ELON – Elon men's basketball head coach Billy Taylor announced the program's 2026-27 newcomer class on Wednesday, featuring 11 additions through the transfer portal and high school/prep ranks.
 
The group includes seven transfers and four incoming freshmen, adding a mix of depth, experience, size and skill as the Phoenix prepares for the 2026-27 season. The 11 newcomers join a group of six returners that includes scholarship student-athletes Bryson Cokley, Randall Pettus II and Iker Garmendia.
 
Below is a breakdown of Elon's 2026-27 newcomers.
 
TRANSFERS
Marko Šarenac
Forward | 6-10 | 220 | Senior | Zrenjanin, Serbia | Barry University/Weber State 

• Joins Elon for his fourth collegiate season after signing with the Phoenix in May 2026.
• Spent the 2025-26 season at Barry University, earning All-Sunshine State Conference Third Team honors.
• Started 28 of 29 games at Barry, averaging 14.2 points and 11.3 rebounds while shooting 52% from the floor.
• Set a Barry single-season record with 328 total rebounds and posted 18 double-doubles.
• Previously spent two seasons at Weber State, appearing in 44 games for the Wildcats.
• Played for Serbia's U18 national team and helped lead the team to a third-place finish at the U18 European Championships.

 
Josh Dalton
Forward | 6-10 | 220 | Sophomore | Statesville, N.C. | LMU 

• Joins Elon after spending his freshman season at LMU.
• Played in 29 games for the Lions in 2025-26, averaging 3.6 points and 2.6 rebounds in 13.0 minutes per game.
• Shot 45.1% from the floor and 33.3% from 3-point range during his freshman season.
• Scored in double figures four times, including a season-high 15 points behind four 3-pointers at Pepperdine.
• Posted a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds in his collegiate debut against Lincoln.
• Helped lead Central Cabarrus High School to the 2024 North Carolina 3A state title as a senior before finishing his prep career at Golden State Prep.

 
Korbin Dixon
Guard | 6-5 | 190 | Junior | Milton, Ontario | Emory & Henry 

• Signed with the Phoenix in April 2026 following two seasons played at NCAA Division II Emory & Henry (Va.).
• Earned All-South Atlantic Conference Second Team honors following the 2025-26 season.
• Appeared in all 29 games with 28 starts as a sophomore, averaging a team-best 17.9 points per game to rank third in the SAC.
• Added 3.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 46.1% from the floor and 36.4% from 3-point range.
• Scored a career-high 32 points in a win over King.
• Played his prep basketball at Wilbraham & Monson Academy after coming from Milton, Ontario.

 
Hunter Harding
Center | 7-1 | 255 | Senior | Toronto, Ontario | Indiana State/Central Michigan 

• Joins Elon for his fourth collegiate season after signing with the Phoenix in May 2026.
• Spent the 2025-26 season at Indiana State, appearing in 13 games with three starts.
• Averaged 1.8 points and 1.2 rebounds in 7.2 minutes per game while shooting 76.9% from the floor.
• Played his first two collegiate seasons at Central Michigan, appearing in 29 games with 11 starts.
• Averaged 4.3 points and 1.6 rebounds while shooting 72.2% from the floor during the 2024-25 season.
• Graduated from Royal Crown School in Toronto, where he helped lead the program to Ontario SBA championships in both his junior and senior seasons.

 
Isaiah Mbeng
Guard | 6-1 | 183 | Junior | Potomac, Md. | East Carolina/William & Mary 

• Joins Elon after spending the 2025-26 season at East Carolina.
• Appeared in all 31 games for the Pirates, highlighted by a career-high 18 points, eight rebounds and six assists in a win over UTSA.
• Dished out a career-high nine assists against UAB.
• Began his collegiate career at William & Mary, earning CAA All-Rookie Team honors in 2024-25.
• Averaged 5.7 points, 3.4 assists and 1.5 steals in 32 games as a freshman with the Tribe.
• Led William & Mary with 110 assists and 48 steals while ranking among the nation's top freshmen in assists and steals per 40 minutes.
• Played a postgraduate season at Prolific Prep Post Grad after graduating from Winston Churchill High School in Potomac, Maryland.

 
Cam Thrower
Guard | 6-3 | 195 | Graduate | Manhattan Beach, Calif. | Penn 

• Joins Elon after spending four seasons at Penn.
• Appeared in 27 games with six starts in 2025-26, including starts in both of Penn's Ivy League Tournament wins and its NCAA Tournament game against Illinois.
• Earned Ivy League Tournament all-tournament honors after helping lead Penn to the tournament title.
• Averaged 6.0 points per game and knocked down 26 3-pointers while shooting 41.9% from beyond the arc in 2025-26.
• Scored a career-high 19 points in Penn's overtime win over top-seeded Yale in the Ivy League Tournament final.
• Played his prep basketball at Harvard-Westlake in California, where he was an all-state selection and McDonald's All-America nominee.

 
Raúl Villar
Guard | 6-3 | 205 | Sophomore | Barcelona, Spain | Charlotte 

• Joins Elon after spending his freshman season at Charlotte.
• Appeared in 32 games with one start for the 49ers in 2025-26, averaging 3.2 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 12.0 minutes per game.
• Came to the college ranks after playing in the FC Barcelona system, including time with FC Barcelona Regal U18.
• Has extensive international experience with the Spanish National Team youth program.
• Helped Spain win the 2025 FIBA U18 EuroBasket, averaging 9.0 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game during the tournament.
• Also represented Spain at the 2024 FIBA U17 World Cup.

 
HIGH SCHOOL/PREP NEWCOMERS
Dacen Petty
Guard | 6-5 | 180 | Freshman | Forest City, N.C. | Christ School 

• Forest City, North Carolina, native signed with the Phoenix in April 2026.
• Played two seasons at Christ School in Arden, N.C., after starting his prep career at East Rutherford High School.
• Led Christ School in scoring as a senior in 2025-26, averaging 16.3 points per game.
• Added averages of 3.4 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.4 steals during his senior season.
• Made more the 100 3-pointers in his two-year career at Christ School, including 64 as a junior in 2024-25 to help the Greenies three-peat as NCISAA 4A state champions.
• Also played for Upward Stars SE 3SSB.

 
Ben Safran
Guard | 6-1 | Freshman | Toronto, Ontario | New Hampton School (N.H.) 

• Rounded out his prep career with three years played at New Hampton School in New Hampshire.
• Helped lead New Hampton to the National Prep Championship Sweet 16 as a senior in 2026.

 
Brady Sehlhorst
Forward | 6-7 | 205 | Freshman | Glenview, Ill. | Winchendon School

• Signed with Elon during the early signing period in November.
• Played a postgraduate season at Winchendon School (Mass.) earning All-NEPSAC honorable mention honors.
• Graduated from Notre Dame College Prep (Ill.) in 2025.
• Was a two-time ICBA All-State selection at Notre Dame College Prep.
• Averaged more than 23 points, five rebounds and two assists per game while setting Notre Dame College Prep's single-season scoring record with 671 points in 2024-25.
• Played for Meanstreets on the Nike EYBL circuit.

 
Caleb Zhu
Forward | 6-10 | 210 | Freshman | Markham, Ontario | Royal Crown School 

• Signed with the Phoenix in April 2026.
• Developed into one of Canada's top frontcourt prospects while playing four years at Royal Crown School (Toronto, Ontario).
• Named the 2025-26 OSBA Defensive Player of the Year and collected OSBA Third Team honors the same season.
• Averaged 21.0 points and 12.0 rebounds per game during the 2025 NPH Showcase season.
• Earned a call-up to Royal Crown's Senior National Team after beginning his prep career in the program's younger-team structure.
• Helped Royal Crown capture a National Preparatory Association championship.

 
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