ELON, N.C. – A national television appearance is on deck for the Elon University men's basketball team as the Phoenix (9-13, 2-7 CAA) plays at fellow Piedmont Triad rival North Carolina A&T (7-15, 5-4 CAA) on Saturday, Feb. 3. Game time is scheduled for 4 p.m. at Corbett Sports Center.
 
HOW TO FOLLOW
• The game will air on the CBS Sports Network for the Phoenix's second appearance on the network during CAA play. Mike Gleason and Mack McCarthy will be on the call.
• 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 with the pregame show beginning at 3:30 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
• This is the second meeting of the season for both teams after its first matchup on Jan. 6 in Elon. Going into Saturday, the series is tied at 3-3 at the Phoenix's Division I level (since 1999-2000).
• Elon won the aforementioned contest versus its I-40 rival earlier this season, 77-59, at Schar Center. The win was the Phoenix's first CAA win of the season while also its first versus the Aggies since the two became CAA foes.
• Sam Sherry posted a near double-double with 20 points and nine rebounds to lead the Phoenix offensively. He was joined in double figures by Rob Higgins, who scored 17 points with eight assists while Nick Dorn had 15 off the bench with five three-pointers. Max Mackinnon rounded out the double-digit scorers for Elon with 13.
• Elon dominated on the glass, outrebounding the Aggies 53-30. The 53 rebounds tied for the 10th-most for the program in a single-game. It was also the first 50-plus rebound game since the Phoenix grabbed 55 boards at Hofstra in 2022. The maroon and gold also had 18 offensive rebounds, which resulted in 17 second-chance points.
• The Phoenix was 14-of-34 from three-point range during the game. The 14 triples are the most for the team so far this season.
 
LAST TIME OUT
• The Phoenix nearly overcame a double-digit second-half deficit, but was doomed by a last-second layup in its setback to Campbell, 69-67, in its last game on Thursday.
• Campbell's Anthony Dell'Orso converted on a layup with just over a second remaining in the game which made the difference in the contest. The win helped the Camels earn the season sweep over the Phoenix.
• Prior to Dell'Orso's game-winner, the Phoenix had scored 10 unanswered points over the last four-plus minutes to tie the contest at 67-all, erasing its 10-point deficit.
• Sherry was the Phoenix's leading scorer with 15 points. Mackinnon had 13 for the maroon and gold while TK Simpkins and Dorn added 12 and 11, respectively.
 
SCOUTING ELON
• Elon ranks in the top three of the CAA in three-point percentage (3^rd, 36.2), effective field goal percentage (2^nd, 53.0), bench points per game (3^rd, 27.55) and scoring offense (3^rd, 76.5 points per game). The Phoenix sits 36^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 12.3 points per game. The Brisbane, Australia, native is tied for the team-lead in rebounds per game (4.8) while also being second on the team in assists with 58. He is also hitting just under 40 percent of his attempts from downtown (39.6).
• Simpkins is second on the team in scoring at 11.6 points per game while leading the team in total steals with 28 for a 1.5 steals per game average. The Brooklyn, N.Y., native has scored in double figures in four of his last five games, averaging 12.6 points per game. He also leads the team in free throws with 69 and has had four games with nine or more free throw makes.
• Higgins is third on the team at 11.4 points per contest while shooting 47.0 percent from the field. The Middletown, N.J., native has raised his scoring during league play so far, averaging 12.8 points per game. The fifth-year is also pacing the Phoenix in assists with 64.
• Sherry is averaging a shade under double figures at 9.8 points per game. The Mechanicsburg, Pa., native is tied for the team-lead in rebounds per game at 4.8 and has scored in double figures in back-to-back games. He also paces the Phoenix with 25 blocks, ranking fifth in the CAA.
• Elon has had a strong presence at the rim this season, recording 69 blocks through its first 22 games. That total matches the rejections that the Phoenix posted in all of 2022-23.
• 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 Zac 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 Deandre 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 N.C. A&T
• The Aggies are coming off a close win versus Hampton on Thursday, 59-58. It was the second one-point win for North Carolina A&T over the Pirates this season after its 81-80 victory at Hampton on Jan. 15.
• The win over the Pirates snapped a two-game losing skid for the Aggies going into the contest. On the season, N.C. A&T is 7-15 overall on the year, but is 5-4 so far during CAA play.
• North Carolina A&T is averaging 68.4 points on 40.1 percent shooting, including 30.7 percent from 3-point range, with 30.6 rebounds, 10.9 assists, 6.0 steals and 3.5 blocks per game, while allowing 79.0 points on 48.5 percent shooting, including 35.2 percent from 3-point range. The Aggies rank in the top-10 nationally in turnover margin (9^th/9.2), including second in the CAA. N.C. A&T is connecting on 71.6 percent from the free throw line.
• Two Aggies are averaging in double figures led by sophomore Landon Glasper, who is averaging 21.3 points on 36.5 percent shooting, including 31.6 percent from 3-point range, to go with a team-best 54 triples. Another sophomore, Camian Shell, is averaging 11.6 points on 36.9 percent shooting, including 31.9 percent from 3-point range. Junior Jason Murphy leads the team in rebounding (6.7 rpg.) to go with 6.8 points 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 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 hosts Stony Brook to Schar Center next Thursday, Feb. 8 for its first matchup of the season against the Seawolves. Game time is scheduled for 7 p.m. and will stream on FloHoops.