Elon University men's basketball sophomore guard Austin Hamilton injured his leg Monday night against Western Carolina in a big win for the Phoenix.

According to media relations, Hamilton is seeing the team physician today but there is "no official word or diagnosis yet."

This is what Hamilton has brought Elon so far this season:

[box]Austin Hamilton Season Stats Games Played: 16 Points per game: 7.4 Assists per game: 3.3 (1st on team) Rebounds per game: 2.6 Field goal %: .360 Free throw %: .605 Steals: 24 (1st on team) [/box]

If Hamilton was indeed to miss games because of this leg injury, the Phoenix would be losing its starting point guard and a pretty consistent presence on the floor. He doesn't score a whole lot, but he runs the offense when he's on the floor and is a decent defender.

Here's three more things to look at if he is to miss time:

1. Last season's results

Hamilton missed six games last season after coming down with mononucleosis. During those six games, Elon was 3-3. The Phoenix defeated College of Charleston, The Citadel and Appalachian State University from Feb. 2-Feb. 6, 2012, then dropped contests to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Samford University and Wofford College Feb. 9-Feb. 15. So that doesn't really tell us anything.

In the five games he played after his return, Hamilton played a total of 59 minutes and scored just 14 points, the most being 11 against the University of North Carolina at Greensboro Feb. 25, 2012, and the Phoenix went 2-3. Then-sophomore guard Jack Isenbarger and then-junior guard Josh Bonney played most of the minutes at the point while Hamilton was out.

2. Tanner Samson

Hamilton has started 15 of 16 games this season for the Phoenix. Freshman guard Tanner Samson started the first game of the season, a loss to Butler University Nov. 10, and has contributed major minutes off the bench this year. Samson is averaging 4.8 points and 3.1 rebounds per game while only turning the ball over 0.6 times per game while averaging 24.4 minutes per contest off the bench.

Elon head coach Matt Matheny has loved Samson's effort so far, saying several times that the 6-4 guard from Littleton, Colo., has not "played like a freshman." I personally have been quite impressed with Samson's effort after not being sure what to expect out of him.

But if you remember last season, Hamilton got his chance when Isenbarger hurt his shoulder in the first game of the 2011-12 season against the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and impressed from the jump. If Samson starts tomorrow's game against Furman University, it wouldn't be his first college start and I believe he'll be ready.

3. The guard rotation

Last season, then-senior guard Drew Spradlin, Isenbarger, Bonney and Hamilton were the most consistent guys playing the point and shooting guard positions.

This season, the depth at the guard position has improved quite a bit. Isenbarger is struggling a bit on the shooting end of things, but he's ninth in the conference in points per game (14.4) and is third in three-point field goals made per game (2.7). We've already covered Hamilton and Samson.

Bonney has not played much this year, but scored four points and had an assist in nine minutes against Western Carolina. Sophomore guard Kevin Blake has had some decent playing time, but he may be asked to do more if Hamilton is indeed out.

The main rotation has been Isenbarger-Hamilton-Samson with Blake contributing most and Bonney very little. How Matheny handles his bench in the situation Hamilton is out will be something to watch.

The Phoenix faces off with Furman University at 7 tomorrow night in Alumni Gym. Elon sits at 9-7 overall, 2-2 in the Southern Conference, currently fourth in the North Division with a lot of games to play. Furman is 4-11 overall and 1-3 in the SoCon South Division.