ELON, N.C. – The Elon University men's basketball team and head coach Billy Taylor announced the remainder of its 2023 recruiting class on Thursday, May 18. The Phoenix welcomes transfers Rob Higgins, Oskar Palmquist and TK Simpkins to the team along with incoming freshmen Nick Dorn, Grant Gondrezick II, Ned Hull and Savion Taylor for the 2023-24 season.
The group will join Kendall Campbell and Isaac Harrell from the early signing period this past fall to make up the Phoenix's 2023 nine-member recruiting class.
"One year ago when I got here, the first priority was to establish the foundation and culture of Elon Basketball," said Taylor. "Then our coaching staff began looking towards the 2023 recruiting class, a large class that would impact the future of the program. Our staff has invested a tremendous amount of time, energy and effort into identifying student-athletes who fit our culture and who fit our style of play. We placed a high value on overall skill and versatility while focusing intently on competitiveness and unselfishness. We started off in the early signing period by welcoming two outstanding young men and winners, Kendall Campbell and Isaac Harrell. Now, we are thrilled to welcome these seven student-athletes to complete our recruiting class for 2023."
Higgins arrives as a transfer from St. Francis Brooklyn College where he spent the past four seasons. A 6-foot-1, 185-pound guard from Middletown, N.J., Higgins tied for the team-lead in scoring this past season at St. Francis Brooklyn, averaging 11.3 points per contest including scoring a season-high 21 versus Fairleigh Dickinson. A Northeast Conference (NEC) All-Rookie selection in 2019-20, he finished his career for the Terriers scoring over 1,000 points while dishing out 229 assists. Prior to St. Francis Brooklyn, Higgins played four years of varsity basketball at Middletown North High School. Additionally, he played AAU ball for New Heights NYC. The Jersey Shore native concluded his high school career as one of the most prolific scorers in the history of the Shore Conference, concluding his career with 2,278 points, the third-most all-time in the history of the league. His mother, Alyson, was the captain of the Rutgers dance team while his father, Rob, was a member of the Rutgers football team and played quarterback. He later spent time with the San Diego Chargers.
"Robbie is going to bring a high level of toughness, leadership and experience to our program," said Taylor. "Fans will appreciate his tremendous passion for the game. Robbie has already accomplished some major milestones by surpassing 1,000 points along with over 200 assists during his college career thus far. We are excited to build upon that here at Elon during his final year of eligibility."
Palmquist is a 6-foot-8, 220-pound forward who was a member of the Rutgers men's basketball team for the past three seasons. The Kinna, Sweden, native played in 48 career games for the Scarlet Knights, making a pair of starts. He scored a career-high 13 points versus fellow Big Ten opponent Minnesota last season and is a 35-percent shooter from three-point range in his career. Prior to Rutgers, Palmquist was a member of Sweden's U-20 national team and has represented Sweden in international competition since he was 16 years, also playing with U-18 and U-16 national programs for 20 games in FIBA events. He also attended Marks Gymnasieskola in Sweden and joined Central Point Christian Academy in Kissimmee, Florida for the 2019 season.
"Oskar is an experienced and talented player that has performed at the highest level of college basketball over the last three years along with his international experience with the Swedish National Team," said Taylor. "Oskar is an exceptional shooter from well beyond three-point range and he also has the ability to finish around the basket. Oskar will be a great addition to our front court with his skill and basketball intellect."
Simpkins is a 6-foot-4, 170-pound guard who was a member of the Northwest Florida State College program last season. The Brooklyn, N.Y., native appeared in 37 games for the Raiders, averaging 8.8 points per game including a season-high 27 points versus Coastal Alabama – South. Prior to his stint at NWF, Simpkins attended Liberty Heights Christian during his prep career under head coach AJ Jones and helped the program to the Big Shots Prep National Championship.
"Takai is an ultra-talented guard who will be able to impact both ends of the floor for us," said Taylor. His speed, athleticism and instincts will allow him to be a disrupter defensively and help us turn defense into offense very quickly. Takai's ballhandling, shooting and ability to touch the paint will be key for us as we look to establish a faster tempo and be more aggressive in the coming years. Takai is a winner, so we look forward to his positive impact on our culture."
