Post by Deleted on Feb 6, 2014 11:50:42 GMT -5
This has been our best rivalry since entering the SoCon IMO. 2 regular season games left as conference opponents. I hope we can work out the details to keep this series going. It would be a shame to drop it. Honestly, I'd like to see G move to the CAA. They are the odd/out being the only SoCon school with no football, nor any plans for football. But that is a topic for another day.
Tonight the Spartans come to Alumni Gym losing 4 of their last 5, but they are always wildcards. At some point in the season they always seem to break out of a slump and go on a winning streak. A couple of years ago they surprised Davidson at Belk. However, I think breaking out tonight will be a tough task for them, primarily due to Alumni being one of the toughest places to play in the SoCon. It should be LOUD tonight as the full student body is back this week for the first week since mid December. We should be able to handle them in the paint, but if Potts and Paulos get hot their is no telling what the outcome might be. I'm expecting a great game, but I'm also expecting a Phoenix win in the Nest.
Here's what the paper has to say:
New energizing bench role works for Elon's Samson
Tanner Samson
Elon's Tanner Samson, below Duke's Tyler Thornton in this photo from last season, has a new role for the Phoenix in recent games.
The Associated Press
By Adam Smith / Times-News
Published: Thursday, February 6, 2014 at 01:36 AM.
ELON — Tanner Samson hasn’t viewed his removal from the Elon men’s basketball team’s first-string lineup as a demotion, and thus he hasn’t altered his approach to games.
It’s still spot up, catch and launch from long range, just like always.
And he has connected with improved frequency in the two games, both of them victories, since he shifted from starter to sub off the bench.
“It’s been a pretty easy transition, and I don’t think it’s affecting my game,” the sophomore guard said. “I’ve just got to stay focused over there, and I just think bringing energy off the bench is one of the biggest things I’m trying to do.”
Consider it energy supplied in the form of 3-pointers.
After starting Elon’s first 21 games of the season, Samson has gone 7-for-14 from beyond the arc as a ready-to-shoot reserve.
He hit four 3s and scored 15 points — his highest output since Dec. 17 — in Elon’s defeat of Western Carolina a week ago. Then he followed that with three 3s and 11 points Saturday, when the Phoenix won at Appalachian State.
“Everybody’s goal right now is just to get wins,” Samson said. “As long as we’re playing well as a team, everyone’s happy.”
Elon can pick up its third straight Southern Conference victory tonight when nearby rival UNC Greensboro visits.
It was a recent three-game losing skid, punctuated by two winless games on the road, that prompted Elon coach Matt Matheny to insert guards Jack Isenbarger and Kevin Blake in the starting lineup while pulling Samson and Austin Hamilton from the first unit — effectively swapping backcourts.
Matheny said before that decision was enacted, he took Samson and Hamilton aside to let them know not to consider the moves a punishment.
“I felt like they deserved that,” Matheny said. “It just was made because we felt like we wanted to change the pace and rhythm of the way we were playing. And I think what has encouraged me the most about the change is the way Austin and Tanner both have played. They’ve both given us very good minutes, albeit in different timeslots.”
For Elon, tonight marks what will be the first of two meetings with UNCG separated by 14 nights.
UNCG, after starting 3-1 in the league, has lost four of its last five games.
Tip-off
Who: UNC Greensboro (11-13, 4-5) at Elon (12-11, 5-3)
When: 7 tonight
Where: Alumni Gym, Elon
Series: Elon leads 22-13 and has won the last eight meetings, including a regular-season sweep and conference tournament victory last season
Tip-in: Ryley Beaumont is seven points shy of becoming the fourth senior on Elon’s team with 1,000 career points. Lucas Troutman, Jack Isenbarger and Sebastian Koch are the others.
Tonight the Spartans come to Alumni Gym losing 4 of their last 5, but they are always wildcards. At some point in the season they always seem to break out of a slump and go on a winning streak. A couple of years ago they surprised Davidson at Belk. However, I think breaking out tonight will be a tough task for them, primarily due to Alumni being one of the toughest places to play in the SoCon. It should be LOUD tonight as the full student body is back this week for the first week since mid December. We should be able to handle them in the paint, but if Potts and Paulos get hot their is no telling what the outcome might be. I'm expecting a great game, but I'm also expecting a Phoenix win in the Nest.
Here's what the paper has to say:
New energizing bench role works for Elon's Samson
Tanner Samson
Elon's Tanner Samson, below Duke's Tyler Thornton in this photo from last season, has a new role for the Phoenix in recent games.
The Associated Press
By Adam Smith / Times-News
Published: Thursday, February 6, 2014 at 01:36 AM.
ELON — Tanner Samson hasn’t viewed his removal from the Elon men’s basketball team’s first-string lineup as a demotion, and thus he hasn’t altered his approach to games.
It’s still spot up, catch and launch from long range, just like always.
And he has connected with improved frequency in the two games, both of them victories, since he shifted from starter to sub off the bench.
“It’s been a pretty easy transition, and I don’t think it’s affecting my game,” the sophomore guard said. “I’ve just got to stay focused over there, and I just think bringing energy off the bench is one of the biggest things I’m trying to do.”
Consider it energy supplied in the form of 3-pointers.
After starting Elon’s first 21 games of the season, Samson has gone 7-for-14 from beyond the arc as a ready-to-shoot reserve.
He hit four 3s and scored 15 points — his highest output since Dec. 17 — in Elon’s defeat of Western Carolina a week ago. Then he followed that with three 3s and 11 points Saturday, when the Phoenix won at Appalachian State.
“Everybody’s goal right now is just to get wins,” Samson said. “As long as we’re playing well as a team, everyone’s happy.”
Elon can pick up its third straight Southern Conference victory tonight when nearby rival UNC Greensboro visits.
It was a recent three-game losing skid, punctuated by two winless games on the road, that prompted Elon coach Matt Matheny to insert guards Jack Isenbarger and Kevin Blake in the starting lineup while pulling Samson and Austin Hamilton from the first unit — effectively swapping backcourts.
Matheny said before that decision was enacted, he took Samson and Hamilton aside to let them know not to consider the moves a punishment.
“I felt like they deserved that,” Matheny said. “It just was made because we felt like we wanted to change the pace and rhythm of the way we were playing. And I think what has encouraged me the most about the change is the way Austin and Tanner both have played. They’ve both given us very good minutes, albeit in different timeslots.”
For Elon, tonight marks what will be the first of two meetings with UNCG separated by 14 nights.
UNCG, after starting 3-1 in the league, has lost four of its last five games.
Tip-off
Who: UNC Greensboro (11-13, 4-5) at Elon (12-11, 5-3)
When: 7 tonight
Where: Alumni Gym, Elon
Series: Elon leads 22-13 and has won the last eight meetings, including a regular-season sweep and conference tournament victory last season
Tip-in: Ryley Beaumont is seven points shy of becoming the fourth senior on Elon’s team with 1,000 career points. Lucas Troutman, Jack Isenbarger and Sebastian Koch are the others.