ELON, N.C. – The Elon University men's basketball team begins a two-game road swing this week with a visit to Campbell on Thursday night, Feb. 6. Game time between the Phoenix (15-8, 6-4 CAA) and the Camels (12-11, 7-3 CAA) is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the John W. Pope, Jr. Convocation Center and Gilbert Craig Gore Arena.
 
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 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 Phoenix and the Camels meet for the second time this season and the 41^st time in their series histories. Elon leads the all-time series over Campbell, 25-15.
• The two teams met previously on Monday, Jan. 13 in Elon with the Phoenix coming away with an 81-68 victory at Schar Center. Sam Sherry and Nick Dorn combined for 45 points as Sherry scored 23 points while adding his sixth double-double of the season with 10 boards. Dorn connected on his fifth 20-point game with 22 points while going 5-of-10 from three-point range. TJ Simpkins added 12 points while flirting with a triple-double with eight rebounds and six assists while Brayden Crump contributed with 11 off the bench.
• Elon will look for its first win at Campbell since Dec. 3, 1999, when the maroon and gold defeated the Camels 59-56. Brendon Rowell scored 16 points off the bench with David Hall adding 11 points and George Dennis had 10.
 
LAST TIME OUT
• The Phoenix snapped its season-long two-game losing streak with a 71-60 victory over Northeastern last Thursday. The win was also the 250^th career victory for Elon head coach Billy Taylor.
• Elon saw five players score in double figures with Nick Dorn leading the way with 19 points. TK Simpkins added 15 while Matthew Van Komen had a double-double with 14 points and 14 rebounds, both season-highs for the Lehi, Utah, native. TJ Simpkins (11) and Sam Sherry (10) rounded out the double-figure scorers for the Phoenix.
• The game was close early on with eight lead changes and five ties through the first 10 minutes of action. A dunk by Van Komen tied the game at 15-all with 9:37 in the opening half, but Northeastern went on a 7-0 run to lead 22-15 with six minutes remaining in the period.
• Elon came back with a 13-4 run to take the lead at 28-26. TK Simpkins was able to get a floater in the paint to give the Phoenix the lead with 49 seconds left until the break. Northeastern however tied the game on a Rashad King jumper to knot the game at 28-all going into the half.
• Both teams traded baskets to start the second half as a Sherry jump hook tied the game at 30-30. That sparked an 8-0 run for the Phoenix with TK Simpkins scoring the next five points followed by a three by Dorn to give Elon a 38-30 advantage.
• The Phoenix started to pull away, pushing its lead to 16, 65-49, with 3:26 left in the period. The Huskies would get their deficit back to nine, 67-58, with just under a minute remaining, but Elon would secure the win with defensive stops and makes at the charity stripe to complete the 71-60 victory
 
SCOUTING CAMPBELL
• Led by longtime head coach Kevin McGeehan, the Camels have been one of the hottest teams in the CAA as Campbell is 12-11 and 7-3 in the CAA. Going into Thursday's matchup, Campbell has won five straight after a 75-52 win over Hofstra last Saturday.
• Campbell is averaging 71.6 points on 44.2 percent shooting, including 33.3 percent from 3-point range, while allowing opponents to score 66 points on 44.3 percent shooting, including 28.4 percent from 3-point range. The Camels rank 18^th in the nation in free throw percentage as they are connecting on 78 percent from the charity stripe.
• Six players are averaging between 14 points to seven points per game for the Camels, including two double-digit scorers. Sophomore Colby Duggan paces the Camels with his 14.2 ppg while hitting 50 percent of his shots from the field. He scored a season-high 29 points in the first matchup this season versus the Phoenix.
• Jasin Sinani is second on the team at 12.7 ppg and leads the team in assists with 62. Both Duggan (39) and Sinani (36) are two of three players for the Camels who have hit 30 or more triples this season along with Nolan Dorsey (34).
• During his time as the head coach at Campbell, McGeehan has helped the Camels win four conference titles while being named the Big South Coach of the Year in 2018-19. He has posted an overall record of 181-193 at the helm of the Campbell program, including five winning seasons.
 
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 15-8 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
Elon continues its road trip to College of Charleston on Saturday, Feb. 8. Tip-off between the Phoenix and the Cougars is set for 6 p.m. at TD Arena and will stream on FloCollege (FloHoops).