CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Queens University of Charlotte head men's basketball coach
Grant Leonard is excited to welcome Dante Kearse to the 2026 recruiting class on Tuesday afternoon. Kearse comes to the Queen City following two seasons at The Citadel.
"I'm extremely excited and grateful to announce that I'll be joining the Queens Royals men's basketball program," said Kearse. "This is a great opportunity for me both on and off the court, and I'm thankful to my family, coaches, and teammates for helping me reach this point. I'm ready to work hard, compete, and represent Queens with pride. I can't wait to get started and be a part of something special."
Kearse, a multi-sport athlete at Hargrave Military Academy in high school, was a two-time First Team All-State and two-time First Team All-Blue Ridge Athletic Conference selection in basketball. Kearse eclipsed 1,000 career points over his high school career and averaged a double-double with 22.0 points and 13.0 rebounds during his senior season. Over a five-game stretch during his final season, Kearse caught fire and averaged 28.0 points and 16.0 rebounds while shooting 71 percent from inside the arc during that run. In addition to his talents on the court, Kearse won a state championship in the high jump as a member of the track and field team.
The success led Kearse to sign with The Citadel out of high school. The 6-4 standout made an immediate impact in his first season, appearing in 22 games as he was one of two true freshmen to see significant action for the Bulldogs. Kearse poured in a season-high nine points against Toccoa Falls on December 3
rd before logging a season-high 21 minutes against Furman the following month.
Kearse took that first-year experience into year two, where he appeared in all 33 games off the bench for the Bulldogs. The Richmond, Virginia native averaged 3.6 points on 46 percent shooting from the field and 42 percent shooting from downtown while adding 1.8 rebounds per game. Against Southern Wesleyan, the forward dropped a career-high 15 points, connecting on five triples while adding a career-high six rebounds.
"Dante has had a great foundation to the start of his career, playing a role in the Southern Conference," said head coach
Grant Leonard. "His length, athleticism, skill, and character stood out during the recruiting process. We look forward to seeing what he does as a Royal!"
Jones will join a Royals program that is coming off its first ASUN Tournament Championship and first appearance in the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. The historic season saw the Royals post a 21-14 record, marking the second straight season with at least 20 wins. Queens clinched the third seed in the ASUN Tournament before defeating top-seeded Central Arkansas in overtime in the title game.
The 2026-27 season will be here quickly, and fans interested in season tickets are encouraged to fill out the form
here.
Be sure to follow Queens Men's Basketball on
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TikTok for news and updates throughout the season. Fans are also encouraged to follow Queens Athletics on social media to stay up to date on all the Royals sports in action.
