Chronicowls '15 Temple-UConn

 Reflections after Ending the Regular Season with a Crisp 75-63 Bang

Posted by Blog Contributor Phil "Tall" Wagner

If you like silent auctions, this was your day—you could bid on all from kumquats to Sherman tanks.

If you like free TEMPLE MADE tee shirts, this was your moment—you couldn’t not be given one.

If you’d never seen the Liacouras full—10,206 bodies full—they were all there. Yet sadly, only 8 tubas.

If you’d wondered which avian ilk would show up, these were surely cherry and white birds of prey…

playing, if you love somewhat compromised drama, the defending NATIONAL champion (17-12, 10-7) Huskies.

For UConn, Boatwright (torrid in 1st half with 21) and Purvis combined for 43 pts. and 73 mins.

For Temple, Cummings and Morgan paired for 40 pts. and 67 mins., DeCosey chipping in 15 over 32.

Temple’s 8 steals were twice their turnovers while, woefully, UConn’s comparables were 3-14.

For Dunphy, this was win #499 (310-163 at Penn, 189-106 on North Broad). Who’s ready for #500?

Things look swell vs. Memphis (minus top gun Nichols) on Fri., but may be hell vs. SMU (AP #20) on Sat.

Of course, looking beyond a team you beat by a single point five weeks back is seldom advised.  

But the good news is Temple can’t play UConn till the finals—beating anybody thrice a season is tough.

So who’s the sleeper in the AAC mix? Who’s ready to play 3-4 days running? And we do mean running.

And how early and often must Temple win this week, if they’re truly on the bubble, to go dancing?

On the subject of RPIs, interesting to note that the Owls’re a most pedestrian 2-7 vs. top 50 RPI teams.

RPI look for AAC tourney’s 5 byes:  SMU 15 (ooohh!), Temple 34, Cincy 35, Tulsa 47, Memphis 82.

Brace yourself. There’s dribbling and high-fiving ahead, with luck, much of it for those Temple Owls!

Chronicowls '15 - Temple-Cincinnati

Posted by Chronicowls Contributor Phil "Tall" Wagner


Well you North Broad hoopheads, your Temple Owls  drew even last night, knotting things on the season  vs. the team with three more n’s and i’s each, those upstart Bearcats from Cincinnati. For the now 18-7, 9-3 and 11-2-at-home Owls, a critical win at a moment they critically needed one if to go dancing in weeks to come; for the now 17-7, 8-4 and 3-5-on-the-road Ohio visitors, vice versa.

Your Owls, with 6 games left including an East Carolina pair, are 6-0 since their 3-game swoon. Those Bearcats play 7 more, including a Tulane twofer.   

But this time, Dunphy in his 9^th season showed Cronin in his 8^th that dismantling his Owls by 31 in January, without his star Cummings on the court, don’t mean squat on this February Tuesday when #2 never sat. And he made his mark just .30 in en route to 21 pts., 5 assists, 4 steals

The line was 2. The score was 15-5 early. The 36-25 halftime tally was articulate. The final gap was a robust 16. The 75 Temple points may’ve been one shy of tacos, but they were 20.4 over the points per game previously allowed by the AAC scoring defense leader (and 6^th nationally). The lead was established with Cummings’ opening layup, built at will, managed carefully, never threatened throughout a thoroughly businesslike evening.

These Owls came to play, inspired as we all were by a national anthem rendition from a young troupe of both genders who carpe’d the diem and the hearts on the Liacouras floor. And, naturally, by the 10 tubas (never enough) and the Diamond Gems (never enough). Morgan (4x3=12), Bond, Watson, DeCosey and Brown were all big. Turnovers were big, 17 for Cincy, and small, only 8 for the homesters; steals 6 for the visitors, 10 for the Cherry and White as they beat on the Red and Black.

The hope, nope, the presumption, is that, come March Madness, last night’s game will loom large in the collective memory. And in the Owls early spring agenda. Play on.

Stand Tall and Resolute

The title offers my best advice to aspiring fans of Temple athletics. As if the viewing experience weren't an adequate deterrent, the Owl Club (or Athletic Department) have determined that last year's campaign of 20 losses (a school first) merits higher ticket prices and an extension of a seat license surcharge(I know, I'm supposed to refer to it as a contribution to the university) that would make sense if the seat, once vacated, were  resold. The resale of the seat is as likely as Temple restoring its gymnastics and baseball programs as varsity sports. That's a discussion for another forum, along with the state of the men's soccer program. For now, let's enjoy the successes of the women's athletic squads.


