ELON, N.C. – Starting a stretch of three home contests in its next four games, the Elon University men's basketball team hosts North Carolina A&T on Thursday night, Feb. 13. Tip-off between the Phoenix (15-10, 6-6 CAA) and the Aggies (4-21, 0-12 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 with the pregame show beginning 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 is the second matchup of the season between the two Piedmont Triad rivals and the 20^th overall in the all-time series. North Carolina A&T leads Elon with a 12-7 ledger.
• Elon and N.C. A&T last met on Jan. 2 in the CAA-opener for both teams in Greensboro, N.C. The Phoenix grinded out a 75-67 victory over the Aggies, winning its third straight over its I-40 rival. TJ Simpkins had 19 points to pace the Phoenix (10-4, 1-0 CAA), as Elon won its first CAA road-opener since Jan. 7, 2016, at James Madison. Nick Dorn had 13 points for the maroon and gold while Andrew King added a season-high 11 points. Sam Sherry and Matthew Van Komen contributed with 10 each with Van Komen registering a double-double with 10 rebounds.
• The last time Elon hosted the Aggies at home, the Phoenix came away with a 77-59 victory at Schar Center on Jan. 6, 2024. Sam Sherry had 20 points with nine rebounds to lead the maroon and gold.
 
LAST TIME OUT
• Elon closed out its two-game road swing at College of Charleston last Saturday. The Phoenix overcame a double-digit deficit early in the second half to force overtime, but ultimately the Cougars came away with an 88-83 win.
• Elon had four players score in double figures with Nick Dorn leading the way with 21 points. Sam Sherry had 19 while TK Simpkins added 17. TJ Simpkins had 14 points off the bench for the maroon and gold.
• In the first half, Charleston held a 20-12 lead, but the Phoenix was able to rally to eventually tie the game at 30-all with 7:28 left in the first period. Charleston went on a 10-0 run to retake the advantage and went into the locker room at the half ahead 44-36.
• The Cougars took a 10-point lead, 48-38, with 18:12 left in regulation, but Elon continued to keep pace and eventually took the lead, 68-67, with just under two minutes left in the second half.
• After the Cougars hit a three to take a 70-68 advantage, Dorn was fouled on a three-point attempt with six seconds left in regulation. The sophomore hit all three shots from the charity stripe to give Elon a 71-70 lead. CofC however drew a foul on the other end, but split its two free throws to force overtime.
• In overtime, a 10-2 run late in the third period helped the Cougars pull away from the Phoenix and secure the 88-83 win.
• It was the Phoenix's first overtime game since Dec. 5, 2019, at High Point. It was also the Phoenix's sixth straight overtime loss.
 
SCOUTING NORTH CAROLINA A&T
• North Carolina A&T is led by second-year head coach Monté Ross who is 4-21 on the season and 0-12 in CAA play. The Aggies are coming off a 66-62 setback at Campbell last Saturday and last won a game on Dec. 28 versus North Carolina Central.
• N.C. A&T is averaging 72.4 points on 41.3 percent shooting, including 30.8 percent from 3-point range, while allowing 78.9 points on 45.3 percent from the field, including 31.9 percent from 3-point range. The Aggies are hitting 68.5 percent from the free throw line. They rank 22^nd in the nation in turnovers/game (10.0).
• Sophomore Jahnathan Lamothe has led the Aggies in scoring in their past two games, averaging 17.5 points per game. On the season, the Maryland transfer is putting in 12.0 points per game on the season while ranking second on the squad with 7.4 boards per contest. Another sophomore, Nikolaos Chitikoudis, is averaging a near double-double with 10.5 points per game and a team-high 8.9 rebounds per contest. He has also blocked 33 shots on the year. Junior guard Camian Shell ranks 33^rd in the country in assist/turnover ratio at 2.69, which is second in the CAA.
• Ross has a 143-230 overall record in his 12th season as a head coach, including an 11-46 mark in his second season at North Carolina A&T. He spent 10 seasons as the head coach at Delaware from 2006-16, posting a 132-184 record with three winning seasons and postseason berths to the NCAA Tournament and the College Basketball Invitational (CBI).
 
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 15-9 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
Elon travels to UNCW on Saturday, Feb. 15, for a road contest versus the Seahawks. Game time is scheduled for 7 p.m. and will stream on FloCollege (FloHoops).