ELON, N.C. – The four-game homestand for the Elon University men's basketball team ends on Saturday night, Feb. 1 as the Phoenix (14-8, 5-4 CAA) hosts Northeastern (12-10, 4-5 CAA) at Schar Center. Game time 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
• Elon and Northeastern have met on the basketball hardwood 20 times going into Saturday's matchup. The Huskies lead the all-time series, 13-7, and have won the past two contests.
• Last season, the Phoenix was swept by the Huskies in both regular season meetings. The most recent game came on Feb. 22, 2024, with Northeastern coming away with a 61-58 victory on its home floor. Nick Dorn led four players in double figures for Elon with his 14 points while Sam Sherry had a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.
• The Phoenix's last win in the series came during the 2022-23 season as Elon earned a 74-73 come-from-behind victory in Boston. Jerald Gillens-Butler scored the last five points in the game for Elon including the game-winning layup with nine seconds left. He was one of three players that scored in double-digits for the maroon and gold.
• Elon took a 79-62 verdict over Northeastern on Dec. 29, 2021, for its last home win over the Huskies at Schar Center.
 
LAST TIME OUT
• Elon was handed its second straight loss on Thursday as the Phoenix suffered a 74-63 setback against Hofstra. The loss is the first time that the maroon and gold has lost back-to-back games so far this season.
• The Pride led by as much as 14 in the opening period, but Elon closed out the half on an 11-4 run including a buzzer-beating three-pointer by Nick Dorn that cut the Phoenix's deficit to seven, 39-32, going into the break.
• Elon would trim its deficit to four, 39-35, to start the second half, but an 11-2 run by Hofstra would put the hosts down by double digits as the Pride led 50-40 by the first media timeout of the second half.
•Hofstra would take its largest lead of the game, 63-49, with 8:21 left to play. Elon would get its deficit back under single digits, 69-61, but would be held to two points the rest of the game.
• The Phoenix was led by TJ Simpkins and his 18 games off the pine while Sam Sherry added his seventh double-double of the year with 16 points and 10 rebounds. TJ Simpkins also tied the team lead with four assists for the maroon and gold.
 
SCOUTING NORTHEASTERN
• In its 19^th season under head coach Bill Coen, the Huskies are 12-10 on the year with a 4-5 ledger in the CAA. Northeastern is coming off a 78-69 win at Hampton on Thursday, its second win in its past three games.
• Northeastern is averaging 70.6 points on 45.8 percent shooting, including 34.2 percent from 3-point range, and connecting on 67.0 percent from the free throw line. The Huskies are allowing just 70.2 points on 44.1 percent shooting, including 36.2 percent from 3-point range. The Huskies are the top shot-blocking team in the CAA at 4.7 rejections per contest, which is 40^th in the country.
• Four players are averaging in double figures led by junior Rashad King's 16.8 points per game. King is also the Huskies' top playmaker with 84 assists while pulling down 6.8 boards per game. Harold Woods is Northeastern's next leading scorer among players who have played in 20 games at 12.1 points per contest and is the Huskies' leading rebounder at 7.4 boards per game. LA Pratt is averaging 11 points in his first season at Northeastern.
• Northeastern went 12-20 last season with a 7-11 record during CAA play. The Huskies were tabbed to finish sixth in the 2024-25 CAA Preseason poll.
• Coen is the all-time winningest coach in Northeastern and CAA basketball history, and has led the Huskies to a CAA-best four regular-season championships since 2006 and two NCAA tournaments over the last 10 seasons. Coen owns the all-time CAA record with 19 tournament wins and 188 regular season and postseason victories.
 
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 14-8 on the year. 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
The second half of the Phoenix's CAA schedule begins next Thursday, Fab, 6, as Elon travels to Campbell for its second matchup of the season versus the Camels. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. at will stream on FloCollege (FloHoops).