Head coach: Matt Matheny
Tenure at Elon: Fifth season
Career coaching record: 58-66
Home court: Alumni Gym
Starters: F Lucas Troutman, F Ryley Beaumont, G Jack Isenbarger, G Sebastian Koch, G Austin Hamilton
Outlook: The Phoenix return all five of last season’s starters, boasting three preseason All-Southern Conference honorees: senior forwards Lucas Troutman and Ryley Beaumont and senior guard Jack Isenbarger. Elon aims to continue its upward trend under Matheny after reaching the semifinals of the Southern Conference tournament last season.
Troutman led the team as the fifth-ranked scorer in the conference with 15.1 points per game in 2012-13 and became the league’s record-holder in blocks in a single season with 64. Earning a berth in the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT) last season, the Phoenix’s momentum has carried the team to the top of the conference's preseason coaches poll for the 2013-2014 season.
One thing that needs to go right: Living up to preseason expectations, Elon claims the Southern Conference title with a win against defending champion Davidson and earns national attention.
One thing that could go wrong: With Duke as the only nationally-ranked team on the Phoenix’s schedule, Elon’s losses to weaker teams add up quickly to spoil postseason hopes.
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