Awards chosen by The Pendulum Sports Desk
MVP | Jack Isenbarger | #20 | Sophomore guard
Even with a bum shoulder for most of the season, sophomore guard Jack Isenbarger managed to impress everyone around him.
He was named to the Southern Conference All-Conference team by the coaches, second team All-Conference by the media and the All-Conference tournament second team.
“I thought he earned All-Southern Conference honors,” Elon head coach Matt Matheny said. “I thought he got better defensively. There’s still room to grow there. He’s a threat offensively against anybody we play.”
It was not just his coach that praised Isenbarger.
“He’s probably one of the best shooters in the country,” freshman guard Austin Hamilton said. “As a point guard to have him, you can rely on him to knock down shots. We gell together pretty well, so it was a blast playing with him.”
Best Freshman | Austin Hamilton | #10 | Freshman guard
It is not often that an Elon men’s basketball player, much less a freshman point guard in his first collegiate start, gets on SportsCenter.
But first-year guard Austin Hamilton did it. One of his jumpshots in the second half of the Phoenix’s 58-53 win over the University of South Carolina Nov. 15 was featured as the play shown for the No. 10 selection of Elon’s win on the show’s Nov. 16 Top 10.
“Being an SEC team, that’s a big deal,” Hamilton said. “Being on SportsCenter, that’s just icing on the cake.”
He was named to the Southern Conference All-Freshman team by both the coaches and media despite missing six games because of mononucleosis.
“It was definitely a lot of fun,” he said. “I’ve always dreamed of playing college ball. There were some ups and downs, but I thought we had a pretty good year."
Hamilton will be a key piece of the Phoenix's SoCon hopes next season.
Most Improved | Ryley Beaumont | #21 | Sophomore forward
Needing to work with fellow sophomore forward Lucas Troutman to replace the graduated Scott Grable, Ryley Beaumont stepped up and showed work ethic necessary to play the post on a team desperate for rebounds.
The sophomore forward earned rave reviews from his coach for his toughness.
“He’s the toughest guy we’ve got,” Matheny said. “I think it shows up in rebounding numbers, I think it shows up on winning plays and I think it shows up with the way he communicates to his teammates.”
Beaumont started all 31 games for the Phoenix this year after starting just 10 last season. Highlights came Feb. 18 in a 78-76 overtime loss to Western Carolina, when he picked up his only double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds, and a 93-79 victory over UNC-Greensboro on Senior Night Feb. 25 with a career-high 20 points.
Most Exciting Game | Win vs. College of Charleston | 99-98, 2 OT | Feb. 2
The Phoenix had lost six of seven games coming into a tough home matchup against College of Charleston. The Cougars had routed Elon 63-44 Jan. 14, and the Phoenix’s record had fallen from 7-2 on Dec. 11 to 10-10 after a rough loss to Appalachian State University Jan. 28, a game in which Elon was outplayed in every aspect.
Elon had a 51-34 lead at halftime, but let a 76-67 lead with 3:08 left in the second half slip away to go to overtime tied at 76. But sophomore guard Jack Isenbarger scored eight points in the extra frames, including the game-winning bucket.
Elon senior guard Drew Spradlin, who called the game a “roller coaster of emotions,” cried afterwards.
“It was a big game for us, but it was more the way the game went that was just, from thinking we had it in hand, to thinking we’ve blown it, to thinking we’ve had it in hand, to thinking we’ve blown it," he said after. "It was just a war."