Men's Basketball | 1/8/2026 12:34:00 PM

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• Tonight's game is A&T's Fight 4 Literacy game. A&T is partnering with Champions for Literacy to donate a new or gently used book at the entrance to receive free admission to the game.
• The Aggies have a tough challenge ahead on Thursday when they welcome Piedmont Triad rival Elon to Corbett Sports Center. The Aggies are 0-3 in conference play and face a Phoenix team that averages 86.7 points per game.
• That presents a challenge for A&T because every conference team that has faced this season has scored 80-plus points. Plus, the Phoenix are shooting 47.9 percent from the field over 15 games played this season. Meanwhile, the Aggies are surrendering 84.3 points per game in CAA play, and their conference foes are shooting 49.1 percent from the field.
• However, the Aggies offense has been effective, which could lead to a high-scoring game on Thursday. The Aggies have averaged 77.3 points over their first three conference games on the strength of 43.6 percent shooting.
• A&T is in its fourth season in the CAA and will be playing its first CAA road game of the season. The Aggies are 6-24 on the road in CAA play. Four of those wins came in their first five CAA road games during the 2022-23 season.
• A&T is one win away from surpassing its win total from the previous two seasons, when the Aggies won seven games apiece. A&T is looking for its first winning season ever in the CAA and its first winning season overall since going 11-10 during the 2020-21 season.
• The Aggies have a roster full of transfers, but they are still inexperienced in the Division I men's basketball world. The Aggies' leading scorer, Lewis Walker, is a redshirt freshman after not playing as a true freshman at UMass last season. Starting point guard Dwayne Powell is a sophomore who played at a junior college last season.
• Forward Zamoku Weluche-Ume played one game last season at George Washington University after sustaining a wrist injury. He played only 15 games as a true freshman at GWU. Meanwhile, starting center Amadou Doumbia played 15 games as a true freshman at UMass.
• The Aggie with the most experience is junior guard Trent Middelton, Jr. Going into today's game, Middleton has played in 75 Division I college basketball games. The next-closest Aggie in terms of experience is junior Bryson Ogletree, who has played 34 DI games. Even Will Felton, who graduated from high school in 2021, has only played 24 DI games.
• A&T's Lueron Walker is still eagerly awaiting his return. Walker showcased the ability to score the basketball over the Aggies' first three games, scoring 22, 22, and 25 against South Carolina, S.C. State, and Washington Adventist. He missed A&T's next three games with an ailment before returning on Dec. 6 to score 13 points off the bench in a win over archrival North Carolina Central University (NCCU). He played 21 minutes against Howard on Dec. 9, but has not played since.
• Lewis Walker continues to lead the Aggies in scoring at 18.4 points per game. Walker has scored 20 or more points five times this season. The last time an Aggie freshman had five 20-plus scoring games in a season was Sean Booker during the 2003-04 season.
• The highest scoring average by an A&T freshman in program history was set by James Sparrow, who averaged 15.5 points per game during the 1974-75 season.
• Weluche-Ume has scored in double figures in his last four games. Weluche-Ume, a London, England native, is averaging 14.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game over his previous four outings.  
• The Aggies have two top-10 rankings nationally. A&T ranks third in the nation in free throw attempts per game (29.7), and the Aggies are fifth in the country in free throws made per game (20.5).

SCOUTING ELON

• Elon comes to A&T after a week off from action. In fact, Thursday's game at A&T will mark the Phoenix's first game of the 2026 calendar year.
• The last time out, the Phoenix lost to Charleston 85-81 at the Schar Center on New Year's Eve.
• Martin Kalu led the Phoenix with 19 points on 3-for-6 shooting from 3-point range. Three other Phoenix scored in double figures, including Jlynn Counter, who made all 10 of his free throw attempts to score 16 points. Counter also had nine rebounds and nine assists in the loss.
• Elon brings to Corbett Sports Center the best scoring offense in the CAA, averaging 86.7 points per game. They also lead the conference in 3-pointers made per game (9.8) and 3-point attempts per game (27.9).
• Chandler Cuthrell, a 6-8 forward out of Baltimore, Md., leads the Phoenix in scoring at 21.3 points and rebounds per game (6.7). He also leads the league in points per game and total points (320). He ranks 12th nationally in points per game and 13th in total points.
• Cuthrell has scored 20-plus points 11 times this season, including 28 against Northeastern on 10-for-17 shooting. He had 17 points in Elon's loss to Charleston. Cuthrell is also shooting an impressive 52.6 percent from the floor.  
• Elon guard Ja'Juan Carr leads the Phoenix in assists at 4.7 per game. He also leads the CAA in assist-to-turnover (3.18).
• Billy Taylor is in his fourth season with the Phoenix. He enters the game with a 47-65 record during his time with the Phoenix. He has also had head coaching stops at Lehigh, Ball State and Belmont Abbey.

SERIES

• Elon and the Aggies will meet for the 20th time. It will be the seventh time since both have been fellow members of the CAA.
• A&T leads the all-time series 12-7, but the series is tied 3-3 in CAA conference play.
• The Aggies are 8-2 against the Phoenix in Greensboro, but the Aggies have lost their last two games to the Phoenix at Corbett Sports Center.
• A&T head coach Monté Ross got his first win over the Phoenix last season when the Aggies came away with a 60-59 win at the Schar Center.