ELON, N.C. – The Elon University men's basketball team hosts Piedmont Triad rival North Carolina A&T in its CAA home-opener on Saturday night, Jan. 6 at Schar Center. Tipoff between the Phoenix (7-7, 0-1 CAA) and the Aggies (3-11, 1-0 CAA) 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 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.
 
GAMEDAY PROMOTIONS
• The Elon men's basketball program is dedicating this game to the military members of Alamance County and the surrounding areas.
• Free tickets will be offered to those who show their military ID at the box office on game day. Up to four guests will receive a $5 ticket.
 
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
• Both teams will match up for the second straight season as league foes and for the sixth time overall at the Phoenix's Division I era (since 1999-2000). The Aggies hold a slight 3-2 advantage over the maroon and gold in the series.
• N.C. A&T swept the Phoenix in both CAA contests last season with the Aggies taking an 80-71 win at Elon on Jan. 11, 2023, before concluding the sweep with a 66-61 win on its home floor on Feb. 8, 2023.
• In the most recent game at A&T, Torrence Watson led the Phoenix (5-20, 3-9 Colonial Athletic Association) with 17 points while adding his second double-double of the season with 10 rebounds. Sean Halloran added 12 points while Max Mackinnon contributed 11.
• In the two games last season, Elon shot 36.2 percent from the field against the Aggies while going 31.5 percent from downtown. The Phoenix outscored N.C. A&T 82-71 in the opening half of its two games, but was outdueled by the Aggies 75-50 in the second period.
 
LAST TIME OUT
• The Phoenix began CAA play on the road on Thursday, Jan. 4, at William & Mary. Elon would fall to the Tribe, 77-70, in a tightly contested game.
• Elon had three players in double figures with Rob Higgins leading the way with a game-high 19 points. Max Mackinnon added 14 points while Nick Dorn contributed with 13 off the bench. As a team, Elon shot 43.8 percent from the floor (28-of-64) including a 51.5 percentage in the second half.
• The loss dropped the Phoenix to 3-7 all-time in CAA openers. Elon's last CAA opening win came versus Northeastern in 2021.
• Elon held the Tribe to 6-of-21 shooting from three-point range. William & Mary came into the contest ranked 35th in the nation in three-pointers made at 9.5 per game.
• The Phoenix outscored the Tribe, 23-10, in points off the bench. Both teams were deadlocked with 42 points apiece in the paint.
 
DORN GARNERS SECOND CAA ROOKIE OF THE WEEK ACCOLADES
• Freshman Nick Dorn was named the CAA Rookie of the Week for the second time this season on Monday, Jan. 1.
• Dorn scored 11 points off the bench in the Phoenix's victory over Valparaiso. The Charlotte native also grabbed four rebounds while hitting a pair of treys in his sixth double-digit scoring outing of the season.
• This is the second CAA Rookie of the Week accolade for Dorn this season. He was also recognized by the league office on Nov. 20 and ties Charleston's James Scott for the most rookie weekly honors from the CAA so far this year.
 
SCOUTING ELON
• Elon is looking to extend its unbeaten home ledger of 5-0 at Schar Center on Saturday. It's the Phoenix's best start inside the six-year facility and its best overall start at home since beginning the 2017-18 season 6-0 on its home floor.
• Elon is currently first in the CAA in field goal percentage at 47.7 percent, second in scoring offense at 79.8 points per game and second in the league in effective field goal percentage at 54.6 percent. The maroon and gold is also in the top 20 of the country in bench points at 31.07 points per game with eight games of scoring 30 or more points off the pine.
• TK Simpkins currently leads the Phoenix in scoring at 12.3 ppg. The Brooklyn, N.Y., native has scored in double figures in nine out of the 12 games he has appeared in. He is also third in the CAA in steals per game at 1.7, fourth in total steals with 20 and fifth in the league in free throw attempts with 72.
• Mackinnon is the second-leading scorer for the Phoenix, averaging 12.0 points per game. The Brisbane, Australia, native is second on the team in total rebounds with 63 (4.5 rpg) and third overall in assists with 35. Mackinnon posted his team-leading 10^th double-digit scoring contest this season against the Tribe.
• Higgins leads the Phoenix in minutes per game (29.4) while adding his sixth double-figure contest versus William & Mart. The Middletown, N.J., native is shooting over 52.8 percent from the field and is pacing the team in assists with 40.
• Sam Sherry is the Phoenix's leading rebounder at 5.0 boards per game and shot blocker with 15 rejections this season. The junior is averaging 8.0 points per game.
• Dorn is averaging 10.4 points per game for the Phoenix in his rookie campaign. He also leads the team with 26 made three-pointers this season while shooting 37.1 percent from downtown.
• Zac Ervin played in his 10^0th career game for the Phoenix at William & Mary. The fifth-year also moved into sole possession of 11^th place on the program's all-time career three-pointers list with 181 makes.
• 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 NORTH CAROLINA A&T
• The Aggies are 3-11 overall coming into Saturday's contest, but opened CAA play with a 76-62 win versus Campbell on Thursday. Prior to that game, N.C. A&T had lost three straight.
• N.C. A&T went 13-19 last season while posting an 8-10 ledger in the program's first foray in the CAA. This season, the Aggies were selected to finish 14^th overall in the 2023-24 CAA Preseason Poll.
• As a team, the Aggies are averaging 69.8 points on 40.2 percent shooting, including 30.0 percent from 3-point range, with 30.1 rebounds, 11.7 assists, 6.1 steals and 3.1 blocks per game, while allowing 83.6 points on 50.8 percent shooting, including 38.1 percent from 3-point range. N.C. A&T is connecting on 71.9 percent from the free throw line.
• Two Aggies are averaging in double figures led by sophomore transfer guard Landon Glasper., who is averaging 19.7 points, third in the CAA, on 34.4 percent shooting, to go with 3.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 36.7 minutes per game. Fellow sophomore Camian Shell is averaging 11.1 points on 36.9 percent shooting to go with a team-best 5.2 assists per game.
• Monté Ross is in his first season as the head coach at North Carolina A&T. Prior to joining the Aggies, Ross spent the previous three seasons as an assistant coach with the Temple Owls. Before landing with the Owls, Ross spent 10 seasons (2006-16) as the head coach for the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Delaware Blue Hens.
 
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 travels to College of Charleston next Thursday, Jan. 11, for its next contest against the Cougars. That game is scheduled for 7 p.m. and will stream on FloHoops.