ROCK HILL, S.C. – Queens University of Charlotte Men's Basketball is set to begin the 2026-27 campaign on Monday morning (Nov. 2) in the Field of 68 Opening Day Marathon game versus Winthrop at 9:00 a.m. inside the Rock Hill Sports and Event Center.
"We are excited for the opportunity to open the season once again in the Field of 68 Marathon," said
Grant Leonard. "Winthrop is a local rival, so we both know each other very well. 9:00 a.m. is a unique gametime but I know both teams will be ready for it."
GAME DAY DETAILS
Queens (0-0) vs. Winthrop (0-0)
Monday, Nov. 2 – 9:00 a.m. (ET)
Rock Hill Sports and Event Center – Rock Hill, S.C.
Television: Field of 68 YouTube
Live Stats: https://tinyurl.com/4a2cfvcc
Tickets: https://tinyurl.com/49xhh96t
SEASON PREVIEW
The Royals were picked first in the preseason Atlantic Sun coaches' poll, receiving five of the eight first place votes.
Avantae Parker was named the Preseason Defensive Player of the Year while earning All-Conference recognition alongside
Nasir Mann and
Jordan Watford. Queens and UCONN are the only two teams in the country to return three non-conference players from last season.
NEW FACES
In addition to returning Parker, Watford, and Mann, the Royals bring back
Isaiah Henry who is poised for a breakout sophomore season in an expanded role.
Corbin Pack (Wingate) and
Rickey Ballard (Grambling State) join Queens as graduate transfers while
Caleb Jones,
Nic McLean, and
Atakan Bicer bring potential as incoming freshmen.
One newcomer to keep an eye on is
Caleb Jones, who had a sensational run with the YNG Dreamerz in the Overtime Elite league, averaging 27.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1.7 steals per game as he led the Dreamerz to the OTE Semifinals. He scored 25+ in 10 outings.
"Caleb is a fantastic player, an electric scorer, and an elite playmaker," said head coach
Grant Leonard. "He will have a huge impact with us from day one. We couldn't be more excited about him joining our family."
At Wingate,
Corbin Pack ranked fifth in the nation in 3-point percentage (45.1%) and averaged a career-high 11.4 points per game in his final season.
"Corbin is a huge piece to our puzzle," said head coach
Grant Leonard. "He is a phenomenal shooter with a ton of experience and a player who we envision can carry the torch as the next elite perimeter shooter in the Queens lineage. His experience in the South Atlantic Conference, our old home, and work under former Queens coach Brian Goode, will be invaluable to us."
SERIES HISTORY
Queens trails the series history to Winthrop 2-6 while losing the last five meetings. The Eagles outlasted the Royals 81-74 in last year's meeting in the Field of 68 opener.
SCOUTING WINTHROP
Winthrop enters the season coming off a 23-11 overall record while going 13-3 in Big South play, coming up short 91-76 to High Point in the conference title game.
Despite a 13-1 record at home, the Eagles struggled on the road going 7-9 while being 3-1 in neutral site games.
Winthrop was picked 3rd in the Big South preseason coaches' poll with High Point getting 7 of the 9 first place votes. Presbyterian was picked ahead of Winthrop and received the other two votes. The Eagles have been ranked third or higher in 11 of the last 12 preseason polls.
Spece Sims was named to the Big South All-Conference Second Team. Sims joins Winthrop after averaging 9.9 points per game with Gardner-Webb a season ago. Head Coach Mark Prosser's squad has 11 new faces and five returners. Winthrop is seeking to make the Big South title game for the fourth consecutive season.
Winthrop won 23 games in 2025-26 for the second straight season and the third time in five seasons under Prosser.
THIS WEEK IN QUEENS BASKETBALL
Following Winthrop, Queens will begin a three-game road trip: Loyola Marymount (Nov. 4), Oklahoma State (Nov. 6), and concluding with BYU (Nov. 10). During non-conference action, Queens will face five teams from a Power Four conference, with four of them coming from the Big 12.
In addition to Oklahoma State and BYU, the Royals will meet LSU (Nov. 21), Houston (Nov. 29), Baylor (Dec. 9).
Queens will open the season inside Curry Arena on November 14th against Wofford.