After a 10-month hiatus from blogging, Chronicowls is back. For how long is as much up to the readers as it is to the author. Once again, your comments are welcome - actually, they're invited.

Chronicowls '15 Temple-La. Tech

Notes from the Chronicowls Underground, posted by blog contributor Phil "Tall" Wagner

Owls over American 40-37…over Lousiana Tech 82-75…a trend?...unlikely!

AAC meets ACC (that’d be #4 Duke) Friday at Brooklyn’s Barclay’s Center. Hmmm!

But for now, last night’s was one helluva game. Qdoba tacos for all, soft or crunchy.

First Half

From Richie’s seats, we saw an Owl-lay-up/dunk attempt become a stuck-tight rim-jam.

And acres of Gems and cheerleaders deftly filling 4-minute commercial breaks.

We saw Tech surge via great guards, rocket passes, fast-twitch balletics and deadly treys.

To say naught of a whirligig, arms akimbo, 360 dunk, a Greentail Howitzer, quoth Scott.

Plus hierarchical sweatmopping—dweeb on knees w/towel vs. dude w/pad on pole.

Student band, 8 tubas strong, in rare form. Quoth Scott, “Can’t have too much tuba.” True.

Yet at the half, miraculously, Bulldogs over Owls by only 4, thanks to a Tech buzzer-loser.

Halftime

Some poor bastard, shooting 1 from halfcourt for a year’s apartment lease, won…a tee shirt.

Second Half

Bingo! 4+ minutes in, reseated just behind 8 gyrating Gems, we see the Owls go up 43-38.

Then 49-40 on Tech goaltending. And 54-44 halfway in, a sterling 20-6 run setting the tone.

Josh Brown showed some moxie, his career-high17 highlighted by 10 straight, capped by a 3.

40-minute DeCosey and Cummings, his 13 from the stripe mostly late, each bagged 20.

Obi Enechionyia. Aiynoihcene Ibo. Obi Enechionyia. Aiynoihcene Ibo. Intoxicating stuff.

With 19.3 sec. left, at77-69, I BELIEVE…  rings forth to stick a final fork in the Bulldogs.

Conclusions

Owls +2 turnovers, -4 assists! Jaylen Bond back Fri? Maybe 1,500 there of 4,237 announced?

Dunphyspeak: We went with (pressure) and it kind of looked like we knew what we were doing.

First Win in The American

Posted by Chronicowls contributor Tall Phil

And so the stage was dramatically set on this final pre-Super Bowl polar vortexed eve. Here they were, the AAC’s lone two sub-500 teams duking it out for either a Rutgers Redux or a kiss-your-sister split. Introduced with pyrotechnic fanfare, 5-13 Temple was favored by 4 on its home floor over 8-12 Rutgers. Remember, these Scarlet Knights had already upended the Owls by 5 in peerless Piscataway on New Year’s Day.

The basketball world held its breath. And mind you, adding immeasurably to the Owls’ woes this season—ever since parlaying its early 4-3 record into 4-5 by way of those two loin-numbing, early December losses to Texass and Texass Southern (by a grand total of two damn points)—was the fact that the AAC’s playing some mean ball in its own right of late.

Consider its aggregate 127-72 tally to date, well past the regular season mid-point. Consider that its top three teams sit comfortably amongst the AP’s top 25. Consider that UConn’s next win should boost them there to boot (rhymes with hoot).

Inconsequential interruption #1: The intrepid Chronicowls field team, always in search of a new truth, dined before the game at Kite & Key, 1818 Callowhill, where the draft beer selection excels. Well, the bottomless mussels, 4-way shared in a huge bowl full of hot (temp) sweet “soup” prior to sandwiches, are worth the travel from Erie. Great evenings are built on great meals, plus respites at Pub Webb afterwards. But we digress.

Now, consider this about dem Owls. Eleven games remain, 6 at home. Next up, this Saturday at 4 p.m. at Liacouras, is #9 Villanova (17-2). Oh, and by the way, Temple smoked these same Wildcats last year by 15, to go 3 of their last 4 over the Main Line boyz. And the Owls hardly want to see Villanova clinch the venerable Big 5 title on the Liacouras floor, now do they? So, can you spell “jinx”…or “domination”…or do you sense that the impossible’s about to happen?

That wouldn’t right this season’s ship. But it will (not, would) feel good. Then, ahead after that for the Owls are two vs. #12 Louisville, one vs. #22 Memphis and one vs. Connecticut. So barring a miraculous serial moment in the Memphis-based AAC tourney, there’ll be neither tap, lap or rap dancing on North Broad after conference champion coronation on the Ides of March.

