ELON, N.C. – The Elon University men's basketball team continues its three-game homestand with a matchup versus Hofstra on Thursday night, Jan. 26, at Schar Center. The Phoenix and the Pride are set for a 7 p.m. tipoff.
 
HOW TO FOLLOW
• Thursday's game will be streamed live on FloHoops via a paid subscription.
• Listen to the game on the Elon Sports Network from Learfield on The Varsity Network app.
• Longtime voice of the Phoenix, Taylor Durham, will be on the call with the pregame show beginning at 6:30 p.m.
• Links for the broadcast and live stats can be found on the Elon men's basketball schedule page at elonphoenix.com.
• Other in-game updates will be provided on Twitter by following @ElonMBasketball.
 
SUITS AND SNEAKERS WEEK
• Elon men's basketball will participate in Suits and Sneakers Week (Jan. 23-29) as a part of the Coaches vs. Cancer program, a nationwide collaboration between the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC).
• Coaches vs. Cancer Suits and Sneakers Week is a nationwide event that unites coaches across the country to raise funds and awareness about the fight against cancer and promotes the American Cancer Society as a source of inspiration and hope for those facing cancer. While coaching games during the week, coaches wear sneakers with their game attire as a visible reminder of their support of the American Cancer Society.
 
THE MATCHUP
• Elon and Hofstra will meet for the 17^th time in their histories on Thursday with the Pride owning an 11-5 advantage.
• The Phoenix has won two of the past three matchups as the teams split their two meetings last year. Elon won the most recent contest over the Pride, 81-55, in Hempstead, N.Y., with its 26 points being its highest margin of victory against Hofstra.
• Elon had four players score in double figures in that game with Darius Burford leading the charge with 21 points. Hunter McIntosh chipped in with 18 while Andrew Junkin added a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds, both career-highs.
• Hofstra leads the series at Elon with a 6-2 ledger including a 97-64 victory the last time the two teams met at Schar Center on Feb. 15, 2022. The Phoenix's last win over the Pride at home came during the 2020-21 season with the maroon and gold earning a 76-58 verdict.
• Phoenix head coach Billy Taylor is 0-1 all-time against Hofstra from his time as the head coach at Lehigh in November 2002.
 
LAST TIME OUT
• The Phoenix rallied back from a double-digit second-half deficit to make it a two-point game, but ultimately fell to Towson, 66-62, in its most recent game last Saturday, Jan. 21.
• Elon played well defensively in the second half against the Tigers, who were tabbed as the 2022 CAA Preseason favorites. The Phoenix held Towson to 8-of-25 shooting in the second half, the second straight game the Phoenix defense has held an opponent to single-digit field goals in the second period. UNCW made only seven field goals (7-of-23) in the Phoenix's previous game.
• Jerald Gillens-Butler scored a season-high 14 points to lead the Phoenix while Max Mackinnon added 12 along with making a career-high four steals. Gillens-Butler's scoring output was his best since also scoring 14 at No. 2 Duke last season.
• Elon dominated in several categories against the Tigers including points in the paint (22-11), second-chance points (15-5) and fastbreak points (11-5). The Phoenix also won the rebounding battle, 35-34.
 
SCOUTING ELON
• Elon is averaging 65.6 points per game and ranks third in the CAA in fastbreak points at 9.65 points per contest.
• Sean Halloran leads the Phoenix in scoring at 12.6 points per game while his 85 total assists rank fourth in the CAA. His 4.3 assist average is the highest for the program since Luke Eddy also averaged 4.5 assists per game during the 2015-16 season.
• Halloran leads the CAA in total steals (43) and is second in steals per game (2.2). He is currently 22^nd in the country in total steals and 31^st in the nation in steals per game. The Orlando, Fla., native has 13 games of two or more steals and nine of three or more thefts. His 2.2 spg average would be the best single-season performance in school history at the Division I era, besting Scottie Rice's 2.0 SPG average in 2002-03.
• Zac Ervin continues to be the Phoenix's leading scorer during CAA play, averaging 12.9 points per contest. The senior has knocked down a team-best 48 treys on the year at a 34.3 percent clip. During league play, that percentage has risen to 36.2 from behind the arc.
• Mackinnon is third on the team in scoring at 10.8 points per game while also being the Phoenix's leading rebounder at 5.3 boards per contest. The Brisbane, Australia, native has two double-doubles this season, which are the most for an Elon freshman since Hunter Woods had three in 2019-20. He is also second on the team behind Mackinnon in assists (36) and steals (24).
• Health has been a major storyline for the Phoenix this season. Five players – Halloran, Ervin, Sam Sherry, Bowen III and LA Pratt – have appeared in all 20 games so far for the Phoenix.
• After losing 73 percent of its scoring from last year's team, 52 percent of Elon's points scored this year has come from members who did not appear in a game for the Phoenix last season (679 of 1311).
 
