An SEC basketball coach is being accused of going too far with their recruiting tactics.
Grant Leonard, the head coach of the men's basketball team at Queens University of Charlotte, revealed that an SEC assistant coach was sitting courtside at last week’s Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament. The coach was allegedly there to recruit a player from Queens University.
"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," Leonard wrote on social media.
If this is true, that's a pretty bad look for college basketball. It's no secret the Power Four programs are always trying to add more talent, but showing up to conference tournaments for mid-majors is a bit much.
It's been a magical year for Queens.
Leonard has been coaching the men's basketball team for Queens University since 2022. He finally clinched a berth in the NCAA Tournament this season by leading the Owls to a conference title.
Queens defeated the No. 1 seed in the conference, Central Arkansas, in the Atlantic Sun Conference Championship. Chris Ashby led the charge for the Royals with 34 points on 10-of-19 shooting.
It wouldn't surprise us if Leonard lands a few job offers this offseason, especially if Queens makes some noise during the NCAA Tournament.
This story was originally published by The Spun on Mar 11, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Basketball section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.