Mann will join the Royals as a senior and have one year of eligibility remaining. The Gainesville, Florida native chose Queens after receiving interest from Eastern Illinois, Utah Valley, Jacksonville State, Bryant, Chattanooga, and others. Mann will join his brother, Charlotte Hornets guard Tre Mann in the Queen City.
 
The Royals are coming off their second season in Division 1 which included their second straight ASUN Tournament appearance. Queens took down FGCU in the opening round of the ASUN Tournament before falling to the eventual tournament champion in Stetson. The Royals faced a challenging schedule which included Elite Eight opponents in #9 Duke and #14 Clemson. Despite the tough slate, Queens ranked 10^th in the country in adjusted tempo and averaged 80.1 points per game which was fourth-most in the ASUN.
 
Fans are encouraged to stay tuned on 2024-25 schedule announcements and ticket opportunities by following the Queens Men's Basketball team on Twitter and Instagram.