Inconsequential interruption #2: Those coveted, multi-colored, limited-edition Temple Owls’ scarves, intended for frigid, freezing and just plain cold weather, drew wide-eyed attention yet again last eve. Should prospective consumer demand prove out via comments to Chronicowls, who knows, they may reappear on the open market.

 

Now here’s an interesting if worthless non-sequitur factoid proving yet again that life’s seldom fair. Temple’s total 1441 points this season are just 17 less than its opponents’ 1458. Yeah, that doesn’t change reality for a 6-13, sub-.333 team. But go figure the power and the glory of numbers and stats in sports. Without such galvanizing drivel, what’s to talk about, or bet on.

More to the point factoid: Temple’s 88 points scored last eve were 6 more than Rutgers’ 82 (and 2 more than Vegas) as the Owls laughed their 8-game futility streak away with their first home victory in nearly 6 weeks. And did so while nabbing their first conference win this season.

Inconsequential interruption #3: Walking up to the ticket counters last eve, this commentator was stopped by a nice-looking guy clutching two tix. Did I need a ticket for the game, no charge? Hell, I’ll take a frontal lobotomy, no charge? We consummated the deal—thanks again—as I reflected on this being the second such instance, and on Temple folks being my kinda folks.

You still want more numbers? Temple last night ruled in 20-pt. scorers (2-0), team rebounds (7-5), blocked shots (3-2), steals (8-2), turnovers (6-13) and paid attendance (5,039, perhaps one third of whom went through the motions of appearing in the actual flesh). Not so much, though, in 3-pointers (6-19, .316 to Rutgers’ 10-17, .588), which is why the score closed so alarmingly.

Anyway, things, for this moment, are looking up. In basketball as in life, there is always good news and bad. Come what may this season will end sooner vs. later, yet with valuable lessons learned and a strong nucleus in the fold for ’14-’15. Seem like an eternity since Temple trimmed Penn 78-73 on Nov. 9 at the Palestra? It is. But there’s still a month and a half to go. Let it happen. And besides, who’s watching the bi-polar Flyers, gestational Sixers or ancient Phils?

Final thought: Our seats are behind those occupied by residents and staff from a Woodbine, NJ home for developmentally disabled characters. And they are characters, both knowledgeable and passionate about their basketball, plus otherwise much like us all. A different contingent comes to each—yes, each—game through the good graces of generous alums and the Temple Athletic Department. When you witness such a spirited collaboration, you see a better world.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Owls Lose by 1 in OT: Snatching Defeat from the Longhorns: Temple vs. Texas, Wells Fargo Center, 12/7/13

Posted by Chronicowls contributor Tall Phil

 

So there we were at the Wells Fargo Center, where entertainment reigns while, coincidentally, sporting events happen. Here’s a place where employees greet you with “How you doin’” according to a stated Customer Service Philosophy. A hallowed sports venue where the lights and lighting shenanigans so bedazzle that you feel punch drunk roughly 90 seconds in. Fact is, Nick among us, who promised to be our designated lighting commentator before vanishing, is said to be receiving light therapy for heavy lighting disorder, aka HLD. Come in, Nick.

If you picked Temple and the spread, you ended up doin’ good, but that’s a tough way to make a buck. (And to cheer your team on!) Any other bet, not so good, because, of this game’s 161 points, Temple’s nice round 80 fell, well, but a millimeter tragically short. Like a Dalton (45-minute man) Pepper-stepping-over-the-line-on-a-critical-free-throw-shot short).

Early on, looked like a blowout was brewing—the Owls down by a few, more, a bunch, and 11 at the half. But at the buzzer ending regulation, to say naught of the heart-piercing buzzer ending OT, you needed a shower whether you’d played or just watched this lollapalooza. And yes, it very much came down to free throws, which were the Owls’ glaring 15-31 Achilles Heel. (Elsewhere—3 fewer turnovers, twice as many steals and 6 more assists—they done good.)

As Joe in our foursome put it,

Shocking final last seconds…BlogMaster Tim’s first commandment states: You ab-so-lute-ly cannot win without making free throws!!!

Period.

 

Then there’s Scott, he with the keen analytical mind amongst us:

Texas was shredding Temple's man-to-man defense in the first half and shutting Temple's half-court offense. They were up 16 points at one point, and seemingly grabbing every offensive rebound for a total of 21 second chance points versus Temple’s 9. It certainly looked like an easy win for Texas.

