After an inconsistent 14-18 season, Elon men's basketball is undergoing a roster reset heading into the 2026–27 campaign.
For the second straight offseason, the transfer portal has dramatically altered the Phoenix roster. A year after losing nine scholarship players, Elon is again navigating turnover, with four departures and five additions signaling another roster transition heading into the next season.
That change begins with the loss of experience.
These departures include junior Isaac Harrell — the longest-tenured scholarship player on Elon’s roster. Harrell’s exit marks the end of a three-year presence within the program and means Elon is losing four of five of its starters from last season. Harrell will continue his career at Tarleton State University in Tarleton, Texas, with two years of athletic eligibility remaining.
Sharpshooter redshirt sophomore Ned Hull also leaves Elon after carving out a consistent role this past season. Hull, known for his perimeter shooting, is transferring to the Virginia Tech Hokies men's basketball. In 2025–26, Hull averaged 4.5 points per game and shot 36% from three-point range, the third-best percentage on the team.
DeMarco Johnson, a freshman guard who emerged as Elon’s primary ball-handler off the bench, is transferring to Marshall University. Johnson originally had multiple Power 4 scholarship offers coming out of high school, including the University of Illinois and St. John’s University. Johnson provided key minutes in relief, particularly in backcourt rotations.
Sophomore Trey O’Neil rounds out the outgoing group after missing the entire 2025–26 season due to injury, leaving his role largely unrealized during his time in maroon and gold. O’Neil appeared in 12 games in his freshman year, scoring a career high of 8 points. He will now play for Rollins College.
The loss of four transfers is the third most in the program’s history since the portal’s creation in 2018.
Countering those departures, Elon has brought in five transfers with varying levels of experience.
Freshman guard Raúl Villar arrives from the University of North Carolina, Charlotte. The Barcelona native was the captain of Spain’s under-18 team in the 2025 basketball World Cup, delivering the game-winning assist for a championship over France. In his freshman year at Charlotte, Villar averaged 3.3 points in roughly 11 minutes per game.
Cam Thrower transfers in from the University of Pennsylvania as a graduate student. The guard helped lead Penn to a March Madness birth last season, scoring 14 points in the first round against the University of Illinois.
Freshman Josh Dalton, originally from Concord, North Carolina, is coming to Elon after spending his first collegiate season at Loyola Marymount University. The 6-10 forward only started playing basketball five years ago at the start of high school, relying on his athleticism and ability to stretch the floor. He scored a season-high 14 points against Saint Mary’s University, an eventual March Madness team.
Two players are also transferring to Elon from the Division II level.
That includes sophomore guard Korbin Dixon, transferring from Emory & Henry University. Dixon averaged roughly 18 points per game in his sophomore campaign, shooting 50% from the field and 34% from the 3-point line.
Dixon continues a pattern for Elon, who has brought in three guards from the Division II level over the past few seasons, including Ja’Juan Carr from last season’s roster.
Elon also welcomes junior Marko Šarenac, who is making his third collegiate stop. The forward originally played at Weber State University, before transferring to Barry University at the Division II level last year. He now brings his post and perimeter skills to the Phoenix.
The incoming transfers join a core that includes sophomore Bryson Cokley and senior Randall Pettus II, both of whom transferred into the program last season and are expected to play key roles moving forward.