Updated as of 12:03 p.m. on Nov. 26 to include more photos.
When Elon University men’s basketball head coach Billy Taylor arrived at Purcell Pavilion for the team’s Nov. 22 matchup against Notre Dame, he led the team through the back garage door — walking through the tunnel like all visiting teams do when they come to play the Fighting Irish. But as Taylor walked through the tunnel, he noticed his old locker room on his right — the locker room that had held his jersey, shoes and all the gear he needed for the four years he spent playing for the Irish in the 1990s.
As Taylor stepped onto the familiar court, he took care to notice the features that had been added since 1995. As he spied the chair-back seating, the jumbotron and the new floor, he reflected on how far Notre Dame’s program has come since he was a team captain 30 years ago. Also working as an assistant coach at Notre Dame for a year to start his coaching career, Taylor said he was grateful for the experiences he had at Notre Dame.
Taylor’s emotional 48-hour whirlwind began before Elon’s monumental 84-77 upset over Notre Dame. The Phoenix’s Midwest road trip began at Northern Illinois University, where the team dominated 75-48. The win was especially significant for Taylor whose parents both attended NIU. Taylor said his father, who died in 2023, also played for NIU and was a large part of why he decided to attend Notre Dame — as well as go into coaching. The wins against both NIU and Notre Dame earned Taylor celebratory Gatorade showers from his players.
“It's one of those moments that you could go your whole coaching career and never have an opportunity like that,” Taylor said in a press conference Nov. 25.
After the win against NIU, the team immediately got on the bus and drove almost three hours to South Bend, Indiana, in the wee hours of the night. As they approached Notre Dame, Taylor began to feel nostalgic as it began to snow. He recognized the cold Midwestern weather he was used to, knowing that he was almost back at the college where his basketball career took off.
After arriving in South Bend on Thursday, Nov. 21, Taylor let the team sleep in and recover from their previous victory. Later that day, the team completed their usual preparation for a game by looking at the scouting report and holding practice. Afterward, Taylor took his team around Notre Dame’s historic campus to show them various historic sights he grew to know during his time as a student-athlete.
“We don't get a chance to do that every road trip, but sometimes there's places where it's a little bit unique. And to have the opportunity to go to the Grotto at Notre Dame, and just to be able to see that, I thought was important for our guys,” Taylor said. “Twenty years from now, when they tell stories of places that they went and it's like, ‘Wow, you went to the Grotto at Notre Dame, or you were at the Golden Dome.’ That's pretty impressive. It's not something that everybody gets a chance to do.”
On Friday, the team had a shootaround before the game. Taylor took one single shot 17 feet away from the basket, and knocked it down, just like he did so many times throughout his 577 points scored during his career with the Irish.
The game itself was a battle of lead changes, where Elon pulled away to win by 7. The Phoenix’s effort was spearheaded by sophomore Nick Dorn, who scored 24 points and knocked down five 3-pointers. Dorn’s performance earned him CAA Player of the Week honors. It was a historic victory for the men’s basketball program as it was their first-ever win over Notre Dame and their first win over an Atlantic Coast Conference opponent since 2005. It was also their first victory over a Power Four opponent since 2012.
“The way we rebounded the basketball, played with pace, shared the basketball, high assist numbers and scored the ball very efficiently was so impressive,” Taylor said.
Junior TK Simpkins dunks during a game against Notre Dame on Nov. 22. Photo courtesy of Elon Athletics.
Dorn said the significance of a potential win to Taylor gave the players extra motivation going into the game.
“That just gave us the extra edge to go out there, play hard and just do all the things that we need to do to win,” Dorn said in a press conference Nov. 25. “We knew that it would mean a lot to him to get that win, so we just tried to put all the pieces together, execute and follow the game plan.”
Taylor said it was hard for the win to sink in, saying that he took many deep breaths to grasp the significance of the moment. He said it took a few days for the win to really take effect and was emotionally exhausting.
“Because the game was so tight for a long time, once we got some separation and made our free throws and won the game, it's like, ‘What's next?’” Taylor said. “Really just wanted to take some time to be able to let down and enjoy the moment because it was so much. And to catch our breath and put into perspective what that type of win against a powerful opponent means for our basketball program.”
Taylor, who had lots of friends and family attend the game, said it was a special experience being back at Notre Dame. He met lots of people who remembered him playing there including people working the scores table and a police officer who has worked Notre Dame games for 50 years. Even his old coach Digger Phelps showed up and talked to Elon before the game. But even those who weren't at the game reached out. By the end of the next day, Taylor had received 175 text messages about the win.
With a close loss against the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and this win over Notre Dame, Elon is off to a fantastic start to the season. Taylor said the start is great for the development of the program.
“We're putting Elon's name in a different context than it's been presented before, and it's exciting for our program in terms of what we're able to accomplish,” Taylor said.
With conference play approaching in January, Taylor said the team isn’t satisfied just yet.
“We certainly hope this is a sign of things that come from our basketball program,” Taylor said. “We certainly are not content. We're going to continue to really work and grind and continue to scratch and claw and develop our guys and hold them accountable so that we can have that continued growth.”
Dorn is also hungry for more. Elon was picked to finish 12th in the Coastal Athletic Association in the preseason, and Dorn said this puts a chip on their shoulder.
“They always have us as the underdogs coming in every game we play, so we won't have anything to lose,” Dorn said. “We just want to make noise. Do everything that we can to make a name for ourselves and be at the top of the CAA when it's all said and done.”