ELON, N.C. – Continuing its three-game homestand and a stretch of four games in seven days, the Elon University men's basketball team is back on its home floor at Schar Center hosting Colonial Athletic Association newcomer Hampton on Monday night, Feb. 13. Game time is set for 9 p.m.
 
HOW TO FOLLOW
• Monday's game will stream live on the CBS Sports Network for the Phoenix's first game this season on national television.
• 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 8:30 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.
 
THE MATCHUP
• Both teams will face each other for the first time in their series histories on Monday.
• Elon has a record of 1-2 against CAA newcomers this season. The Phoenix fell in both of its matchups against North Carolina A&T while picking up a victory at Stony Brook on Feb. 2. Elon also has a matchup at Monmouth coming up on its schedule on Saturday, Feb 18.
 
LAST TIME OUT
• The Elon men's basketball team used a stout defensive effort to defeat William & Mary 66-55 last Saturday, Feb. 11, at Schar Center. The win was the Phoenix's fourth out of its last five games.
• Max Mackinnon led a trio of double-digit scorers with 22 points for the Phoenix in addition to grabbing a game-high nine rebounds. Sean Halloran followed him with 18 points – including 11 in the second half – and Sam Sherry added 14.
• The Phoenix shot 50% (25-for-50), tied for its third-best shooting performance of the season. Elon outrebounded the Tribe, 40-28. The 12-board margin marked the Phoenix's largest against a Division I opponent since outrebounding Hofstra by 29 (55-26) on Feb. 24, 2022.
• The Tribe's 55 points tied for the fewest allowed by the Phoenix this season. It also held Erskine and Stony Brook to 55.
 
AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE, Oi Oi Oi
• Mackinnon has been on a tear in his last five games. The freshman is averaging 16.4 points on 57.6% shooting (34-for-59) in that stretch.
• His 22-point game versus William & Mary was his fourth 20-point performance of the season. Those are the most by an Elon freshman since Hunter McIntosh had five during the 2019-20 campaign.
• Mackinnon was rewarded as the CAA Rookie of the Week last Monday, Feb. 6. It was the second time this season that the Brisbane, Australia, native was recognized with the league weekly honors.
• Mackinnon becomes the first Elon player with at least two CAA Rookie of the Week honors since McIntosh was recognized four times during the 2019-20 season.
 
SCOUTING ELON
• Elon is averaging 66.1 points per game and ranks fourth in the CAA in fastbreak points at 9.31 points per contest and fifth in assists (12.5). The Phoenix also ranks in the top half of the league in three-point percentage defense at 33.6 percent.
• Halloran continues to lead the Phoenix in scoring at 13.0 points per game and has led Elon in scoring eight times this year. The Orlando, Fla., native has scored in double figures a team-best 20 times.
• Halloran is also the Phoenix's top playmaker with 108 total assists. His 4.2 assist average is seventh in the CAA and the highest for the program since Luke Eddy averaged 4.5 assists per game during the 2015-16 season.
• Halloran is second in the CAA in total steals (52) and steals per game (2.0). He moved into the program's top-10 list for steals in a single season at the Division I level and sits only four steals shy of tying Scottie Rice's D-I mark of 56 in 2003-04. His steals per game average would also tie Rice's single-season school record of 2.0 in 2002-03.
• Mackinnon is second on the team in scoring at 11.7 points per game and rebounds at 5.4 boards per contest. During CAA play, Mackinnon has upped his average to 12.0 points per game while also averaging 5.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists.
• For the season, Mackinnon is shooting 50.6 percent from the floor, which is third on the team among players with 20 or more made field goals behind Sam Sherry (55.0) and John Bowen III (51.5).
• Jerald Gillens-Butler continues his recovery back into the Phoenix's lineup after missing the first half of the season due to injury. The Orlando, Fla., native has started the past eight games he has played and is averaging 10.4 points per game during that stretch. He is averaging 14.6 points in his past five games with four double-digit scoring performances in which the Phoenix has won three of those contests.
• Zac Ervin leads the Phoenix with 55 makes from three-point range and has knocked down 151 treys in his career. The Gate City, Va., native is third on the team in scoring at 10.1 points per game.
• With his 14 points versus William & Mary last Saturday, Sherry had his best scoring performance since also putting up 14 at Presbyterian on Dec. 15, 2022. His 14 points were also the most for the sophomore in his 24 career CAA games.
• Torrence Watson has been a spark on the boards for the Phoenix, averaging a team-high 5.7 rebounds per game. The St. Louis native has had three double-digit rebounding games in his last six games, averaging 8.7 rebounds per game during that stretch.
• John Bowen III has also provided help on the board in his past two games, grabbing eight rebounds versus William & Mary on Saturday. The Bladenboro, N.C., native has grabbed 17 rebounds over his last two games – the most in any two-game stretch this season for the graduate student.
• Health has been a major storyline for the Phoenix this season. Five players – Halloran, Ervin, Sherry, Bowen III and LA Pratt – have appeared in all 26 games so far for the Phoenix. Elon has also had four scholarship players – Gillens-Butler, Andrew Junkin, JaDun Michael and Deandre Smart – miss eight or more games this season with injuries.
 
SCOUTING HAMPTON
• The Pirates (6-20, 3-10 CAA) sit in last place in the league standings after coming off an 83-70 defeat against College of Charleston on Saturday. It was the third loss in a row for Hampton, which is navigating through its first season as a member of the CAA after spending four seasons as a member of the Big South Conference from 2018-2022.
• Hampton is averaging 68.3 points on 39.3 percent shooting, including 32.9 percent from 3-point range, to go with 33.7 rebounds, 11.0 assists, 4.5 steals and 2.2 blocks per game, while allowing 77.4 points on 46.9 percent shooting, including 37.7 percent from 3-point range. The team is connecting on 68.4 percent from the free throw line and is second in the CAA in free throw attempts at 20.4 chances per game.
• Jordan Nesbitt is the Pirates' leading scorer at 15 points per game, one of three double-digit scorers for the team. The sophomore guard is also second on the team in rebounds (6.5) and assists (84).
• Senior Marquis Godwin is averaging 12.9 points per game and has knocked down a team-high 74 treys per game. Russell (Deuce) Dean is the Pirates' third-leading scorer at 12.8 points per game while dishing out a team-best 116 assists.
• Edward Joyner, Jr. is in his 14^th season as the head coach at Hampton. He has posted a record of 212-229 at the helm of the Pirates men's basketball program including three trips to the NCAA Tournament.
 
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 with a contest versus CAA co-leader College of Charleston on Thursday, Feb. 16. That game is set for a 7 p.m. tipoff time.