ELON, N.C. – The Elon University men's basketball team closes out the 2022-23 regular season on Saturday, Feb. 25, as the Phoenix (8-22, 6-11 Colonial Athletic Association) hosts Delaware (15-15, 7-10) at Schar Center at 7 p.m.
 
The team will also honor its five-person senior/graduating class of John Bowen III, Jerald Gillens-Butler, Sean Halloran, Andrew Junkin and Torrence Watson with pregame recognition beginning at 6:30 p.m.
 
HOW TO FOLLOW
• Saturday's game will stream 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. along with analyst Chase Williams.
• 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
• Saturday is the 20^th all-time meeting between the Phoenix and the Blue Hens with Delaware holding an 11-8 advantage in the all-time series. The Blue Hens have won seven straight in the series and 10 out of the past 11 meetings.
• This is the second matchup of the season between the two schools. Both teams last played on Dec. 31, 2022, with the Blue Hens earning a 57-52 result in Newark, Del. Zac Ervin led all scorers in the game with 18 points on 6-of-12 shooting while Halloran added 16.
• Since becoming league opponents in 2014-15, Elon is 5-2 all-time versus Delaware at home. One of those victories was Elon's last win over the Blue Hens on Jan. 31, 2019, as the Phoenix prevailed 57-56 on a Tyler Seibring game-winning jumper with 1.6 seconds left.
 
LAST TIME OUT
• Elon closed out its two-game road swing at William & Mary on Thursday, Feb. 23, with the Phoenix suffering a 73-60 loss against the Tribe. The win split the matchup on the season for the Tribe against the Phoenix with both teams going to 6-11 in the CAA standings.
• Max Mackinnon had a game-high 18 points for the Phoenix, continuing his efficient shooting going 7-of-9 from the field. The Brisbane, Australia, native also added five rebounds and tied his season-best with four steals.
• Gillens-Butler added 12 points for Elon while Halloran contributed 10 for the Phoenix, who dominated in scoring in the paint over the Tribe, 36-24.
• The maroon and gold shot 46.2 percent from the floor, but was only 4-of-21 from three-point range. Elon also had 17 turnovers in the contest, contributing to 22 points for William & Mary.
 
AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE, Oi Oi Oi
• Mackinnon was selected as the CAA Rookie of the Week on Monday, Feb. 20, the third straight week he has been recognized with the weekly accolade.
• The freshman helped the Phoenix win two of its three contests last week. Mackinnon scored a game-high 18 points and hit the game-winning free throws in Elon's 70-68 win over Hampton last Monday, Feb. 13. He added his third double-double of the season at Monmouth and ended the week averaging 11.3 points per game, 5.0 rebounds per contest and 3.0 assists per game.
• Mackinnon ties Hofstra's Amar'e Marshall for the most CAA Rookie of the Week honors this season with four. It's also the most for an Elon freshman since McIntosh was selected four times in 2019-20.
 
SCOUTING ELON
• Elon is averaging 66.3 points per game and ranks fourth in the CAA in fastbreak points at 9.33 points per game and fifth in assists (12.4) and defensive rebounds per game (25.1).
• The Phoenix is tied for seventh in the CAA standings with its 6-11 ledger. Elon is tied with Northeastern, William & Mary and Stony Brook, but holds the tiebreaker over the Huskies and Seawolves due to its head-to-head matchup victories over both schools. The Phoenix is also a game ahead of Hampton and Monmouth, with the Phoenix also holding the head-to-head tiebreaker over both schools.
• Halloran continues to lead the Phoenix in scoring at 12.9 points per game and has led Elon in scoring nine times this year. The Orlando, Fla., native has scored in double figures a team-best 24 times.
• Halloran is also the Phoenix's top playmaker with 123 total assists. His 4.1 assist average is sixth 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 third in the CAA in total steals (55) and third in steals per game (1.9). He currently sits only one steal shy of tying Scottie Rice's D-I mark of 56 thefts in 2003-04 and to move in the program's top-10 single-season list all-time.
• Mackinnon is second on the team in scoring at 11.9 points per game and rebounds at 5.3 boards per contest. He has upped those averages to 12.3 ppg and 5.5 rpg during CAA play while shooting 52.2 percent from the floor, which is second in the CAA in league games. He's also scored in double figures in eight of his past nine games and is second to Halloran in assists (74) and steals (34).
• After missing a pair of games because of injury after his game-winner at Northeastern on Feb. 4, Gillens-Butler has scored in double figures in three of the Phoenix's past four games. The Orlando, Fla., native is averaging 12.4 points per game in his last nine contests played.
• Watson has also been a spark on the boards for the Phoenix, averaging a team-high 6.2 rebounds per game. Over his last 10 games, Watson has had four double-digit rebounding games and is averaging 8.9 rebounds per game during that stretch.
• Zac Ervin leads the Phoenix with 59 makes from three-point range and has knocked down 155 treys in his career. The Gate City, Va., native is third on the team in scoring at 9.7 points per game.
• 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 30 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 DELAWARE
• The Blue Hens come into Saturday's matchup on a two-game winning streak. Delaware squeaked by with a 73-71 victory at North Carolina A&T on Thursday. Jameer Nelson, Jr. scored 30 points for the Blue Hens, his second straight 30-point game.
• Delaware is averaging 69.7 points per game while shooting 44.3 percent from the floor and 32.4 percent from three-point range. The Blue Hens are pulling down 32.7 boards per game while averaging 12.0 assists and 7.0 steals per contest.
• Nelson Jr. is second in the CAA in scoring at 20.4 points per game behind Hofstra's Aaron Estrada. The redshirt junior is also the Blue Hens' top playmaker with 92 assists while leading the league in steals (65) and steals per game (2.5).
• Jyáre Davis is the second-leading scorer for the Blue Hens at 15.6 points per game. He also ranks second on the squad with 5.2 rebounds, behind Christian Ray's 8.7 average.
• Martin Ingelsby is in his seventh season as the head coach at Delaware. He has posted a career record of 110-102.
 
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 begins play at the 2023 Jersey Mike's CAA Men's Basketball Championship next week at Washington, D.C., with the tournament kicking off on March 3 through March 7.