Despite The Suits' attempts to ruin it, March Madness remains America's greatest sporting event. One weekend from now, a player none of us have heard of will become a household name in one shot. And in 2026, that means he'll instantly try to cash in on his newfound fame while he can.
One of those shooting stars could be from Queens University. Located in Charlotte, N.C., and not New York City, the Royals will make their first and last* appearance in the NCAA Tournament after winning the ASUN conference tournament last Sunday.
But exposure to the program's first national audience won't be the first time a Royal has the opportunity to climb the transfer portal ladder. On Wednesday, head coach Grant Leonard tweeted that an unnamed SEC assistant bought a ticket to an ASUN tournament game in order to see a player he was recruiting up close and personal.
Leonard's tweet came in response to an interview from South Florida head basketball coach Bryan Hodgson, who threatened to confront any coaches who recruit any of his Bulls.
We had an SEC assistant buy a courtside seat for one of our conference tournament games to “get ahead” of recruiting on of my kids.
— Grant Leonard (@QUCoachGrant) March 11, 2026
Thoughts @GoodmanHoops @jeffborzello @TheFieldOf68 https://t.co/EW6kJoz4UA
Leonard declined to name the assistant, claiming he was visible on game footage sitting behind the Royals' bench. We'll take his word for it. Ultimately, I'm not sure recruiting a player in person during the season is ultimately any different than recruiting him over the phone during the season, but it certainly feels more disrespectful. Saying nothing of the program you're recruiting the player from, it puts the player being recruited in an awkward situation, and any head coach who directors and/or signs off on an assistant coach tampering in such a blatant way likely doesn't have the assistant's long-term job prospects in mind.
*Queens University will merge with Elon University later this year.