ELON, N.C. – Riding a four-game winning streak, the Elon University men's basketball team faces ETSU for its next test on Wednesday night, Dec. 18. The Phoenix (7-3) and the Buccaneers (6-5) are scheduled for a 7 p.m. tipoff at Freedom Hall.
 
HOW TO FOLLOW
• The game will stream on ESPN+ on Watch ESPN or the ESPN app.
• Listen to the Elon Sports Network from Learfield IMG College's coverage on The Varsity Network app.
• Longtime voice of the Phoenix, Taylor Durham, will be on the call along with the pregame show beginning at 6:30 p.m. EST
• 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
• Elon and ETSU will be meeting for the seventh time all-time on Wednesday. The Buccaneers hold a 4-2 ledger over the Phoenix.
• The Phoenix won the most recent contest versus ETSU last season with Elon coming away with a 79-76 victory at Schar Center. Elon's last win in the series versus ETSU came during the 2004-05 campaign when the two teams were members of the Southern Conference.
• Both teams last played at ETSU on January 15, 2005, with the Buccaneers coming away with a 79-67 win on their home floor. Scottie Rice led the Phoenix with 21 points, shooting four-for-five from behind the arc. Rice also tallied six assists and three steals. Brian Waters added 16 points while Chris Chalko posted 15 points.
 
LAST TIME OUT
• The Phoenix won its fourth straight game with a 114-52 win over Virginia University Lynchburg on Saturday, Dec. 14. Elon led for the entirety of the contest while scoring over 100 points for the second time this season.
• The Phoenix (7-3) set a school record for rebounds with 68 boards while also scoring a season-high 67 points in the opening half. TJ Simpkins paced a balanced scoring attack for the Phoenix with his 16 points, followed by 12 from TK Simpkins and Kendall Campbell. Nick Dorn added 11 points while Jameel Rideout and Matthew Van Komen both contributed with 10.
• Elon led 67-17 at halftime over the Dragons and connected on 52 percent (46-of-89) from the field with 25 assists. The 46 field goals made are the most for the Phoenix since having 47 versus Central Penn on Dec. 7, 2014, and is the fourth-highest mark in school history. The Phoenix's 25 assists are the most for the team since having 25 against James Madison on January 17, 2022.
• The Phoenix surpassed its previous rebound record of 67, which was set three different times, the latest coming against VUL on Dec. 2, 2014. Elon dominated the glass with 36 rebounds on the defensive end and 32 on the offensive boards with the Phoenix turning those opportunities into 27 second-chance points.
• Deandre Smart made his season debut for the Phoenix as the junior forward scored nine points with six rebounds. Campbell had a season-high in points while grabbing five rebounds. Rideout reached the double-figure column for the first time at Elon after the Philadelphia native was 4-of-8 from the floor.
• Elon improved to 2-0 all-time versus VUL while extending its overall win streak to four games. It is the longest win streak for the maroon and gold since Feb. 207, 2021, after the Phoenix defeated UNCW, 80-77.
 
SCOUTING ETSU
• Led by second-year head coach Brooks Savage, ETSU is 6-5 on the season, including 5-1 at home. The Buccaneers are coming off a 60-52 setback at Jacksonville on Saturday in the SoCon/ASUN Challenge.
• ETSU is averaging 75.0 points on 44.6 percent shooting, including 35.6 percent from 3-point range, while allowing 67.7 points on 43.3 percent from the field, including 29.8 percent from 3-point range. The Buccaneers are connecting on 58.1 percent from the free throw line.
• Four players are averaging in double figures led by senior guard Quimari Peterson's 17.6 points per game, connecting on 51.3 percent from the field and 44.0 percent from the three-point line. Senior Jaden Seymour (16.7 ppg.), graduate John Buggs III (12.1 ppg.) and junior Karon Boyd (10.7 ppg.) are also averaging in double figures. Boyd is pulling down a team-high 6.7 boards per game while Seymour is second at 6.6 rpg. Buggs III has knocked down a team-best 32 treys, hitting at 41 percent.
• The Buccaneers went 19-16 overall last season including an 8-10 ledger during SoCon play. ETSU was predicted to finish third in the 2024-25 SoCon Preseason poll while seeing two players – Peterson and Seymour – were selected to the preseason all-conference team.
• Savage is in his second season as the head coach at ETSU. In his first season as the Buccaneer head coach in 2023-24, Savage led ETSU to 19 wins – the most since the 2019-20 season – as well as a trip to the Southern Conference Tournament championship game.
 
PRESEASON PRAISE
• Junior guard TK Simpkins was named to the 2024-25 Preseason All-CAA as the league announced its preseason awards on Oct. 18. Simpkins is the second Phoenix to earn a spot on the All-CAA preseason team in the past two seasons.
• The Brooklyn, N.Y., native was the Phoenix's top scorer at 13.8 points per game and in total assists with 90. He also finished second on the squad at 4.7 rebounds per game while pacing the Phoenix in free throws made at 128 while hitting 74 percent from the charity stripe.
• During the CAA season, Simpkins upped his scoring average to 14.6 per game and tied for the team-lead in rebounds per contest (4.9) while dishing out 3.7 assists per game. He was also active on the defensive end, recording 45 steals on the season. He scored in double figures 21 times in 2023-24.
 
2023-24 REWIND
• The Phoenix returned nine players from its squad a season ago including three starters. Overall, Elon brings back 54 percent of its scoring, 66 percent of its rebounding, 43 percent of its assists and 41 percent of its three-point field goals from 2023-24.
• Elon is coming off a season ranking third in the CAA in three-point field goal percentage (35.2), fourth in three-point attempts (24.4) and fourth in steals per game (6.3). The Phoenix also posted its first winning record on its home floor at Schar Center for the first time in the seven-year facility (excluding the truncated 2020-21 COVID season).
• Along with Simpkins, Elon's other returning starters are senior forward Sam Sherry and sophomore guard Nick Dorn. Both players averaged over nine points per game while starting at least 22 games for the maroon and gold.
• Head coach Billy Taylor begins his third season at the helm of the Phoenix men's basketball program. Taylor helped the Phoenix to post its first winning record at the Schar Center last season while also helping the maroon and gold earn a pair of wins versus teams with an RPI/NET rating of 150 in UNCW and Delaware.
 
TICKETS ON SALE
• Single-game tickets are available for purchase on ElonTickets.com. Single-game tickets begin at $20 for men's basketball. Fans are able to purchase a book of 10 ticket vouchers for $100. These vouchers are redeemable for a ticket to any Elon men's regular season home game. 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.
• Elon men's basketball season tickets are just $170. For Phoenix Club donors at the Elon Society level, courtside seats are $210, and access to the Sunbrella Club is $360. The Sunbrella Club provides private access to a cash bar and food buffet catered by Harvest Table with a rotation of menus for each game.
• For more information, visit ElonTickets.com or call the Elon Ticket Office at 336-278-6750.
 
UP NEXT
The Phoenix hosts UNCG in its final game before the holiday break on Saturday, Dec. 21, at Schar Center. Game time is scheduled for 7 p.m. and will stream on FloCollege.