ELON, N.C. – The final non-conference opponent preview is for the Elon University men's basketball's matchup against Central Penn on Dec. 28 inside Alumni Gym. This is the final article of a series of previews looking at the maroon and gold's non-conference opponents.
 
CENTRAL PENN KNIGHTS
 
Date: December 28, 2016
Location: Summerdale, Pa.
Home Arena: East Pennsboro High School/East Pennsboro Middle School
2015-16 Record: 20-9 overall, USCAA Division II
Post-Season: USCAA National Championship, Berkeley College (N.Y.) Won
All-Time Series: 2-0, Elon Leads
Head coach: David Archer
Players Returning/Lost: 9/4
Key Returners: Tyree Tucker (Sr.), Andre Battle. (So.), Dominique Twiggs (Jr.)
Top Scorer Returning: Tyree Tucker (17.5 ppg)
Top Rebounder Returning: Dominique Twiggs (8.0 rpg)
 
Quick 2016-17 Preview
Central Penn, a non-NCAA institution, is a member of the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA). They compete in USCAA's Division II level. Runners-up in the 2016 USCAA Division II National Championships, the Knights return their top scorer and First Team USCAA All-American guard Tyree Tucker as well as their top rebounder Dominique Twiggs. Central Penn will have a much different look compared to last season with eight freshman on this year's squad.
 
Quick 2015-16 Recap
Central Penn finished as the runner-up for the 2016 USCAA Division II National Championship; falling to the No. 1 seed Berkeley College (N.Y.) 107-88 in the championship. The Knights were a high-powered offense during the 2015-16 season. Tyree Tucker and Andre Batte earned All-Tournament Team honors for the Knights. The team ranked second in USCAA in points per game (121.0), first in field goals made per game (34.1), and they get their shots up as they averaged 75.4 attempts per game, which ranked third in the country.
 
Matchup
The matchup on Dec. 28 will be the third meeting all-time between the Knights and the Phoenix. The last time Elon faced Central Penn was in 2013.
 
Last Time Out
The Phoenix set a program record of 126 points in a game and defeated the Knights 126-78 on Dec. 19, 2013 inside Alumni Gym. Andreas Batte scored a game-high 31 points. Sebastian Koch led Elon with 21 points. Ryley Beaumont recorded a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds.