2025 North Carolina Sports Network
NC Basketball Spotlight, 10-Year Snapshot:
Elon University
By David Glenn
North Carolina Sports Network
School: Elon University
Location: Elon, N.C.
NCAA Division I Member Since: 1999-2000
Conference: Coastal Athletic Association (CAA)
CAA Member Since: 2014-15
CAA Ranking Among 31 Leagues (KenPom): 16th (2025), 19th (2024), 26th (2023), 14th (2022), 19th (2021), 18th (2020)
NCAA Tournament Bids: 0
Conference Titles: 0
Conference 1st-Place Finishes: 0
Head Coach: Billy Taylor (51 years old, 3rd season at Elon)
As A Player: Notre Dame (1991-95)
Record as Head Coach (through Jan. 24): 200-217 (.480) in 13+ D1 seasons; 35-49 (.417) in 2+ seasons at Elon
Previous HC Experience: Lehigh (2002-07), Ball State (2007-13), D2 Belmont Abbey (2016-19)
College AC Experience: Notre Dame (1998-99), UNC Greensboro (1999-2002), Iowa (2013-16; 2019-22)
Assistant Under: John MacLeod, Fran McCaffery
2023-24 Record: 13-19, 6-12 (11th in 14-team CAA)
2024-25 Preseason Prediction (Coaches): 12th in 14-team CAA
2024-25 Record (through Jan. 24): 14-6, 5-2 CAA
2024-25 Midseason Ranking (KenPom): #136 nationally (2nd in CAA)
Upcoming Schedule: Charleston (1/25), Hofstra (1/30), Northeastern (2/1), at Campbell (2/6), at Charleston (2/8), North Carolina A&T (2/13), at UNCW (2/15)
The 2024-25 season is one of the most intriguing in Elon basketball history.
For starters, two of the Phoenix’s best players are identical twins. Junior TK Simpkins and sophomore TJ Simpkins are former New York City prep stars who joined Elon after playing for one of the top junior college programs in the nation, Northwest Florida State.
“It’s unique to have twins, one who is right-handed and one who is left-handed, so it kind of helps us keep them straight sometimes,” third-year Elon coach Billy Taylor said. “We are really excited to have them both and their ability to affect the game, speed, athleticism, tenacity and ability to score the ball.”
The Phoenix also have the tallest player of their 26 seasons competing at the Division One level. Starting center Matthew Van Komen, a 7-foot-4, 260-pounder who previously competed for Utah, Saint Mary’s and Hawaii Pacific, is the third-tallest player in major college basketball this season and ranks in the top 10 nationally in blocked shots.
Most importantly, after losing only one starter to the transfer portal after last season, Elon may have the best team of its entire tenure at the top level of college hoops.
“We were not hit as hard as some other programs in the transfer portal,” Taylor said. “So the way we grow and develop our program is through the four-year model.”
Sophomore guard Nick Dorn and senior forward Sam Sherry, two of this year’s starters, both signed with Elon straight from the high school ranks. Dorn is in his second season as a full-time starter for the Phoenix, Sherry his third. Like the Simpkins brothers, both players are double-digit scorers this season.
With a 14-6 mark in late January, this year’s team actually has a shot at the best record in the program’s Division One history. Elon finished 21-12 under coach Matt Matheny in 2012-13, when the Phoenix played in the Southern Conference.
For now, among North Carolina’s 19 Division One men’s basketball programs, Elon remains one of only three schools (with High Point and relative newcomer Queens) still seeking its first NCAA Tournament bid.
The CAA competition (e.g., UNCW, Charleston, William & Mary, Towson) is tough again this year, but for the first time in a long time, the idea of the Phoenix earning an invitation to the Big Dance doesn’t seem like an impossible dream.
2024-25 Elon Phoenix
(14-6, 5-2 CAA; through Jan. 24)
STARTERS (stats = 2024-25 numbers)
G Andrew King, r-So. (6-3/189) — 2024 Illinois-Chicago transfer (redshirt)
24 mpg, 4 ppg, 4 rpg, 36% FG, 55% FT, 28% threes, 60/37 ATO, 1 block, 8 steals
G TK Simpkins*, Jr. (6-4/184) — 2023 NW Florida State transfer (backup)
27 mpg, 14 ppg, 4 rpg, 43% FG, 70% FT, 32% threes, 37/28 ATO, 4 blocks, 19 steals
G Nick Dorn*, So. (6-7/200) — 2-star signee in 2023 (Chambers HS in Charlotte)
30 mpg, 15 ppg, 4 rpg, 39% FG, 81% FT, 37% threes, 16/21 ATO, 0 blocks, 5 steals
F Sam Sherry*, Sr. (6-11/240) — 3-star signee in 2021 (Cumberland Valley HS in PA)
30 mpg, 15 ppg, 8 rpg, 49% FG, 78% FT, 34% threes, 35/28 ATO, 10 blocks, 11 steals
C Matthew Van Komen, Gr. (7-4/260) — 2024 Hawaii Pacific transfer (part-time starter)
22 mpg, 6 ppg, 8 rpg, 76% FG, 57% FT, 0 threes, 14/31 ATO, 45 blocks, 3 steals
KEY RESERVES (stats = 2024-25 numbers)
G TJ Simpkins, So. (6-5/185) — 2024 NW Florida State transfer (2nd-team All-Panhandle)
28 mpg, 16 ppg, 4 rpg, 43% FG, 78% FT, 24% threes, 64/47 ATO, 8 blocks, 30 steals
F Isaac Harrell, So. (6-8/195) — 2-star signee in 2023 (Jonesboro HS in AR)
22 mpg, 4 ppg, 4 rpg, 42% FG, 63% FT, 32% threes, 11/13 ATO, 6 blocks, 14 steals
F Brayden Crump, r-Fr. (6-8/220) — 2-star signee in 2023 (Winston-Salem Christian)
16 mpg, 5 ppg, 3 rpg, 46% FG, 68% FT, 17% threes, 3/4 ATO, 3 blocks, 7 steals
F Kendall Campbell, So. (6-8/243) — 3-star signee in 2023 (Combine Academy in Lincolnton)
6 mpg, 1 ppg, 1 rpg, 53% FG, 40% FT, 0 threes, 5/2 ATO, 3 blocks, 1 steal
Departures from 2023-24: G Zac Ervin (r-Sr.), G Rob Higgins* (Ss.), G Max Mackinnon* (So./transfer/Portland), G JaDun Michael (Sr.), G LA Pratt (So./transfer/Northeastern)
*—2023-24 starter (started at least 50% of Elon’s games last season)
Elon Phoenix
10-Year Snapshot
Season: Overall, League (Place), Postseason
2023-24: 13-19, 6-12 CAA (11th), no postseason (Billy Taylor)
2022-23: 8-24, 6-12 CAA (9th), no postseason (Billy Taylor)
2021-22: 10-22, 7-11 CAA (7th), no postseason (Mike Schrage)
2020-21: 10-9, 4-7 CAA (8th), no postseason (Mike Schrage)
2019-20: 13-21, 7-11 CAA (7th), no postseason (Mike Schrage)
2018-19: 11-21, 7-11 CAA (6th), no postseason (Matt Matheny)
2017-18: 14-18, 6-12 CAA (7th), no postseason (Matt Matheny)
2016-17: 18-14, 10-8 CAA (4th), no postseason (Matt Matheny)
2015-16: 16-16, 7-11 CAA (8th), no postseason (Matt Matheny)
2014-15: 15-18, 6-12 CAA (8th), no postseason (Matt Matheny)
*—conference champion
NOTE: In the coming weeks and months, please visit the North Carolina Sports Network’s 2024-25 profiles and 10-year snapshots for all 19 Division One men’s basketball programs in North Carolina and all 18 Atlantic Coast Conference programs. The items below will become “live links” as new articles are posted.
Appalachian State Mountaineers, Sun Belt Conference
Boston College Eagles, Atlantic Coast Conference
California Golden Bears, Atlantic Coast Conference
Campbell Camels, Coastal Athletic Association
Charlotte 49ers, American Athletic Conference
Clemson Tigers, Atlantic Coast Conference
Davidson Wildcats, Atlantic-10 Conference
Duke Blue Devils, Atlantic Coast Conference
East Carolina Pirates, American Athletic Conference
Elon Phoenix, Coastal Athletic Association
Florida State Seminoles, Atlantic Coast Conference
Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs, Big South Conference
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, Atlantic Coast Conference
High Point Panthers, Big South Conference
Louisville Cardinals, Atlantic Coast Conference
Miami Hurricanes, Atlantic Coast Conference
North Carolina Tar Heels, Atlantic Coast Conference
North Carolina A&T Aggies, Coastal Athletic Association
North Carolina Central Eagles, Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
North Carolina State Wolfpack, Atlantic Coast Conference
Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Atlantic Coast Conference
Pitt Panthers, Atlantic Coast Conference
Queens Royals, Atlantic Sun Conference
SMU Mustangs, Atlantic Coast Conference
Stanford Cardinal, Atlantic Coast Conference
Syracuse Orange, Atlantic Coast Conference
UNC Asheville Bulldogs, Big South Conference
UNC Greensboro Spartans, Southern Conference
UNC Wilmington Seahawks, Coastal Athletic Association
Virginia Cavaliers, Atlantic Coast Conference
Virginia Tech Hokies, Atlantic Coast Conference
Wake Forest, Atlantic Coast Conference