Dorn is a 6-foot-7, 200-pound guard from Charlotte who competed at Julius L. Chambers High School under head coach Brian Fraiser. At Chambers, Dorn was an All-Conference performer while earning All-District laurels to lead his team to a regular season conference championship. He also stood out in the classroom as a two-time All-Academic student-athlete and was selected to the Queen City All-Star Game. Dorn is also a member of the Anthony Morrow Elite AAU squad under head coach Ashford Gray. He also comes from a family of successful athletes as his father, Torin Sr., played in the NFL for seven seasons while his older brother Myles is currently a member of the Carolina Panthers. His middle brother, Torin Jr., played basketball at NC State and Charlotte.
"Nick is a perfect systematic fit for us at Elon," said Taylor "In addition to being a North Carolina student-athlete with a 4.0 GPA, Nick is a great athlete with versatility, length and an exceptional shooting stroke. Nick has continued to develop during his high school career and with his athletic bloodlines, we feel that the best is yet to come for him."
Another player with strong athletic bloodlines, Gondrezick II arrives from Benton Harbor, Mich., where he played at Benton Harbor High School under head coach Cory Sterling. Gondrezick II led his team to the district and regional championship in 2022 and averaged 25.3 PPG, 4.4 APG, 3.8 RPG and 2.5 SPG while scoring over 1,000 career points. He was named First Team All-State for
Detroit News, BCAM and All Eyes on Michigan Magazine while being named to the Mr. Basketball Top 10 Watchlist for 2023. He was selected First Team All-Conference and earned MVP honors in the league. In the classroom, Gondrezick II was a member of the National Honor Society and the BHHS Class Top 5 Academic. His father, the late Grant Gondrezick, played two seasons in the NBA for the Phoenix Suns while his mother Lisa won the 1988 NCAA Championship at Louisiana Tech. His older sister, Kalabrya, played college basketball at Michigan State and his middle sister, Kysre, was Miss Basketball in Michigan, played for Michigan and West Virginia and currently plays in the WNBA. His late uncle, Glen, also spent six seasons in the NBA.
"Grant is an extremely talented guard with great skills and athletic ability," added Taylor. "He has the ballhandling, passing and range shooting that will be needed from an offensive standpoint. His speed and quickness will also help our program on defense and in creating tempo. On top of that, he has the incredible Gondrezick genes and he will be very exciting to watch play for the Phoenix."
A 6-foot-3, 180-pound guard from Charlotte, Hull spent his prep career competing at Charlotte Latin School under head coach Chris Berger. At Charlotte Latin, Hull was a two-time All-Conference player while earning All-State accolades twice while helping his team to a share of the conference championship and advancing to the final four of the state championships. He scored over 1,000 points in his career and made the St. Pius All-Tournament team. He also was a member of the Pro Skills Basketball AAU team under coach Dan Larkin.
"Ned is one of the best shooters in the state of North Carolina and comes from one of the most consistently successful high school programs in the state," said Taylor. "His offensive abilities, work ethic and winning pedigree make him a perfect fit for the new era of Elon Basketball. Ned is a relentless worker who will quickly earn the respect of everyone affiliated with the maroon and gold."
Taylor is the final member of the Phoenix's recruiting as the 6-foot-4, 210-pound guard joins his father's program this fall. This past year, Taylor competed at The Burlington School under head coach George Marshall where he helped the program win the 2023 2A State championship. He previously played AAU ball with the Iowa Barnstormers with head coach Jamie Pettigrew.
"To have the privilege to coach my son Savion is a dream come true for me as a father," said Taylor. "It also represents an exciting opportunity for our entire family. Savion has been around high-level college basketball his entire life: in our locker rooms, at practices and games, and traveling with our teams. Savion's knowledge and understanding of the game along with his ability to shoot the basketball and make the right basketball plays will be a huge asset for our program. He has overcome so much on his basketball journey and I look forward to this experience where we can help grow Elon Basketball together.
"This class represents a fine balance of transfers with maturity and experience and four-year recruits with hunger and potential," Taylor added. "I could not be more excited for the future of Elon basketball! Go Phoenix!"
-- ELON --
