Elon men’s basketball’s starting center Matthew Van Komen is transferring to Marshall University. He announced his decision on social media May 9.
Van Komen, who stands at 7-foot-4, was dominant in the paint for an Elon team that heavily relied on his size. He led the team in rebounds per game with an average of 7.9 and an impressive 75 blocks. That block total ranked in the top 20 in the nation and he was top 10 in blocks per game. He also added an average of 6 points per game.
Of the nine Elon players to enter the portal, Van Komen is the seventh player to officially transfer, leaving only sophomore Kendall Campbell and junior Deandre Smart as players who are in the portal but have not yet transferred. Van Komen’s departure means all five members of the starting lineup from the 2024-25 season are no longer on the roster.
The Phoenix has started to fill these holes, however, as it has gained six players from the portal so far. Most notably is Northern Kentucky transfer Randall Pettus II, who averaged 7.1 points and 2.8 rebounds per game and was efficient from beyond the arc, knocking down 37 3-pointers, second most on the team. Additionally, Elon will be filling the absence of Van Komen’s height with Liberty transfer Bryson Spell and New Hampshire transfer Caleb Middelton. Spell is 6-foot-9 and Middelton towers at 6-foot-11. Middleton is currently a freshman who played in 24 games this season and averaged 3.4 rebounds and 3.2 points per game. Spell, a redshirt junior, played in only 13 games this past season — a decrease from the previous year.
Van Komen is joining a Marshall team that went 20-13 last season and finished fifth in the Sun Belt Conference. Marshall has experienced some postseason success, making the NCAA Tournament five times officially, with its most recent trip being in 2018. Elon has never made it to the NCAA Tournament in its Division I history.
Elon Athletics did not respond to Elon News Network’s immediate request for comment.