SCOUTING HOFSTRA
• Hofstra will be playing for the first time since earning a 70-46 result versus UNCW last Thursday, Jan. 19. The win improved the Pride to 13-8 overall on the year and 6-2 in the league standings, putting it in a three-way tie for second.
• The Pride is averaging 72.8 points per game on CAA-bests 47.1 percent shooting overall and 35.5 percent from three-point range. Hofstra also leads the league in assists per game (13.6) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.16).
• Four players are averaging eight or more points per game for the Pride including CAA leading scorer Aaron Estrada at 20.1 points per game. The reigning CAA Player of the Year has nine games this season of 20 or more points including a season-high 33 versus George Washington on Nov. 14.
• Guard Tyler Thomas is second on the Pride in scoring at 14.3 points per game while knocking down a team-high 51 three-pointers at 41.5 percent. Darlinstone Dubar is third on the team at 10.6 points per game and has pulled down a team-high 107 rebounds this season (5.1 rpg).
• Speedy Claxton is in his second season as the head coach at his alma mater. He has led the Pride to a 34-19 ledger during his time at the helm of the program.
 
ELON BASKETBALL LIVE RETURNS
• With the start of the new calendar year coinciding with the beginning of Colonial Athletic Association play, Elon Basketball Live presented by MaGerks returned on Monday, Jan. 9. The show will take place at MaGerks Pub & Grill in Elon.
• Elon Basketball Live is the exclusive chance for fans to hear directly from head women's basketball coach Charlotte Smith and head men's basketball coach Billy Taylor all winter long. The longtime voice of the Phoenix, Taylor Durham, will chat with both Smith and Taylor, along with player guests, about recent and upcoming games.
• Fans are invited to attend the broadcast live and can also listen via The Varsity Network app on their phone or smart device. The show will also be available on Tuesday morning via The Voices of Elon Athletics Podcast on Spotify.
 
TICKETS ON SALE
• Season tickets are now on sale for $170 for men's basketball.
• Single-game tickets are now on sale! Single-game tickets begin at $15 for men's basketball.
• Fans are able to purchase a book of 10 ticket vouchers for $75. These vouchers are redeemable for a ticket to any Elon men's or women's basketball regular season home game. Use all 10 for any one game, or use one voucher for 10 different games. Fans will also receive an Elon mini autographed basketball from the head coaches. These tickets represent a 50 percent savings for men's basketball tickets and a 25 percent savings for women's basketball vs. single-game prices.
• Ticket vouchers must be redeemed for a reserved seat ticket prior to entry. This can be done at the Schar Center Box Office during regular business hours (M-F, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.) or starting 90 minutes prior to tipoff.
• For more information, visit ElonTickets.com or call the Elon Ticket Office at 336-278-6750.
 
LAUNCHING THE BILLY TAYLOR ERA
• Billy Taylor was named the 19^th head coach of the Phoenix on April 15, 2022. Taylor arrived to the Phoenix after spending the past three seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Iowa.
• Prior to working with the Hawkeyes, Taylor spent five years as head coach at Lehigh University followed by six seasons as the head coach at Ball State University and three at Belmont Abbey College.
• In his time at Iowa, the Hawkeyes ranked as one of the top offensive teams in the country, ranking fifth nationally in scoring average in both 2021 (83.7) and 2022 (83.2). The program also led the country in assist-to-turnover ratio in both seasons.
• Taylor was a two-time Patriot League Coach of the Year (2003, 2004) and led Lehigh to both the regular season and tournament titles in 2004, earning a bid to the NCAA Tournament that season. He also guided Ball State to the 2009 MAC West Division crown.
 
OPENING TIP
• Elon welcomes back seven letterwinners from last year's team including five upperclassmen. Among the notable returners for the maroon and gold includes graduate student Torrence Watson and senior Zac Ervin. Both players are the leading returning scorers for Elon at 9.2 and 7.1 points per game, respectively.
• The Phoenix also welcomes back redshirt Jerald Gillens-Butler, who hopes to return to form after being named an All-Colonial Athletic Association honorable mention prior to last year. The Orlando, Fla., native appeared in only 10 games last year after missing most of the prior season due to an injury.
• A pair of graduate transfers will look to make an immediate impact for the Phoenix this season. Sean Halloran arrives to the Phoenix after an outstanding four-year career at Belmont Abbey. The Orlando, Fla., native finished as the all-time career assist leader with the Crusaders while helping the program to back-to-back Conference Carolinas Tournament Championships and three straight NCAA tournament appearances. He rounded out his career averaging 14.4 points per game as a senior and concluded his career with 1,422 points.
• Another graduate transfer, John Bowen III, brings size to the Phoenix front line at 6-foot-9 and 215 pounds. The Bladenboro, N.C., native last played at UNCW in 2019-20 and appeared in 28 out of 32 games. Prior to UNCW, Bowen III was a teammate of Halloran's at Belmont Abbey and averaged 8.9 points per game and 5.5 rebounds per contest in 2018-19 while starting 27 of 28 games.
• A pair of freshmen will also look to make an impact for the maroon and gold in 2022-23. Max Mackinnon is a 6-foot-5 swingman from Brisbane, Australia, where he won back-to-back gold medals with the U20 Australian National Team. He was also named an All-Star 5 at the Australian National Championship.
• Another freshman, LA Pratt, is a 6-foot-5 guard from Columbus, Ohio, who was a three-time All-4A Team member and three-time conference champion at Lincoln Park High School. He scored over 1,000 points in high school and helped guide the program to two WPIAL Championship appearances and two State Semifinal appearances.
 
UP NEXT
The Phoenix closes out its homestand versus Drexel on Saturday, Jan. 28, at Schar Center. That game is set for a 4 p.m. start time.