CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Coming off their first ASUN Tournament title and appearance in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, the Queens University of Charlotte men's basketball team is excited to announce a fierce 2026-27 non-conference schedule. The 14-game slate features marquee matchups against elite programs like Houston, BYU, LSU, Oklahoma State, and Baylor.
 
"We've really challenged ourselves this year, with contests against larger conferences and like opponents," said head coach Grant Leonard. "Our fans always love our games against major conference teams, and this year should bring a ton of interest and prepare us for conference play. Our home slate is buoyed by games against quality opponents that will gauge our ability to compete against the ASUN and United Conference teams. Overall, this should be a great way to showcase our team and ability, and we are excited for the challenge."
 
Queens will kick off the new season for the second straight year at the Field of 68 Opening Day Marathon at the Rock Hill Sports and Events Center. Queens will open the year against Winthrop, a program that took down the Royals 81-74 last season at the same event. The Royals and Eagles will meet for the ninth time in a series that started in 1990.
 
Following the opener, Queens will head west for three straight matchups against perennial Big 12 contenders. The Royals will stop first in Stillwater, Oklahoma, for a Friday night battle at Oklahoma State. The Cowboys are coming off a 20-15 season and an appearance in the second round of the National Invitational Tournament. Queens will close out the weekend on Sunday, November 8^th in Houston, Texas, against the University of Houston. The 2025 National Runner-Up is coming off their seventh straight Sweet 16 appearance and saw three players selected in the 2026 NBA Draft.
 
The road swing will conclude on November 10^th in Provo, Utah, as the Royals take on BYU for the second time in program history. The Royals faced the Cougars two seasons ago on the second night of a back-to-back and fell 99-55. BYU is coming off its 33^rd NCAA Tournament appearance and saw last year's star AJ Dybantsa selected No. 1 by the Washington Wizards in the 2026 NBA Draft.
 
Queens will then turn their attention to their home opener inside Curry Arena against Wofford on Saturday, November 14^th. The meeting will be the 11^th all-time, and the first since 1995. The Royals will head back on the road for three straight games beginning at South Carolina State on November 17^th. Queens took down the Bulldogs 102-78 inside Curry Arena last season behind a balanced scoring attack as six players reached double figures.
 
The Royals will then head to Baton Rouge for a Friday tilt at LSU on November 20^th. Former N.C. State head coach Will Wade returned to Baton Rouge for his second stint, a program where he led the Tigers to a 2019 SEC Regular Season title. Queens will return to the East Coast and make the short trip down to Spartanburg for their second meeting of the season with Wofford on November 24^th.
 
After playing seven of their first eight on the road, Queens will return to their home court for a midweek showdown against Coastal Carolina. The Royals and Chanticleers will meet for the first time on December 2^nd despite being separated by 142 miles. Queens will then go on another four-game road swing beginning at Gardner-Webb on Saturday, December 5^th. The Royals and Runnin' Bulldogs have met seven times, with Queens commanding a 5-2 advantage, including four straight wins.

The road trip will continue out west as Queens heads to Colorado State for their first-ever matchup. The Rams are coming off a solid 21-13 campaign and an NIT appearance. Queens will then make their second trip to the Lone Star State as the Royals square off against Baylor on Wednesday, December 9^th. Discounting the 2020 season due to COVID-19, the Bears have earned a postseason bid every season since 2012 and are coming off a second-round appearance in the College Basketball Crown.
 
Queens will wrap up the road swing on December 14^th at Sacred Heart. The Royals will make the return trip to Fairfield, Connecticut, after the Pioneers made the inaugural trip to Curry Arena last season. In that meeting, Queens used an explosive first half, scoring 47 points on 55 percent shooting to route the visitors, 81-64. The Royals will wrap up the non-conference slate on Wednesday, December 16^th as UNC Asheville makes the trip down to Curry Arena for the first-ever meeting between the two squads.
 
The Royals are coming off a 21-14 overall season and a 13-5 mark in ASUN play. Queens captured its first ASUN Tournament title and made their first appearance in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. In just four Division 1 seasons, the Royals have put together back-to-back 20-win seasons and have become the fourth school in NCAA history to make the NCAA Division 1 Men's Basketball Tournament in their first-year eligible following a four-year reclassification moratorium.
 
Queens returns key contributors from last season in Avantae Parker and Jordan Watford. Parker, a 6-9 forward, earned Third Team All-ASUN after averaging 11.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 1.3 blocks per game across 34 starts. The Georgia Southern transfer led the team and ranked second in the ASUN in blocks. Watford, a 6-5 guard, was named the Mid Major Madness Preseason ASUN Freshman of the Year and ASUN All-Freshman Team last season. The Lancaster, South Carolina native averaged 11.8 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game across 35 appearances. Watford dished out the most assists per game by a true freshman in program history since 1992.
 
Joining the duo of returners are Reid Celestin and Isaiah Henry, a tandem also coming off their first seasons in Charlotte. Celestin made 17 appearances off the bench while Henry appeared in 26 games off the bench. Newcomers Dante Kearse, Josh Osayanrhion, Caleb Jones, and Nicholas McLean will be valuable additions to the rotation for the Royals. Kearse spent the last two seasons at The Citadel and appeared in 55 games over his career. Osayanrhion spent last season at North Platte Community College and averaged 8.6 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game. Jones brings elite scoring after averaging 27.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.7 steals per game with the YNG Dreamerz in the Overtime Elite League. McLean is a 6-9 forward who was ranked the No. 12 power forward/center in North Carolina by Big Shots.
 
Season tickets and single-game tickets for the 2026-27 season will be available next week. Be sure to follow Queens Men's Basketball on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok for news and updates throughout the offseason. Fans are also encouraged to follow Queens Athletics on social media to stay up to date on all the Royals sports in action.