ELON, N.C. – The Elon University men's basketball team continues its four-game homestand on Thursday night, Jan. 30, as the Phoenix (14-7, 5-3 CAA) hosts Hofstra (11-10, 3-5 CAA) at Schar Center.
 
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
• The two teams will meet for the 19^th time on Thursday with the Pride leading the all-time series at 13-5. Hofstra has won the past two games of the series and three of the last four.
• The Phoenix was handed an 87-64 loss at Hofstra in the most recent contest last year. TK Simpkins scored 24 points to lead the Phoenix in the scoring column. The Brooklyn, N.Y., native had six rebounds and four assists while going a perfect 10-of-10 at the free throw line.
• Hofstra has won five straight versus the Phoenix on Elon's home floor. The last home win for the maroon and gold over the Pride came on Jan. 12, 2017, with the Phoenix coming away with a 96-80 verdict. Steven Santa Ana finished with a game-high 29 points on 11-of-16 shooting from the floor, while Dainan Swoope ended the night with 18 points with the pair hitting five three-pointers each. Tyler Seibring added 22 points for Elon.
 
LAST TIME OUT
• The Phoenix hosted College of Charleston last Saturday, Jan. 25. Elon battled the Cougars but ended up falling to Charleston 76-62 for its first home loss of the season.
• Elon was led by TK Simpkins and his 20 points as the junior guard shot 7-of-12 from the field. Sam Sherry and Nick Dorn both added 15 points with Sherry grabbing a team-high seven rebounds.
• The game had 10 lead changes and five ties before the Phoenix went into the second half trailing 35-29. The Cougars however would pull away in the second period to hand the Phoenix its sixth straight loss to Charleston.
• Simpkins had his third 20-point game of the season and the first in league play. The Brooklyn, N.Y., native was also 5-of-7 from the free throw line.
• The Phoenix defended the three-point line against the Cougars, holding CofC to 19 percent from downtown (4-of-21). That is the lowest percentage that Elon has held an opponent to this season.
 
SCOUTING HOFSTRA
• Led by fourth-year head coach Speedy Claxton, Hofstra is 11-10 on the season with a 3-5 ledger in the CAA. The Pride suffered a 69-67 setback in overtime versus Campbell in its last game on Saturday.
• Hofstra is averaging 67.7 points on 43.2 percent shooting, including 34.2 percent from 3-point range, while allowing 64.6 points on 37.7 percent from the field, including 33.5 percent from 3-point range. The Pride are hitting on 74.0 percent from the free throw line. Hofstra is one of the better defensive teams in the NCAA, ranking ninth in the country in field goal percentage defense and 25^th in scoring defense.
• The Pride is a diverse scoring team with eight players averaging four or more points this season, including a pair of double-digit scorers in Jean Aranguren (14.5 ppg.) and Cruz Davis (14.1 ppg.). Aranguren has knocked down a team-high 40 three-pointers and is second on the team in rebounds with 5.6 boards per game. He is also the Pride's top playmaker with 94 assists.
• Davis is tied for second on the team in three-point makes (30), second in assists (83) and has a team-best 31 steals. Senior Michael Graham is the leading rebounder for Hofstra (8.4 rpg.) and shot blocker (31) while hitting 67.8 percent of his shots.
• Hofstra went 20-13 last season with a 12-6 record in league play. This season, the Pride was selected fourth in the 2024-25 CAA Preseason poll.
• The 13^th head coach in Hofstra history, Claxton posted his third 20-win campaign last season. He has also led the program to the CAA regular season title, a spot in the NIT and a victory over Rutgers in the NIT during his career. He has garnered CAA Coach of the Year laurels and was a finalist for the Ben Jobe and Hugh Durham National Coach of the Year awards
 
TAYLOR HONORED WITH HUGH DURHAM AWARD MIDSEASON COACHING HONOR
• Elon head coach Billy Taylor was honored as the recipient of the midseason Hugh Durham Award as announced by CollegeInsider.com on Jan. 16. 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 as Elon is 14-7 on the year. The maroon and gold is also 5-3 in the CAA and has an 8-1 ledger 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's homestand concludes with a visit from Northeastern on Saturday, Feb. 1. The Phoenix and the Huskies will tip-off at 7 p.m. with the game being streamed on FloCollege (FloHoops).