News-Record.com

ELON -- Elon coach Ernie Nestor has been associated with Southern Conference basketball long enough to know that anything is possible in the league.

The Phoenix wasn't the cream of the conference's crop for most of last season, but peaked during the conference tournament. Seventh-seeded Elon defeated No. 10 Georgia Southern, No. 2 Chattanooga and No. 6 College of Charleston to reach the final, before falling to mighty Davidson in the championship game.

The Phoenix finished 14-19, but won seven of its last 11 games. With 11 players returning, including the preseason all-conference senior duo of Brett James and Ola Atoyebi, another deep postseason run is possible.

Elon is picked to finish second in the North Division behind Chattanooga, but Nestor doesn't concern himself with the predictions; he's just happy the season has begun.

"The thing about now is you can say this, that and the other, but the bottom line is you just have to get into these games and see how you're playing," said Nestor, who begins his fifth season at Elon.

Elon found out how much work it needs Saturday when it opened the season with a 92-47 loss at West Virginia. The Phoenix faces Southern Virginia tonight at Alumni Gym in the home opener.

"The vast majority of the (early) games are nonconference opponents and it prepares your team," Nestor said. "(The Southern Conference) is a challenging league."

In addition to the West Virginia game, tough nonconference dates include trips to Virginia Tech and Maryland.

The Phoenix's 2008-09 squad is a "nice mix" of returning players (starters Atoyebi, James and junior Adam Constantine) and fresh faces, Nestor said.

Atoyebi, a 6-foot-8 forward, will be counted on to clean up the boards (6.3 per game last season) and score inside. He averaged a shade over 12 points per game as a junior. James has been a model of consistency since arriving on campus. He appeared in every game as a freshman and has averaged 12.3 points his last two seasons as a starter.

James, an athletic 6-5 swingman, also crashes the boards well (5.4 rpg last season).

Constantine, a 6-8 forward, is an intriguing piece to the puzzle. He had team highs of 12 points and eight rebounds against West Virginia.

Sophomore Chris Long and junior Devan Carter will start in the backcourt. Long averaged 7.2 ppg in 33 appearances last season, and Carter saw action in 28 games.

Senior forward Monty Sanders will bring experienced minutes off the bench, along with junior forwards T.J. Douglas and Scott Grable.

Guards Josh Bonney and Drew Spradlin are the only true freshmen on the roster. Bonney was the only player off the bench to see more than nine minutes against West Virginia. He played 19 minutes, but committed seven turnovers.

The Phoenix has the experience and the depth to rekindle last year's run. Now it's just a matter of going to work.

"You just try to grow as much as you can and give your team a chance to be successful," Nestor said. "We just hope we keep everyone healthy and keep them moving in the right direction."