ELON, N.C. – Elon University men's basketball opens its 2021-22 regular season on Tuesday, Nov. 9, when it travels to Gainesville, Fla. for an 8 p.m. matchup with Florida.
 
COVERAGE
- Listen to the Elon Sports Network from Learfield IMG College's coverage on The Varsity Network app.
- Longtime voice of the Phoenix, Taylor Durham, will be on the call with the pregame show beginning at 7:30 p.m.
- Elon's game against Florida will be broadcasted live on SEC Network (ESPN+).
- Live Stats are available and can be found by visiting https://elonstats.com.
 
THE MATCHUP
- Tuesday night marks the first meeting between Elon and Florida in program history.
 
SCOUTING ELON
- Elon is led by junior guard and Preseason All-CAA First Team honoree Hunter McIntosh, who led the team in scoring in 2020-21 at 15.7 ppg.
- Preseason All-CAA Honorable Mention Jerald Gillens-Butler returns to action for the Phoenix following a year in which he averaged 15.7 ppg and 5.3 rpg prior to being injured in the third game of the season.
- Junior forward Hunter Woods will be back for the 2021-22 campaign after leading the team in rebounding (6.8 rpg) last season, contributing just under eight points per game as well (7.9).
- The Phoenix also returns sophomores Michael Graham, the team's leading shot blocker (1.0 bpg), and Darius Burford, the team leader in steals (1.4 spg) and CAA All-Rookie honoree, for the upcoming year.
- After missing all of last season with an injury, Zac Ervin is ready to go for the start of Elon's season. Ervin averaged 8.4 points and knocked down 46 threes as a freshman in 2019-20.
- Seniors Chuck Hannah (2.9 ppg, 2.8 rpg) and Kris Wooten (5.8 ppg) will serve as the team captains for the 2021-22 season as they enter their fourth year at Elon.
- The Phoenix added more depth to the roster in the offseason in transfers Andrew Junkin and Torrence Watson. Watson brings the ability to help stretch the floor as he knocked down 97 threes during his three years at Mizzou. Junkin provides Elon with size as the Mississippi State transfer stands 7'0 tall and weighs just under 240 lbs.
- Freshmen RJ Noord and Sam Sherry will also look to make an impact for the Phoenix this season. Noord, a 6-3 guard, scored over 1,000 points in his High School career at Heritage. Sherry, a 6-10 center, earned the 2020-21 Mr. Pennsylvania Basketball 3-Star Award while at Cumberland Valley.
- Elon enters this year with the most experienced group during Schrage's tenure, bolstering a roster with 10 upperclassmen.
- This season marks the third for Head Coach Mike Schrage at the helm of the Elon program.
- The Phoenix finished the 2020-21 season with a 10-9 overall record and a berth to the CAA Tournament Championship game for the first time in program history.
- Elon's run to last year's CAA Championship marked the first time in conference history that an eighth-seeded team advanced all the way to the final.
- The 2020-21 season also served as the first time in program history that Elon won games in the CAA Tournament in consecutive years (two in 2019-20; three in 2020-21).
- Throughout last season, Elon was powered by its defense, ending the year ranked first in the CAA in scoring defense allowing just 65.0 ppg.
 
SCOUTING FLORIDA
- Florida enters this season following a year in which they posted a 15-10 overall record, including a 6-3 mark at home.
- Mike White is in the midst of his seventh season as the head coach of the Florida program. White has led the Gators to the NCAA Tournament four consecutive times since 2017.
- Florida is one of just 12 teams nationally to make the NCAA Tournament four consecutive times since 2017 and one of just six schools nationally to have won a game in four straight tournaments.
- The Gators are led by senior Keyontae Johnson, who averaged 16.0 ppg and 4.5 rpg in four games played last season. Florida also returns senior Colin Castleton who posted averages of 12.4 ppg and 6.4 rpg in 2020-21.
- In their lone exhibition game prior to the start of this season, Florida defeated Emory-Riddle, 80-57. Brandon McKissic led the way with 20 points, while Anthony Duruji added 16 points and seven rebounds.
 
THE FACES OF 2021-22
- Elon returns four starters in Chuck Hannah, Hunter Woods, All-CAA Second Team honoree Hunter McIntosh and CAA All-Rookie selection Darius Burford.
- Other returnees for the Phoenix includes seniors Jerald Gillens-Butler, Kris Wooten and Charlie Mendys, juniors Ben Daugherty and Zac Ervin, and sophomores Michael Graham and JaDun Michael.
-Additionally, the maroon and gold welcomes five newcomers to the squad in Mizzou transfer Torrence Watson, Mississippi State transfer Andrew Junkin and freshmen RJ Noord, Sam Sherry and Reece Clark.
 
CAA PRESEASON POLL
- The Colonial Athletic Association announced its preseason poll on Thursday, Oct. 28, with Elon tabbed to finish sixth.
- The Phoenix had two student-athletes earn preseason all-conference honors in Hunter McIntosh (1st Team) and Jerald Gillens-Butler (Honorable Mention).
- Elon earned a total of 202 points in the poll, including one first-place vote.
- Delaware was chosen as the preseason favorite with 296 points and 19 first-place votes, followed by Northeastern with 246 points and seven first-place votes. Drexel (234 points; five first-place votes), James Madison (224 points, three first-place votes) and Hofstra (211 points; one first-place vote) rounded out the top five.
 
COMING SOON
- Elon opens its season on Nov. 9 with a big road matchup against Florida in Gainesville.
- Following that contest, the Phoenix is slated to take on Randolph College in its home opener on Nov. 12, before quickly welcoming Bluefield University to Schar Center for a Nov. 14 matchup with the Rams.
- After back-to-back home games, the maroon and gold will hit the road for the Shriners Children's Charleston Classic, set to be held at the T.D. Arena in Charleston, S.C. from Nov. 18-21.
- Elon opens the Charleston Classic with a Thursday night bout against West Virginia on Nov. 18, at 9 p.m.