DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The Queens University of Charlotte men's basketball team has officially accepted an invite to participate in the 2025 Purple College Basketball Invitational in Daytona Beach, Florida. The invite-only tournament will take place at the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach from March 22-26. Queens will open the invitational on Sunday, March 23rd against Northern Arizona.
"Daytona Beach is a great destination," said Gazelle Group President Rick Giles. "It has become the perfect home for the CBI, as teams experience spirited postseason competition and can also enjoy staying right on the beach."
The invitation marks the Royals first-ever trip to a postseason tournament in Division 1 as they are in year three of the NCAA transition period. The moratorium prohibits the Royals from participating in NCAA-sanctioned postseason tournaments such as the NCAA Tournament.
"Our team had a breakthrough season in the ASUN and we are all excited to say that we aren't finished yet," said Queens head coach Grant Leonard. "We are very fortunate to get an invite to the CBI and we are pumped to compete against some great programs!"
The 2025 CBI will be a single-elimination, fully bracketed men's basketball postseason tournament featuring 12 teams from across the country competing for a championship in Florida. The field will consist of teams not selected for the NCAA Tournament. Last year, Seattle defeated High Point 77-67 to capture the title behind a 30-point effort from the CBI MVP, Cameron Tyson. The tournament has gained traction in recent years since its start in 2008 and previous champions include programs such as Charlotte, UNC Wilmington, North Texas, Pittsburgh, Oregon, VCU, Oregon State, and Tulsa.
Queens received the invitation following their best Division 1 season where they posted a 19-14 overall record and 11-7 mark in ASUN play. The Royals turned in a sixth-place finish in the league standings, their highest finish since joining the ASUN in 2022. Queens made their third straight trip to the ASUN Tournament and took down Florida Gulf Coast in the opening round for the third straight year. Queens made their first appearance in the ASUN Tournament Semifinals but fell in a thrilling overtime game to the preseason favorites and tournament champions from Lipscomb.
Head Coach Grant Leonard is in his third season at the helm of the Royals program. The William Penn graduate joined the staff in 2013 before transitioning into an associate head coaching role in 2016. In 2022, Leonard was selected to lead the program into Division 1 following the departure of former head coach Bart Lundy to Milwaukee. Since taking over, Leonard has guided the Royals to three straight ASUN Tournament appearances and developed eight All-League performers, including the 2024-25 ASUN Defensive Player of the Year in Malcolm Wilson.
The 7-0 center led the nation in blocked shots all season and became the first player in Division 1 program history to swat 100 shots in a single season. The Georgetown transfer was named a Lefty Driesell Defensive Player of the Year Award Finalist, an award presented annually to the top defensive player in Division 1 college basketball.
Joining Wilson on the ASUN Postseason Honors this year were Chris Ashby and Leo Colimerio. Ashby, a native of Houston, Texas became the first player in Division 1 program history to make 100+ threes in a single season as he ranked top 10 in the country in threes made this year. The sharpshooter buried a Division 1 program record nine three-pointers against Central Arkansas. In his only season in the Queen City, Colimerio earned Second Team All-ASUN nods as he led the Royals with 14.0 points per game. The graduate student added 5.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. Earlier in the new year, Colimerio garnered national attention being named the Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week and Lute Olson National Player of the Week.
The Royals depth has been a key factor in games this season as they wear teams down. Five Royals are averaging at least five points off the bench as Queens ranks top 15 in the country in bench scoring. Freshman Yoav Berman has been the leading scorer off the bench averaging 8.1 points per game, the sixth most on the season by a true freshman in the ASUN. Veteran Jaxon Pollard is a force off the bench averaging 8.0 points and 4.9 rebounds, a mark that is third on the team.
For more information on the 17th annual Purple College Basketball Invitational, fans can visit the tournament website. Tickets can be purchased for the event here.
