ELON, N.C. – The Elon University men's basketball team is back on its home floor this Saturday, Jan. 13, hosting Drexel in a CAA matchup. The Phoenix (8-8, 1-2 CAA) and the Dragons (11-6, 4-0 CAA) are scheduled for a 7 p.m. tip-off at Schar Center.
 
HOW TO FOLLOW
• The game will stream on the 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 along with analyst Katie Bennert 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/X by following @ElonMBasketball.
 
TICKETS ON SALE
• Single-game tickets are now available for the 2023-24 Elon Basketball season! Don't miss the action, be there to cheer on your Phoenix! Grab your tickets today and be a part of the excitement in Schar Center!
• The Elon University Department of Athletics has many ticket options available for fans, including season tickets, single-game tickets and voucher books.
• For more information, visit ElonTickets.com or call the Elon Ticket Office at 336-278-6750.
 
THE MATCHUP
• Saturday will be the 20^th time that Elon and Drexel will meet on the court in its series. The Dragons hold an 11-8 advantage over the maroon and gold all-time.
• Both teams split their two matchups last season with each team winning on its home floor. The Dragons took the first meeting, 62-50, in the Phoenix's CAA opener in Philadelphia.
• Elon won the most recent contest over Drexel, 72-58, at Schar Center on Jan. 28, 2023. Sean Halloran led four Phoenix players in double figures with 18 points. Jerald Gillens-Butler and Max Mackinnon contributed with 14 points each while Sam Sherry added 11.
• Elon shot 56.3 percent from the floor (27-of-48), its second-best shooting performance of the season at that point. The Phoenix hit over 65 percent of its shots in the second half and was a sizzling 58.3 percent from downtown (7-of-13) overall.
 
LAST TIME OUT
• The Phoenix played at College of Charleston on Thursday night, Jan. 11 in its most recent game. The Cougars came away with an 80-62 win over Elon as Charleston remained unbeaten in CAA play.
• Elon held a four-point lead in the opening half, 19-15, but the Cougars went on an 8-0 run to take the lead. The Phoenix would tie the contest at 25-all, but would fall behind by seven going into the half.
• In the second half, the Phoenix trimmed its deficit to four, 48-44, with 13:49 left in the game, but could not get any closer before falling to Charleston.
• Elon saw four players score in double figures led by 17 points from Max Mackinnon. The Brisbane, Australia, native also paced the Phoenix with eight boards on the night. Sam Sherry added 13 points while Rob Higgins and Zac Ervin both contributed with 11 each.
 
DORN WINS SECOND STRAIGHT CAA ROOKIE OF THE WEEK HONOR
• For the second straight week and the third time overall this season, Nick Dorn was rewarded as the CAA Rookie of the Week on Monday, Jan. 8. His three CAA Rookie of the Week honors give him the most for any player in the league so far this season.
• Dorn averaged 14.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists in Elon's 1-1 week. The Charlotte native tallied 15 points while tying a season-high with five three-pointers as the Phoenix defeated North Carolina A&T, 77-59. He also netted 13 points in a 77-70 setback at William & Mary. Dorn shot 50% from the floor, including 6-of-13 from beyond the arc, and has scored double digits in four of his past five contests.
 
