ELON, N.C. – The Elon University men's basketball team continues its three-game homestand this week as the Phoenix (8-9, 1-3. CAA) welcomes intrastate foe UNCW (11-5, 2-2 CAA) to Schar Center for a league matchup Thursday night, Jan. 18. Tip-off time is scheduled for 7 p.m.
 
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 Bryson Byrnes 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
• Thursday will be the 31^st meeting between the Phoenix and the Seahawks in a series dating back to 1974. UNCW holds a 16-14 advantage all-time over the maroon and gold.
• UNCW swept the Phoenix in both of its matchups last season. The Seahawks won the most recent contest against the Phoenix with a 62-54 on its home floor on Jan. 16, 2023.
• Zac Ervin scored a season-high 20 points to lead Elon while hitting five three-pointers in the contest. Sean Halloran added 15 for Elon with the Orlando, Fla., native going 6-of-12 from the field.
• The last Elon win in the series came in a 78-65 victory over the Seahawks at Schar Center on Feb. 3, 2022. The win snapped UNCW's 12-game winning streak while keeping the Phoenix undefeated at Schar Center against its intrastate league foe with a 3-0 ledger.
• Since becoming league opponents during the 2014-15 season, the Seahawks hold a 12-8 advantage over the maroon and gold during the regular season and are 2-0 in the CAA Tournament
 
LAST TIME OUT
• Elon hosted Drexel in the beginning of its homestand last Saturday with the Phoenix being handed its first loss at Schar Center this season in an 89-69 setback to the Dragons.
• The Phoenix, who was 6-0 at Schar Center going into the game, was led by Rob Higgins and his 18 points. The fifth-year also drilled 4-of-6 from three-point territory, matching his season-high. Sam Sherry added 13 points while LA Pratt contributed with 12 followed by 10 points from Max Mackinnon to round out the double-digital scorers for Elon.
• Elon was 11-of-23 from three-point range, shooting 37.9 percent from downtown. It was the Phoenix's seventh game of the season with 10 or more triples.
 
SCOUTING ELON
• Elon ranks in the top three of the CAA in effective field goal percentage (2^nd, 53.2), three-point percentage (2^nd, 36.0), bench points per game (3^rd, 29.65) and scoring offense (3^rd, 77.9 ppg).
• Despite the setback last Saturday against Drexel, the Phoenix is still off to one of its best starts ever at Schar Center with its 6-1 ledger. On its home floor this season, Elon is averaging 88.6 points per game while shooting 51.7 percent overall and 40.1 percent from three-point range. The Phoenix is also averaging 40.7 boards per game at Schar Center, giving Elon a plus 9.6 margin over its opponents.
• Mackinnon leads the team in scoring at 12.2 points per game and has scored in double figures in seven straight games, averaging 14.2 points during that stretch. The Brisbane, Australia, native is also second on the team in rebounds at 4.8 boards per game and is third overall in assists with 40. He is also shooting 39.4 percent from downtown.
• Higgins is second on the team with his 11.9 scoring average while shooting 50.7 percent from the field this season. The Middletown, N.J., native is the team's leading scorer during league play so far, averaging 16.3 points per game and has scored in double figures in his last five games. The fifth-year is pacing the Phoenix in assists with 55.
• TK Simpkins is third on the team in scoring at 11.3 points per game. The Brooklyn, N.Y., native set a career-high leading the Phoenix with six assists off the bench versus Drexel with seven points and five rebounds in 23 minutes.
• Sherry is the Phoenix's leading rebounder at 5.0 boards per game and shot blocker with 18 rejections this season, which is sixth overall in the CAA. The junior is averaging 9.4 points per game and shooting 56.6 percent from the field.
• Nick 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 the last five games that he has played in, 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 UNCW
• The Seahawks are off to an 11-5 start with a 2-2 ledger in the CAA. UNCW has won two straight after earning a 79-74 win versus Delaware last Sunday, Jan. 14 in its latest game. The Seahawks are 5-4 on the road this year including an 80-73 victory at No. 12 Kentucky in December.
• UNCW is averaging 81.5 points on 45.9 percent shooting, including 34.4 percent from 3-point range, with 34.5 rebounds, 11.9 assists, 6.6 steals and 2.4 blocks per game, while allowing 72.4 points on 45.0 percent shooting, including 35.1 percent from 3-point range. The Seahawks are connecting on 77.1 percent from the free throw line.
• While Elon's bench unit has been impressive this season, the Seahawks' reserves have been more impressive, ranking sixth in the nation in bench points at 36.69 points per game. UNCW also takes care of the ball very well, ranking third in the country in turnovers per game (8.6) and 10^th overall in turnover margin (4.6).
• Four UNCW players are averaging in double figures led by junior star Trazarien White, who is averaging 20.3 points on 52.6 percent shooting, including a team-best 6.2 boards per contest. Graduate student Shykeim Phillips is averaging 13.8 points on 53.4 percent shooting to go with team-bests in assists (42) and steals (25). Fellow graduate students Maleeck Harden-Hayes (10.1 ppg.) and KJ Jenkins (10.0 ppg.) are also scoring in double figures.
• Takayo Siddle is in his fourth season at the helm of the UNCW men's basketball program. During his time with the Seahawks, he has piloted the Seahawks to a 69-34 overall record, a regular season title in the CAA, two in-season tournament crowns and the 2022 College Basketball Invitational Championship. The Seahawks have advanced to the last two CAA championship games.
 
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
Elon closes out its homestand with a contest versus Northeastern on Saturday night, Jan. 20. The Phoenix and the Huskies will begin play at 7 p.m. with the game being streamed on FloHoops.