Queens coach Grant Leonard raises tampering concerns after historic ASUN title run

Just days after guiding Queens to the biggest moment in program history, head coach Grant Leonard suddenly found himself talking about a very different issue.

Leonard, who led the Royals to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since the program moved to Division I, publicly questioned the actions of an SEC assistant coach he believes was scouting one of his players during the Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament.

The Queens head coach took to social media Wednesday morning, saying an assistant from an SEC program purchased a courtside ticket during the ASUN tournament in Jacksonville in an effort to get a head start recruiting one of his players.

“We had an SEC assistant buy a courtside seat for one of our conference tournament games to get ahead of recruiting one of my kids,” Leonard wrote on X.

Leonard did not name the assistant coach or the school involved, but the comment quickly made waves around college basketball as conversations about tampering and transfer portal recruiting continue to grow louder.

Transfer portal era creating new tensions

Leonard’s comment touches on a reality that many mid-major coaches have quietly talked about for years.

When smaller programs have successful seasons or develop talented players, larger programs with deeper resources often begin monitoring those rosters closely. With the transfer portal now playing a massive role in roster construction, players from rising programs frequently become targets once the season ends.

Queens is now in that position.

The Royals just captured the ASUN tournament championship and secured the program’s first NCAA Tournament bid since transitioning to Division I in 2022. Success like that naturally brings attention, not just from fans and media but also from other programs looking for experienced players.

For Leonard, the timing of the alleged scouting attempt stood out. Conference tournaments are supposed to be about teams competing for championships, not about outside programs circling potential transfers.

Grant Leonard’s journey with Queens

Leonard has been central to Queens’ rise over the past decade.

A Milwaukee native who played college basketball at William Penn, Leonard built his coaching resume with several assistant roles before arriving at Queens in 2013. During the program’s Division II era, he helped the Royals become one of the most successful teams in the country, regularly appearing in the NCAA tournament and reaching the national semifinals in 2018.

When Queens made the jump to Division I and joined the ASUN in 2022, Leonard was promoted to head coach and given the challenge of guiding the transition.

The early seasons were about building and adjusting to the new level of competition. That work paid off this year.

Queens finished the regular season 21-13 and 13-5 in conference play before putting together an impressive run in Jacksonville to capture the ASUN title.

The championship win over Central Arkansas sent the Royals to the NCAA Tournament for the first time at the Division I level.

Success can bring new challenges

Breakthrough seasons often bring unexpected complications for programs outside the power conferences.

Players who develop into standout performers suddenly draw interest from larger programs. Coaches who build strong rosters must constantly worry about whether they can keep those players together.

Leonard’s comments highlight how quickly that reality can appear.

Instead of simply celebrating the biggest accomplishment in program history, Queens is also dealing with the modern challenges that come with success in college basketball.

The Royals will soon turn their attention to the NCAA Tournament and their first appearance on the sport’s biggest stage.

But Leonard’s message made one thing clear.

When a mid-major program starts winning, people start watching. And sometimes they start recruiting, too.