ELON, N.C. – The Elon University men's basketball team begins a four-game homestand with a matchup versus Monmouth on Thursday night, Jan. 23, at Schar Center. Tip-off between the Phoenix (13-6, 4-2 CAA) and the Hawks (5-14, 3-3 CAA) 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 analyst Will Roberson as the pregame show begins 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 X (formerly Twitter) by following @ElonMBasketball.
 
THE MATCHUP
• Thursday will be the third all-time meeting between the two teams and the first of two contests this regular season. The Phoenix and the Hawks are deadlocked at 1-1 in the series with both teams winning on each other's home floor.
• Monmouth won the last matchup, 85-70, to spoil Elon's 2024 Senior Day on its home floor. The Phoenix held a 40-32 lead over the Hawks at the half but could not withhold a 53-point second-half surge by the visitors.
• TK Simpkins led the Phoenix with a career-high 31 points on 10-of-16 shooting while also grabbing nine rebounds with five assists. Nick Dorn joined Simpkins in double figures with 11 points. Monmouth's Xander Rice matched Simpkins for game-high honors with 31 points with 22 of those coming in the second half.
• Elon's lone win in the series came during the programs' inaugural meeting as CAA opponents during the 2022-23 season with the Phoenix earning a 75-68 win at Monmouth. Sean Halloran led Elon with 16 points, adding seven rebounds and three assists as all five Elon starters scored in double figures. Elon shot 48 percent from the field and outrebounded the Hawks 40-31 with 14 of those coming on the offensive end.
 
LAST TIME OUT
• A second-half rally fell just short as the Phoenix suffered a 79-77 setback at Delaware on Saturday, Jan. 18, to close out its short two-game road trip. The Phoenix trailed by as much as 19 points in the second half but used a 14-1 run over the last three minutes to get back in the game.
• Four players scored in double figures for the Phoenix with TJ Simpkins leading the way with 21 points. TK Simpkins added 16 off the bench while Sam Sherry added 15. Nick Dorn rounded out the Elon double-digit scorers with 10.
• The Blue Hens opened the game with a 9-0 run and took an 18-point advantage into the locker room at halftime, 49-31. One of the better shooting teams in the league, Delaware shot nearly 59 percent in the first period including going 10-of-15 from three-point range.
• The second half looked more of the same as Delaware matched its largest lead of the game of 19, 68-49, at the halfway point of the period. Elon would cut its deficit below single digits, 70-62, with 6:08 left in the game, but the Blue Hens would lead by as much as 15, 78-63, with 3:34 left to play.
• A Dorn three-pointed sparked a 14-1 rally for the Phoenix with the Phoenix scoring six points at the free throw line. A layup in transition by TJ Simpkins with 38 seconds remaining made it a one-possession game, 79-77, but the Phoenix missed on a couple of chances down the stretch to either take the lead or tie the game.
• The contest concluded Elon's three games in six days schedule after the Phoenix hosted Campbell last Monday and played at Drexel on Thursday before facing the Blue Hens on Saturday.
 
SCOUTING MONMOUTH
• Led by 14^th-year head coach King Rice, Monmouth has a 5-14 record with a 3-3 mark in the CAA after falling at Campbell on Saturday, 81-58. Prior to that setback, the Hawks had won two straight with wins over College of Charleston and at North Carolina A&T.
• Monmouth is averaging 67.6 points on 39.2 percent shooting, including 34.3 percent from 3-point range, while allowing 75.8 points on 44.7 percent shooting from the field, including 33.5 percent from 3-point range.  The Hawks are hitting on 73.4 percent from the free throw line and rank in the top half of the CAA in blocks per game (4.1) and fastbreak points per contest (11.0).
• Two Hawks – Abdi Bashir Jr. and Madison Durr - are averaging in double figures. Bashir Jr. is one of the top scorers in the nation, ranking eighth in points per game (21.1) and fifth in total points. The sophomore guard is also one of the NCAA's top threats from downtown as his 70 makes lead the country while averaging 3.68 three-pointers per game. Durr averages 11.2 points per game and has a team-high 60 assists on the season. Junior Jack Collins leads Monmouth in rebounds at 5.6 per game.
• The winningest Division I coach in school history, Rice has accumulated 212 wins over his career as well as a trio of MAAC Coach of the Year honors and three MAAC regular season titles. He has won the John McLendon National Coach of the Year honor, while being named a finalist for the Ben Jobe Award.
 
TAYLOR HONORED WITH HUGH DURHAM AWARD MIDSEASON COACHING HONOR
• Last Thursday, Elon head coach Billy Taylor was honored as the recipient of the midseason Hugh Durham Award as announced by CollegeInsider.com. The Hugh Durham Award is presented annually to the top mid-major college basketball coach in Division I.
• Taylor has led the Phoenix to one of its best starts in its Division I history this season. Elon is 13-6 on the year for its best 19-game start in school history during its Division I era. The maroon and gold is also 4-2 in the CAA and is currently unbeaten at 7-0 on its home floor at Schar Center.
• Among the notable victories this season for the Phoenix includes Elon's 84-77 win at Notre Dame on Nov. 22. It was Elon's first win over a Power 4 opponent since 2012 and its first win over an ACC foe since 2005.
• The Hugh Durham Award is presented annually to the nation's top mid-major coach. The award is named in honor of Hugh Durham who had retired at the end of the 2004-05 season. Durham is one of just twelve coaches to have led two different programs to the NCAA Final Four (Florida State in 1972 and Georgia in 1983). He is the only coach among that group to have led both schools to their lone Final Four appearance.
 
ELON BASKETBALL LIVE IS BACK
• Elon Basketball Live presented by Select Bank is back on Monday nights at MaGerks Pub and Grill in Elon, N.C., coinciding with the start of the new calendar year and the Phoenix's start in CAA basketball play. The show will run from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday nights with a couple of schedule exceptions.
• Elon Basketball Live is the exclusive chance for fans to hear directly from head women's basketball coach Charlotte Smith and head men's basketball coach Billy Taylor all winter long. The longtime voice of the Phoenix, Taylor Durham, will chat with both Smith and Taylor, along with player guests, about recent and upcoming games.
• Fans are invited to attend the broadcast live and can also listen via The Varsity Network app on their phone or smart device. The show will also be available on Tuesday morning via The Voices of Elon Athletics Podcast on Spotify.
 
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
Elon hosts College of Charleston on Saturday night, Jan. 25, at Schar Center with game time scheduled for 7 p.m. The contest will stream on FloCollege (FloHoops).