ELON – The Elon men's basketball team returns to the Schar Center for the first time in two weeks to host Mercer on Saturday afternoon. Tipoff between the Phoenix (4-2) and the Bears is at 4 p.m. ET and the nonconference contest will be streamed via FloCollege.
 
GAME INFORMATION

• Date & Time: Saturday, November 29 | 4 p.m. ET
• Location: Elon, North Carolina | Schar Center
• Watch: FloCollege | PxP: Taylor Durham | Analyst: Will Roberson
• Listen: Elon Sports Network | The Varsity Network App
• Live Stats: Statbroadcast

 
INSIDE THE MATCHUP – ELON vs. MERCER

• Series record: Mercer leads, 2-0
• Elon and Mercer (4-2) will meet for the first time in 25 years. Their last matchup came on Dec. 17, 2003, in Macon, an 80-63 Bears win, following Mercer's 79-67 victory in the 2002-03 season opener in Elon.
• The Phoenix and Bears were supposed to play on Dec. 3, 2020, but the game was canceled due to disruptions from COVID-19.
• Both teams defeated Appalachian State in their most recent games played. Elon blasted the Mountaineers 88-53 in Boone on Monday, while Mercer rallied from a 13-point first-half deficit to defeat App State 75-67 in Macon, Georgia, on Wednesday.

 
STARTING FIVE
1. Second Serving Of SoCon
Mercer marks the second of four Southern Conference opponents on Elon's schedule this season. The Phoenix opened the stretch with a 92–90 overtime win at UNCG on Nov. 8 and will follow the Mercer matchup with back-to-back dates against Furman (Dec. 3) at home and Wofford (Dec. 6) in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Elon was a member of the SoCon for 11 seasons (2003–14), but Mercer is the only one of the four SoCon opponents on this year's slate that the Phoenix did not face during its time in the league, as the Bears did not join the conference until 2014–15.
 
2. Cooking With Cuthrell
Graduate forward and first-year Phoenix Chandler Cuthrell has been an imposing offensive force, ranking second in the CAA and 11th nationally with 22.7 points per game through six outings. He earned CAA Player of the Week honors on Nov. 17 after posting back-to-back career highs of 28 and 29 points against Marshall (Nov. 12) and Gardner-Webb (Nov. 15). After being limited to 15 points on 5-of-8 shooting at Miami last Thursday, Cuthrell bounced back with a dominant 23-point, 11-rebound double-double in Monday's 88–53 road win at Appalachian State.
 
Cuthrell is the only player in the CAA with two 20-point, 10-rebound performances this season, having also reached those marks in the overtime win at UNCG on Nov. 8. He also ranks among the league leaders in free throws made (2nd, 40), free throws attempted (1st, 54), field-goal percentage (3rd, 54.2%), and rebounding (8th, 7.2 RPG). Nationally, Cuthrell is one of only two players averaging at least 22.7 points and 7.2 rebounds per game, joining Charleston Southern's Brycen Blaine.
 
3. Pass The Dimes, Please
The Phoenix continues to share the ball at a superb rate, averaging 16.5 assists per game and leading the CAA with a 1.68 assist-to-turnover ratio. Elon has recorded at least 15 assists in all six games, including a pair of season-high 18-assist outings. Guards DeMarco Johnson and Ja'Juan Carr rank second and third in the league in individual assist-to-turnover ratio at 4.60 and 2.70, respectively. Three Phoenix — Carr (4.5 APG), Johnson (3.8) and Kacper Klaczek (3.0) — are averaging more at least three assists per game; no other CAA team has more than two players above that mark.
 
4. Three-Point Feast
The Phoenix has been both prolific and efficient from beyond the arc, entering Saturday's matchup against Mercer as the CAA leader in 3-point makes (11.5) and attempts (31.0) while ranking second in percentage (37.1%). Junior guard Randall Pettus II has fueled that surge, emerging as a bona fide sharpshooter by hitting 50% (21-of-42) from deep and making multiple threes in every game. He is one of only five Division I players shooting 50% or better from long range on at least 42 attempts.
 
Elon has knocked down double-digit threes in five of six contests, with the lone exception coming Monday at App State (8-of-29) – a game it still won by 35. All eight Phoenix players who have hit a 3-pointer this season have connected on at least three.
 
5. The Key Ingredient
Sophomore Bryson Cokley has quickly become a valuable scoring spark off the bench. The George Mason transfer — who originally committed to Wake Forest out of high school — ranks third on the team at 12.8 points per game while averaging 23.7 minutes and has reached double figures in five of six outings. Cokley played a key role in Elon's 35-point win at App State on Monday, delivering career highs of 18 points on 7-of-13 shooting and nine rebounds. The 6-foot-6 guard has also stepped up on the glass, grabbing 15 total rebounds over the last two games after collecting 10 in the first four contests of the season.
 
UP NEXT
The Phoenix stays home to host Furman next Wednesday, Dec. 3, at the Schar Center. Tipoff is at 7 p.m. ET.
 
SUPPORT THE PHOENIX
Fans can support Elon Athletics through the Phoenix Club. To purchase 2025-26 tickets, visit TicketMaster.com/ElonTickets.
 
STAY POSTED
For further coverage of Elon men's basketball, follow the Phoenix on X (@ElonMBasketball) and Instagram (@ElonMBasketball).