ELON, N.C. – The Elon University men's basketball team closes out non-conference play on Saturday night, Dec. 28, as the Phoenix (8-4) hosts Marshall (7-6) at Schar Center. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.
 
HOW TO FOLLOW
• The game will stream on FloCollege (FloHoops) via a paid subscription.
• 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 Will Roberson 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 Marshall are meeting for the first time on the basketball court on Saturday.
• Marshall will be the eighth team that Elon will have faced in the current Sun Belt Conference during its Division I era (since 1999-2000). The Phoenix has played Appalachian State (9-14), Coastal Carolina (9-4), Georgia Southern (9-8), Georgia State (2-1), James Madison (10-8), Old Dominion (0-1) and Southern Mississippi (0-1).
• UNCW is the only common opponent for the Phoenix and the Thundering Herd this season. Marshall faced the Seahawks on Dec. 7 in Wilmington, N.C., suffering a 78-69 setback. The Phoenix will see UNCW later this season during CAA play on Feb. 15.
 
LAST TIME OUT
• The Phoenix overcame a 14-point halftime deficit to earn a 73-69 win over Piedmont Triad rival UNCG last Saturday, Dec. 21, at Schar Center. The win was the first over the Spartans in six games and improved the Phoenix to 4-0 on its home floor this season.
• Senior Sam Sherry posted career highs in points (28) and rebounds (14) to lead the Phoenix. The Mechanicsburg, Pa., native scored 19 points in the second half to help the Phoenix overcome its largest halftime deficit since 2016.
• TJ Simpkins added 14 points while Nick Dorn contributed with 13. Simpkins made his first start of the season and added five rebounds and a team-high four assists.
• Elon outscored the Spartans 43-25 in the second half and outrebounded UNCG 47-27 overall. The Phoenix nearly had as many offensive rebounds (24) as the Spartans had total rebounds.
• Elon dominated in points in the paint, 36-28, while scoring 24 points off second-chance opportunities compared to five for UNCG.
• For his efforts, Sherry was named the CAA Co-Player of the Week on Monday, Dec. 23. It's the first career weekly honor for Sherry and the second for the Phoenix this season. Dorn was recognized by the league office on Nov. 25.
 
SCOUTING MARSHALL
• Under first-year head coach Corny Jackson, the Thundering Herd are 7-6 on the season, including an 0-5 ledger on the road. Marshall is coming off a 68-66 setback at Southern Mississippi on Saturday in its Sun Belt opener.
• Marshall is averaging 77.3 points on 44.9 percent shooting, including 29.1 percent from 3-point range, while allowing 72.2 points on 44.4 percent from the field, including 33.0 percent from 3-point range. The Thundering Herd are hitting on 67.8 percent from the free throw line. They are averaging 22.9 free throw attempts per game, which ranks 53^rd nationally.
• Four players are averaging in double figures led by graduate student and Akron transfer Mikal Dawson, who is averaging 13.0 points on 41.4 percent shooting with a team-high 35 3-pointers and 20 steals. Fellow grad student Obinna Anochili-Killen is second in scoring at 12.1 points on 55.1 percent shooting with 6.1 rebounds per game and a team-best 21 blocks. Nate Martin (11.1 ppg.) and Dezayne Mingo (10.5 ppg.) are also both averaging in double figures. Martin leads the team in rebounding at 7.8 boards per game while Mingo has dished out a team-high 58 assists.
• Marshall went 13-20 last season with a 7-11 record during Sun Belt play. The Thundering Herd were predicted to finish tenth in the 2024-25 SBU Preseason poll. Martin and Anochili-Killen were both selected to the all-conference preseason team with Martin being a first team nod and Anochili-Killen being named to the second team.
• Cornelius "Corny" Jackson, who played for Marshall from 1998-01, was named the Thundering Herd head coach on March 25, 2024. Prior to his elevation to head coach, Jackson spent the 2017-18 through the 2022-23 season as an assistant coach on the staff before being named associate head coach prior to the 2023-24 season.
 
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 begins the 2025 calendar year with its CAA opener at North Carolina A&T on Thursday, Jan. 2. Game time is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Corbett Sports Center and will stream on FloCollege (FloHoops).