ELON, N.C. – The Elon University men's basketball team continues its two-game road swing this Saturday, Feb. 8 as the Phoenix (15-9, 6-5 CAA) plays at College of Charleston (18-6, 8-3 CAA). Tip-off time is scheduled for 6 p.m. at TD 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 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
• The Cougars lead the all-time series over the Phoenix with a 29-9 advantage going back to the 1992-93 season. During its Division I era (since 1999-2000), College of Charleston is the most-faced team Elon has played with 38 games.
• Charleston has won six straight over the maroon and gold and seven out of its past eight games. Both teams met in Elon earlier this season on Jan. 25 as CofC handed the Phoenix its first home loss of the season, 76-62. TK Simpkins led the Phoenix with 20 points as the junior guard shot 7-of-12 from the field. Sam Sherry and Nick Dorn both added 15 points with Sherry grabbing a team-high seven rebounds.
• Elon's last win in the series came on Feb. 14, 2021, with the Phoenix prevailing with a 66-55 victory in Charleston. Hunter McIntosh led the way for the Phoenix, posting 20 points, four rebounds and three assists. Simon Wright added 15 points and four rebounds on 6-of-7 shooting from the field. Wright also knocked down three triples on the day.
 
LAST TIME OUT
• Elon was handed a 76-58 setback at Campbell on Thursday in the first game of its road swing. The Camels avenged their loss to the Phoenix to split the season series.
• Sam Sherry had 12 points to lead Elon while Nick Dorn and TJ Simpkins both had 11. Elon led early in the game, 7-3, but the Camels went on a 15-4 run to take an 18-11 advantage which they will not relinquish for the remainder of the game.
• Matthew Van Komen had his eighth double-digit rebound effort of the season after grabbing 10 rebounds in the contest. The Lehi, Utah, native also had three blocks, his 15th contest with two or more rejections.
• Elon outshot the Camels at the free throw line as the Phoenix was 17-of-25 from the charity stripe while Campbell was 8-of-10. TJ Simpkins was a perfect 9-of-9 from the line, his third game of the season with nine or more makes
 
SCOUTING CHARLESTON
• Under first-year head coach Chris Mack, the Cougars are 18-6 on the season and 8-3 during CAA play. Charleston defeated North Carolina A&T 66-63 in its most recent game on Thursday at home.
• Charleston is averaging 78.0 points on 45.4 percent shooting, including 34.8 percent from 3-point range, while allowing 74.5 points on 43.8 percent shooting from the field, including 32.0 percent from 3-point range. The Cougars are hitting on 75.1 percent from the free throw line.
• CofC is one of the better rebounding teams in the nation, ranking 43^rd in the country in defensive rebounds per game at 27.04 boards per game. The Cougars are also one of the better passing teams in the country, ranking 46^th in assists per game (16.1).
• College of Charleston has a balanced scoring attack with seven players averaging at least six points or more. Senior Ante Brzovic leads the Cougars in points (18.6 ppg.), rebounds (8.4 rpg.) and blocked shots (27). The 2024-25 CAA Preseason Player of the Year has seven double-doubles this season, tying Elon's Sam Sherry for league-high honors.
• Sophomore guard Tavarez Deywilk is second on CofC with his 14.1 points per game average while knocking down a team-best 50 three-pointers at 43.9 percent. Derrin Boyd (13.8 ppg.) and AJ Smith (11.8 ppg.) are the other double-digit scorers for the Cougars. Senior CJ Fulton is CofC's top playmaker with 147 assists as he ranks first in the country in assist/turnover ratio at 4.74.
• After a two-year coaching hiatus, Mack joined the Cougars as their new head coach for this season. Owning a career record of 296-139, Mack is one of just 19 coaches in college basketball history to lead their team to a No. 1 ranking within the first two years at their school. His teams have participated in the NCAA Tournament in nine of his 12 seasons as a head coach.
 
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
The Phoenix hosts North Carolina A&T on Thursday, Feb. 13 at Schar Center. Game time is slated for 7 p.m. and will stream on FloCollege (FloHoops).