After two conference games, there are only three unbeaten Coastal Athletic Association teams and two of them will meet on Thursday when Elon visits William & Mary. (The other CAA unbeaten team is Charleston).
Elon (11-4, 2-0) has won four in a row. The Phoenix won 76-67 at home against North Carolina A&T in their CAA opener and then beat Hampton 70-62 at home.
William & Mary (8-7, 2-0) won its first two CAA road games, beating Hofstra 74-56 and Stony Brook 83-76.
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Elon at William & Mary Betting Odds
William & Mary is a 2.5-point college basketball betting favorite on BetMGM against Elon with the Over/Under being 152.5.
The moneyline for William & Mary is -150 while it is +125 for Elon.
Elon at William & Mary on TV
This game will be televised on CBS Sports Network.
Game time is 7 p.m. ET on Thursday, Jan. 9.
Elon at William & Mary Prediction
I like William & Mary laying the points. The Tribe is an explosive offensive team.
Under first-year coach Brian Earl, William & Mary leads the CAA in several offensive categories, including scoring (82.6 PPG), field goal percentage (47.6), effective field goal percentage (57.2), three-pointers made (11.5), assists (17.6) and fast break points (14.0). The Tribe is second in three-point percentage (37.0).
William & Mary is just 12th in the 14-team CAA in scoring defense, allowing 76 points per game.
Elon is among the CAA’s top five teams in both scoring and scoring defense. The Phoenix are fifth in scoring (76.8 PPG) and third in scoring defense, allowing 66.3 PPG.
William & Mary’s depth is a strength. The Tribe’s reserves average 37.5 points, which is seventh nationally. Another interesting statistic is that 12 different players have scored in double figures in a game, which is the second most in the country.
The same five players have started each game for the Tribe. Noah Collier, a 6-foot-8 senior, leads William & Mary in scoring (13.8 PPG) and rebounding (5.6). He is highly productive while averaging just 19.1 minutes. Collier also leads the CAA in field goal percentage (.627).
Gabe Dorsey, a 6-foot-6 senior, averages 11.8 points. He is third in the CAA in three-point field goal percentage (431).
Elon’s Nick Dorn, a 6-foot-7 sophomore, is averaging a team-high 16.2 points and also leads the Phoenix with a .391 three-point field goal percentage, which is sixth in the CAA. Dorn scored 24 points in the recent win over Hampton, but he shot just 5 of 15 from the field, including 5 of 14 from three-point range.
Sam Sherry, a 6-foot-11 senior, scored 20 points and shot 10 of 13 from the field in the win over Hampton. Sherry averages 14.0 points and 8.0 rebounds. He is also sixth in the CAA in field goal percentage (.474). Matthew Van Komen, a 7-foot-4 graduate student, is the CAA leader in blocked shots, averaging 3.0 per game. He had six blocks in the win over Hampton.
One thing to note about both teams – neither is adept at the foul line. William & Mary is ninth in the CAA in free throw percentage (.717), while Elon is 12th (.698).
A big edge goes to William & Mary in three-point shooting. The Tribe is shooting .370. which is second in the CAA, while Elon is ninth (.322).
One thing to look at is what pace this game will be played. An up-tempo game favors William & Mary. The Tribe entered Wednesday 39th nationally in adjusted tempo, according to Kenpom.com. Adjusted tempo measures the number of possessions per 40 minutes. The Tribe averaged 71.8, while Elon was 303rd nationally, with an adjusted tempo of 65.7.