SCOUTING ELON
• Elon ranks in the top three of the CAA in effective field goal percentage (2^nd, 53.3), overall field goal percentage (3^rd, 46.3), scoring offense (3^rd, 78.5 ppg), three-point percentage (3^rd, 35.9) and bench points per game (3^rd, 30.75 ppg). The Phoenix reserves currently rank 18^th overall in the country in bench points.
• The Phoenix is currently 6-0 on its home floor at Schar Center this season, its best start ever at the six-year facility. The ledger is also Elon's best start at home since the 2017-18 team also began that year at 6-0.
• Mackinnon leads the team in scoring at 12.4 points per game and has scored in double figures in six straight games, averaging 15.2 points during that stretch. The Brisbane, Australia, native is also second on the team in rebounds at 4.9 boards per game and is third overall in assists with 39. He is also shooting 39.4 percent from downtown.
• Higgins is second on the team with his 11.6 scoring average while shooting 50 percent from the field this season. The Middletown, N.J., native is the team's leading scorer during league play so far, averaging 15.7 points per game and has scored in double figures in his last four games. The fifth-year is pacing the Phoenix in assists with 51.
• TK Simpkins is tied with Higgins for second on the team in scoring at 11.6 points per game. The Brooklyn, N.Y., native returned to the Phoenix's lineup at Charleston after missing the previous three games. He played 21 minutes while scoring three points with six rebounds and four assists. He is third in the CAA in steals per game at 1.62.
• Sherry is the Phoenix's leading rebounder at 5.1 boards per game and shot blocker with 16 rejections this season. The junior is averaging 9.1 points per game and shooting 57.3 percent from the field.
• Dorn is averaging 10.7 points per game for the Phoenix in his rookie campaign. He also leads the team with 31 made three-pointers this season while shooting 39.7 percent from downtown. He has scored in double figures in four of his last five games, averaging 13.6 points per game.
• The Phoenix returns eight players from last year's roster for second-year head coach Billy Taylor. Elon was predicted to finish 10^th in the 2023-24 CAA Preseason Poll after going 6-12 in league play last season.
• Along with Mackinnon, other returning starters for the Phoenix include Ervin and junior Sam Sherry. Ervin led the Phoenix in three-point makes last season with 61 while averaging 9.3 points per contest. The 6-foot-5 guard was third on the team in minutes per game (27.5) and assists (47).
• After averaging less than 10 minutes a game as a freshman, Sherry came on strong during his sophomore campaign. The Mechanicsville, Pa., native averaged 9.1 points and 4.3 rebounds per game while blocking a team-high 25 shots. He also finished second on the team in field-goal percentage at 57.8 and ended the year with his first career double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds versus William & Mary at the CAA Tournament.
• The maroon and gold also welcomes back three other veterans in senior JaDun Michael and sophomores Smart and LA Pratt. Michael played in 18 games with five starts, averaging 4.1 points. Pratt saw valuable playing time during his freshman season in which he started eight games while Smart gave the Phoenix valuable minutes off the bench before an injury cut short his season in which he averaged 9.0 points per game while 72.2 percent from the floor. Other returners on the Phoenix include sophomores Otto Luessenhop and Austin Williams.
•Elon welcomes seven newcomers to its roster for 2023-24. Joining the Phoenix are transfers Rob Higgins and TK Simpkins along with incoming freshmen Kendall Campbell, Nick Dorn, Isaac Harrell, Ned Hull and Savion Taylor.
• Among the notable newcomers include Higgins, a transfer from St. Francis Brooklyn College where he spent the past four seasons. A 6-foot-1, 179-pound guard from Middletown, N.J., Higgins tied for the team-lead in scoring this past season at St. Francis Brooklyn, averaging 11.3 points per contest.
• Simpkins is a 6-foot-4, 184-pound guard who was a member of the Northwest Florida State College program last season. The Brooklyn, N.Y., native appeared in 37 games for the Raiders, averaging 8.8 points per game.
 
SCOUTING DREXEL
• The Dragons are off to an 11-6 start while remaining unbeaten in CAA play with a 4-0 ledger. Drexel defeated North Carolina A&T on Thursday, 67-63, in its last game, improving to 4-5 on the road this season.
• Drexel is averaging 72.8 points on 45.9 percent shooting, including 31.7 percent from 3-point range, with 41.3 rebounds, 12.2 assists, 5.5 steals and 4.4 blocks per game, while allowing 63.1 points on 38.9 percent shooting, including 30 percent from 3-point range. The Dragons are connecting on 70.9 percent from the free throw line.
• Four Dragons are averaging 7.5 or more points, including two in double figures, led by sophomore Justin Moore, who is averaging 13.0 points on 41.3 percent shooting, including 29.3 percent from 3-point range. Moore has a team-high 52 assists on the season. Senior forward Amari Williams is averaging 11.6 points on 49.6 percent shooting to go with a team-best 8.0 rebounds and a CAA-best 32 blocks (1.9 bpg). The reigning two-time CAA Defensive Player of the Year is also second to Moore in assists with 34 and in steals with 14. The Nottingham, England, native was named the league's 2023-24 Preseason Player of the Year.
• Drexel was picked third in the 2023-24 CAA Preseason poll. The Dragons posted a 17-15 record, including a 10-8 mark in the CAA, in 2022-23.
• Zach Spiker is in his eighth season as the head coach for the Drexel men's basketball program. During his career with the Dragons, he has posted a record of 104-124 while leading the team to the CAA Tournament championship in 2021.
 
PRESEASON PRAISE
• Sophomore Max Mackinnon received some preseason praise from the CAA as the Brisbane, Australia, native was named to the 2023-24 Preseason All-CAA second team on Oct. 19.
• The reigning CAA Rookie of the Year in 2022-23, Mackinnon is the Phoenix's returning leader in points (11.4 ppg), rebounds (5.1 rpg), assists (2.4 apg) and steals (1.1 spg). Mackinnon is coming off a rookie campaign in which he shot nearly 50 percent from the floor and was named CAA Rookie of the Week selection a league-high four times. He also led the program with three double-doubles and scored in double figures 17 times including four 20-point performances.
• Among Mackinnon's standout games last season included him scoring 19 points at No. 18/21 Indiana, the second-highest point total that a freshman has scored against the Hoosiers at that point of the season. He also scored a season-high 24 points while adding his first career double-double with 12 rebounds at High Point. He also added 20 points and a season-best eight assists at Northeastern while scoring 17 points with a career-best 13 rebounds at No. 22 College of Charleston.
 
UP NEXT
The Phoenix continues its three-game homestand with a matchup with intrastate foe UNCW next Thursday, Jan. 18. That contest is scheduled for a 7 p.m. start and will stream on FloHoops.