Temple Owls
Atlantic 10 (23-9, 11-5)
Temple made some headlines when they beat Syracuse 83-79 in December. However, the previous game they lost by ten to Canisius. That pretty much sums up Temple’s 2012-2013 campaign. This is a team that can beat just about anybody on any given day, but they can also lay an egg. The Owls did lose at home to Saint Bonaventure and a very bad Duquesne team.
Big Wins: 12/22 vs Syracuse (83-79), 1/12 Saint Louis (64-54), 3/10 VCU (84-76)
Bad Losses: 12/19 Canisius (62-72), 1/19 St. Bonaventure (78-81), 2/14 Duquesne (83-84)
Coach: Fran Dunphy (7 seasons at Temple)
Why They Can Surprise:
The team as a whole may be inconsistent, but the Owls have a roster full of experienced seniors who should not be subject to trap games like Duquesne. The seniority does shine in a positive way on the floor. Temple can get up and down the floor, but they do an amazing job keeping the turnovers down. Sophomore Will Cummings has done a good job creating opportunities for his teammates, but it is fellow guard Khalif Wyatt who leads the team in assists. Yet, Wyatt will spend most of his time off of the ball so he can do what he does best…score…a lot. Even the big guys like Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson are effective passers who help chip in when it comes to keeping the turnovers to a minimum. Backup point guard T.J. DiLeo also deserves credit for his ability to come in off of the bench and keep the offense moving smoothly. Cummings and Wyatt are joined in the backcourt by Scootie Randall, yet another senior. Randall is not a particularly accurate shooter, but he will connect on a couple long balls per game and has the size and strength to mix up his offensive game.
Why They Can Disappoint:
Forward Anthony Lee is a good interior scorer and a strong rebounder, but the Owls biggest problem comes on the glass. Lee will find himself in foul trouble quite a bit and that does not give Coach Dunphy too many options. Hollis-Jefferson is just 6-6 and 210 pounds. While his versatility is great and he is not a bad rebounder for a power forward, he cannot play the five spot. That leaves Jake O’Brien. At 6-9, O’Brien has the size, but he is not a tough banger in the paint who will hit the glass effectively. O’Brien does provide a great offensive spark and an even better offensive mismatch with his ability to step outside and consistently hit the three-pointer, yet that does not do anything to help the Owls get tougher on defense.
Probable Starters:
Will Cummings, Sophomore, Guard, 6.1 ppg, 2.0 apg
Khalif Wyatt, Senior, Guard, 19.8 ppg, 4.1 apg, 2.9 rpg
Scootie Randall, Senior, Forward, 11.8 ppg, 6.1 rpg
Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson, Senior, Forward, 8.9 ppg, 3.5 apg, 6.2 rpg
Anthony Lee, Senior, Forward, 10.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg
Key Roleplayers:
T.J. DiLeo, Senior, Guard, 3.0 ppg, 1.8 apg
Jake O’Brien, Senior, Forward, 9.3 ppg, 3.2 rpg
Dalton Pepper, Junior, Forward, 2.9 ppg, 1.3 rpg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 72.7 (60th in nation, 5th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 67.7 (208, 12)
Field-Goal Percentage: 43.0 (192, 13)
Field-Goal Defense: 43.3 (199, 9)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 7.3 (71, 7)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 33.5 (191, 10)
Free-Throw Percentage: 72.0 (82, 4)
Rebound Margin: -0.9 (214, 11)
Assists Per Game: 14.9 (42, 3)
Turnovers Per Game: 11.0 (20, 1)
Last Five Postseason Appearances:
2012 NCAA Second Round loss to South Florida
2011 NCAA Round of 64 win over Penn State
2011 NCAA Round of 32 loss to San Diego State
2010 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Cornell
2009 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Arizona State
2008 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Michigan State
*all team stats through 3/10
See All Men’s Basketball Postseason Capsules
