ELON, N.C. – The Elon University men's basketball team continues its two-game road swing on Saturday, Jan. 27, as the Phoenix travels to Hampton for a CAA road bout. The Phoenix (8-12, 1-6 CAA) and the Pirates (4-16, 0-8 CAA) are scheduled for a 2 p.m. tip-off time at Hampton's Convocation Center.
 
HOW TO FOLLOW
• The game will stream 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 along with the pregame show beginning at 1:30 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 only the second time that both teams will face each other on the basketball hardwood with Hampton in its second year in the CAA.
• Elon won the inaugural matchup last season at Schar Center, winning in thrilling fashion 70-68.
• Max Mackinnon scored the Phoenix's last five points with under 40 seconds left in the game including the two go-ahead free throws with four seconds left en route to a game-high 18 points for Elon. Jerald Gillens-Butler added 14 off the bench while Sean Halloran contributed with 10.
• Elon was a perfect 10-of-10 from the free throw line, its first game of the season shooting perfect from the charity stripe.
 
LAST TIME OUT
• The Phoenix began its road trip with a visit to CAA-newcomer Campbell on Thursday. Elon hung tough in the opening half, trailing by only one at the break, but a strong second period from the Camels carried them to a 78-68 win.
• Four players scored in double figures for the Phoenix with Zac Ervin leading the way with a season-high 19 points. TK Simpkins and Rob Higgins each added 12 points while Mackinnon contributed with 10.
• Ervin was 5-of-10 from the floor including 4-of-9 from three-point range. Higgins came off the bench for the first time this season. The fifth-year was 4-of-7 from the floor in 24 minutes.
• Thanks to Ervin and Higgins, the Phoenix scored 36 total points off the bench. It was the ninth game of the season that the Elon reserves has scored 30 or more points.
 
SCOUTING ELON
• Elon ranks in the top three of the CAA in three-point percentage (2^nd, 36.4), bench points per game (3^rd, 28.15), effective field goal percentage (3^rd, 53.3) and scoring offense (3^rd, 76.8 points per game). The Phoenix sits 30^th overall in the nation in bench points per game.
• Mackinnon leads a trio of double-figure scorers for the Phoenix with his team-high 12.2 points per game. The Brisbane, Australia, native leads the Phoenix in total rebounds with 94 with a 4.7 boards per game average while also being tied for second on the team in assists with 47. He is also hitting over 40 percent of his attempts from downtown, the best on the team among players with at least 10 or more made threes.
• Higgins is second on the team at 11.6 points per contest while shooting 48.6 percent from the field and 38.9 percent from downtown this season. The Middletown, N.J., native is also the team's leading scorer during league play so far, averaging 13.4 points per game and has scored in double figures in seven of his past eight games. The fifth-year is also pacing the Phoenix in assists with 62.
• Ervin had his first double-digit scoring outing since putting up 11 at College of Charleston on Jan. 11. The Gate City, Va., native is tied for the team-lead in made three-pointers (34) along with Mackinnon and Nick Dorn while his 191 career made three-pointers is one shy from him entering the program's top-10 career list.
• 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 HAMPTON
• Hampton is 4-16 overall and is searching for its first CAA win while sitting on an 0-8 ledger in league play. The Pirates are coming off a 107-86 setback versus College of Charleston on Thursday at home, its 11^th straight loss.
• The Pirates are averaging 76.7 points on 44.8 percent shooting, including 33.8 percent from 3-point range, with 36.7 rebounds, 13.8 assists, 6.8 steals and 2.6 blocks per game, while allowing 79.7 points on 44.7 percent shooting, including 32.2 percent from 3-point range. Hampton is connecting on 71 percent from the free throw line.
• Six Hampton players are averaging nearly eight or more points per game, including double-digit scorers Kyrese Mullen and Tedrick Wilcox, Jr. Mullen is averaging a team-best 15.3 points per game and is nearly averaging a double-double with 9.3 boards per contest, which leads the CAA.
• Wilcox Jr. is putting up 12.4 points per game and has knocked down a team-high 38 treys this season. He is also pacing the squad in steals with 23. Jordan Nesbitt is third on the team in scoring at 9.6 points per contest and is the Pirates' best playmaker with 52 assists.
• Edward Joyner, Jr. is in his 15^th season as the head coach at Hampton. During his time with the Pirates, Joyner, Jr. has taken the Pirates to the postseason seven times as a head coach: three NCAA Tournament berths, one NIT invitation, two CBI Tournaments and one CIT appearance where the Pirates reached the semifinals in 2019.
 
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 will host Campbell in a rematch next Thursday, Feb. 1, at Schar Center with game time scheduled for 7 p.m. The contest will stream on FloHoops.