Fifty years ago, in 1973, the NCAA created three divisions, with the goal of enabling its member schools to align themselves with like-minded universities on sports-related matters.

Most North Carolina-based schools have remained at the same level they chose five decades ago. A handful, though, have opted to make bold moves up the NCAA ladder.

Last year, Queens University of Charlotte (that’s the full, official name), which had made seven straight appearances in the Division Two men’s basketball tournament and two trips (2003, 2018) to its Final Four, became the latest school to make the jump. The Royals are now in their second season of an NCAA-mandated four-year transition process to Division One.

Queens is a member of the Atlantic Sun Conference, whose membership has changed significantly over the past decade. Among the ASUN’s champions over the past 15 years, Belmont (Missouri Valley), East Tennessee State (Southern Conference), Liberty (Conference USA) and Mercer (SoCon) have departed for higher-profile leagues, while Bellarmine, Florida Gulf Coast, Kennesaw State, Lipscomb and North Florida are among the remaining members.

Coach Bart Lundy, who led the Queens program from 1998-99 through 2002-03 and again from 2013-14 through 2021-22, left the Royals to take the Wisconsin-Milwaukee job in the Horizon League.

Lundy’s long-time assistant, Grant Leonard, then was promoted to lead Queens into its exciting new era. This year’s schedule was designed in part to create awareness about the program’s ongoing jump to Division One and in part to toughen the Royals for their second season of ASUN competition.

“Our nonconference schedule is dominated by regional opponents (e.g., High Point, Gardner-Webb, at Winthrop, Appalachian State, at Clemson, at Duke) that should really interest our fan base, especially at home,” Leonard said. “Overall, we are playing a more challenging schedule than last year, which should prepare us for league play and get us primed for a great second year in Division One.”

The Royals’ 6-8 start this season did include an impressive victory over High Point, but it also involved a major personnel setback. The program announced in mid-December that fifth-year senior forward Gavin Rains, who played in 91 games (with 57 starts) for the Royals over the past four seasons and was leading the ASUN in rebounding in 2022-23 before he suffered a season-ending knee injury, will not play this season.

“Any team with a Gavin Rains on it is a better team by an infinite amount,” Leonard said. “His dedication to this team has been unwavering for five seasons. We as a group are devastated that all the hard work that Gavin put into his rehab won’t allow him to get back to battle with his teammates. Gavin is a Royal for life and we are forever grateful he chose Queens and represented us with the highest standards.”

Utilizing mostly undersized lineups so far this season, the Royals have played at a fast pace and taken (and made) a lot of 3-pointers, but they have struggled defensively. Nine of their first 14 opponents scored 80 or more points, and Clemson went over the century mark during the Tigers’ 109-79 victory.

2023-24 Queens Royals
(6-8, 0-0 CAA; through Dec. 29)

Starters

PG Deyton Albury, Jr. — 28 mpg, 16 ppg, 5 rpg, 47% FG, 75% FT, 33% threes, 61/43 ATO, 8 blocks, 23 steals
(6-2/190); 2023 Chipola JC transfer (all-conference); Sunrise Christian (Kan.) School; Nassau, Bahamas

G AJ McKee*, r-Jr. — 30 mpg, 17 ppg, 5 rpg, 41% FG, 69% FT, 28% threes, 35/30 ATO, 2 blocks, 24 steals
(6-2/200); 2023 3rd-team All-ASUN; 3-year starter after 2020 redshirt; Independence HS, Charlotte, N.C.

G Chris Ashby, Jr. — 30 mpg, 11 ppg, 1 rpg, 42% FG, 100% FT, 41% threes, 14/4 ATO, 0 blocks, 4 steals
(6-2/185); 2022 Paris JC transfer (HM all-region); key 2023 Queens backup; Atascocita HS, Houston, Texas

F Bryce Cash, Fr. — 26 mpg, 7 ppg, 3 rpg, 47% FG, 67% FT, 28% threes, 20/21 ATO, 1 block, 10 steals
(6-5/210); 2023 local high school signee; 2x NCISAA 4A all-state; Carmel Christian HS, Charlotte, N.C.

F BJ McLaurin*, r-Sr. — 24 mpg, 13 ppg, 6 rpg, 48% FG, 86% FT, 38% threes, 17/11 ATO, 2 blocks, 4 steals
(6-8/230); 10 ppg, 6 rpg last season; formerly of Chowan, UNC Asheville; Seventy-First HS, Fayetteville, N.C.

Key Reserves

G Kobe George, Fr. — 11 mpg, 4 ppg, 1 rpg, 34% FG, 67% FT, 37% threes, 9/10 ATO, 0 blocks, 7 steals
(6-3/195); 2023 signee; starred at Winston-Salem Christian, Burlington School; from Greensboro, N.C.

G Logan Threatt, r-Fr. — 9 mpg, 4 ppg, 1 rpg, 48% FG, 63% FT, 42% threes, 16/3 ATO, 0 blocks, 3 steals
(6-3/190); 2022 signee/redshirt; 2x all-state honoree at Carmel Christian School; from Belmont, N.C.

G Kalib Mathews*, Sr. — 13 mpg, 2 ppg, 2 rpg, 39% FG, 38% FT, 40% threes, 15/9 ATO, 3 blocks, 6 steals
(6-4/185); 4-year contributor; 8 ppg, 3 rpg, 2 apg last season; Henderson Collegiate HS, Franklinton, N.C.

F Jacobi Sebock, So. — 15 mpg, 5 ppg, 4 rpg, 44% FG, 56% FT, 29% threes, 6/12 ATO, 4 blocks, 3 steals
(6-6/195); 2023 Dodge City CC transfer (all-conference); from Midwest City HS, Midwest City, Okla.

F Jaxon Pollard, Jr. — 13 mpg, 2 ppg, 3 rpg, 24% FG, 78% FT, 14% threes, 12/5 ATO, 3 blocks, 7 steals
(6-7/225); 2023 Salt Lake CC transfer (part-time starter); from Lone Peak HS, Cedar Hills, Utah

C Malcolm Wilson, Sr. — 11 mpg, 2 ppg, 4 rpg, 52% FG, 40% FT, 3/15 ATO, 17 blocks, 1 steal
(7-0/215); 2023 Georgetown transfer (2022 part-time starter); from Ridge View HS, Columbia, S.C.

*—returning starter (started at least 50% of current team’s games last season)