ELON, N.C. – The 2024-25 regular season concludes for the Elon University men's basketball team on Saturday night, March 1, as the Phoenix (17-13, 8-9 CAA) visits Stony Brook (7-23, 3-14 CAA). Game time is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Stony Brook Arena.
 
HOW TO FOLLOW
• The game will air on the CBS Sports Network with Dave Ryan and Vin Parise on the call.
• 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 the pregame show beginning at 5:30 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
• Saturday will be the fifth all-time meeting between the two schools and the third as CAA opponents. Stony Brook holds a 3-1 advantage over Elon in a series going back to 2000.
• Last year, the two teams played in Elon for the first time as league opponents. The Seawolves came away with a 79-64 victory over the Phoenix at Schar Center. Elon had two players score in double figures with Sam Sherry and TK Simpkins scoring 15 points each. Simpkins had a double-double with a career-high 10 assists. Zac Ervin hit a pair of three-pointers, to give him 200 or more triples in his career.
• Elon's last win in the series came in the Phoenix's last visit at Stony Brook on Feb. 2, 2023, where the maroon and gold earned a 69-55 victory. The Phoenix had four players score in double figures with Jerald Gillens-Butler pacing the Phoenix by tying his career-high with 19 points. Max Mackinnon had 15 for the maroon and gold while Sam Sherry and Zac Ervin contributed 13 and 10, respectively.
 
LAST TIME OUT
• The Phoenix began its two-game road swing this week with a trip to Monmouth on Thursday, Feb. 27. The Hawks would get the upper hand over Elon, taking a 79-76 victory to split the season series.
• Elon got off to a fast start, leading the hosts by eight by the first media timeout, 15-7. The Phoenix would lead by as much as 13 in the opening half, 29-16, but the Hawks fought back to make it a six-point game, 42-36, going into halftime.
• The Phoenix would hold a 52-48 lead, but Monmouth responded with an 8-0 run to go in front, 56-52. The Phoenix responded with a 5-0 to retake the lead, 57-56, after Brayden Crump knocked down a three with 9:30 left in the game.
• The game would have nine ties or lead changes over the next five minutes of play. A hook shot by Crump would tie the game at 66-all with 4:49 left in the contest, but Monmouth made a triple to go back up by three, 69-66. An alley-oop to Van Komen brought the Phoenix within one, 69-68, going into the under-four media timeout.
• Elon would make it a one-possession game a few times down the stretch, but could not convert the evasive go-ahead bucket as the Hawks took the 79-76 win.
• Elon saw three players score in double figures with TK Simpkins leading the way with 22 points. Sam Sherry had 20 while Crump scored a season-high 13 off the bench.
 
TK SIMPKINS NAMED CAA CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK
• For his efforts last week, TK Simpkins was named the CAA Co-Player of the Week on Monday, Feb. 24. It was the second career weekly honor for the Brooklyn, N.Y., native.
• Simpkins averaged 29.0 points per game this week while shooting 53.1 percent from the field and 47.1 percent from three-point range. The junior guard scored 28 points in Elon's win over CAA-leader Towson last Thursday, handing the Tigers its first loss since Jan. 4 to snap a 12-game win streak. The Brooklyn, N.Y., native added 30 points on Saturday versus William & Mary, his second 30-point game in his past three outings. Simpkins was also 16-of-21 from the free throw line and had a pair of blocks in both contests for Elon last week.
 
SCOUTING STONY BROOK
• Under seventh-year head coach Geno Ford, Stony Brook has a 7-23 overall record, including a 3-15 mark in CAA play, after posting a win on Thursday against Hofstra, 59-56. The Seawolves are 4-9 at home, including 2-6 in league play.
• Stony Brook is averaging 66.0 points on 41.0 percent shooting, including 33.3 percent from 3-point range, with 33.2 rebounds, 11.3 assists, 5.2 steals and 2.1 blocks per game, while allowing 74.2 points on 47.4 percent shooting, including 35.7 percent from 3-point range. The Seawolves are connecting on 76.0 percent from the free throw line.
• Two Seawolves (CJ Luster II and Joe Octave) are averaging in double figures, while four others (Andre Snoddy, Ben Wight, Jared Frey and Collin O'Connor) are averaging better than 7.9 points per game. Luster II is averaging a team-best 16.1 points on 42.2 percent shooting to go with 93 three-pointers at 42.1 percent. Octave averages 13.3 points while Snoddy averages 9.1 points and a team-high 7.9 rebounds per game.
• Ford has an 85-101 mark in his seventh season at Stony Brook. Ford guided the Seawolves to the CAA Championship Game in the school's second season as a member of the conference in 2023-24. The Seawolves won 20 games for the ninth time in the program's Division I history and the second time under Ford.
 
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 17-13 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 2025 Jersey Mike's CAA Men's Basketball Championship is up next for the Phoenix with the event taking place at the CareFirst Arena in Washington, D.C. from March 7-11.