 

But Temple hung in there and once Dunphy switched to a zone defense the tide started to turn. Temple fought back to tie Texas at 73 with numerous steals and fast break baskets. That's when Dunphy hurt his Dingle. Dan Dingle left with what appeared to be a turned ankle but returned to contribute 18 minutes in total. Temple could have easily won this game twice. First, Anthony Lee shot 3-9 from the charity stripe, then Dalton Pepper stepped over the free-throw line to negate a shot that went in after all.  That would have at least assured a second OT.

But no, the tough Texas guard made a huge basket to seal the victory. This was a tough loss but one that won't hurt them when the tournament committee meets in March. It was encouraging to see Temple play great zone defense and to get valuable minutes from Dingle, Williams, and McDonnell, but they need to do a much better job of boxing out and rebounding or they are doomed to suffer the same fate when playing teams that have size down low.

Joe again, on the ambiance of the day:

Forget cheerleaders - Diamond Gems are all one needs to live free and smile freely.

Truth be spoken, Joe. Wholesome and talented as each is, they had it going in unison. You go, girls.

 

Good selection of beer - even peanuts for the second half.

No argument, Joe. Recommendation from this IPA drinker who couldn’t find a true IPA: Go with the Red Hook Audible. (Thought I was mishearing when she said Audible. Thought that was sports talk.).

 

Best party preparation this season got us off a fast start

Totally, Joe. Nice twist on tailgating.

 

Loved our second half seats.

Who didn’t, Joe—and brilliant reconnaissance. From a perfectly good vantage point with stunning diagonal view of all the action, at Joe’s urging we established eminent domain in four thrones five rows up, just wide of mid-court for the second half. It was the eye and we the beholders.

Scott again:

Texas roster lists the two big guys #55 and #44 as 6'9" and 6'10". They looked much bigger than Anthony Lee to me.

  South St. [to which we repaired, Copacabana specifically, for thirst-quenching adult bevs served by the proud GM doing it just right] was a great after-party idea. Next home game is 12/18 [vs. Texas Southern, 7 p.m.].

Oh, by the way, anyone find the Owls’ shorts design (using the word loosely) a bit gnarly? Just askin’. I mean, the wing thing’s cool and awl, but need we gag on it.

 

But that’s a rhetorical question, as is, at 4-4, where’re the Owls headed from here. And, come to think of it, why’s the guy offering water squeeze bottles during timeouts in shirt and tie.

 

Temple Made

Khalif Wyatt is Progress Made. Temple Made.

In his freshman year, Wyatt played 19 minutes and scored 5 points. For the SEASON.
Fast forward, to 2013, his senior year, and Wyatt wins Player of the Year award in the Atlantic 10 Conference, and produces a memorable, and remarkable,  NCAA tournament performance.

Here's a look back, through the lens of Chronicowls. of the Temple making of Khalif Wyatt.

Wyatt has breakout game (2011) - read here

Wyatt and the Eurostep (2012) - read here

Wyatt's 25 points and clutch foul shooting - read here

Thanks to all seniors (Di Leo, Hollis-Jefferson, O'Brien, Randall, Wyatt) for a very entertaining season. Good luck to each of you. And good luck to every Chronicowls Reader.

Chronicowls '13 Temple-VCU

Exhilarating finish to the regular season! Talk about wild swings, I don’t recall a game where each team had a lead larger than 15 points. Yet it was the Cherry and White who had the last lead, prevailing over #21 VCU, and clinching a first-round bye in next week’s Atlantic 10 tournament. And, most likely, assured themselves of a spot in the NCAA tournament

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At the 16:08 mark, the Owls had a 12-3 lead. The Cherry and White didn’t score again until five minutes had passed, during which time VCU ran off 18 consecutive points, making 8 straight shots. VCU built that lead to 16, with just over 3 minutes left in the first half. The Owls then ran off the next 11 points, to cut the halftime deficit to 5.

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VCU entered the game creating more opponent turnovers than all teams in the nation. Key to this game: VCU had more turnovers than Temple. And the Owls had more steals than the visitors.

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A sellout was announced. While there were pockets of empty seats, the Liacouras Center was awash in white, and charged in atmosphere. Lots of Ram supporters came up from Richmond as VCU fans filled almost two entire sections. And queues were everywhere: into, and of course, out of, the parking garage; at the ticket window, stretching across the entire lobby; at the concession stands; and the restrooms.  But I’ll gladly accept the lines rather than the desolate feeling from games where the crows number no more than 4000.

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Four Owls, led by Khalif Wyatt’s 30 points, scored in double figures. That’s an encouraging sign, as the owls have won 14 of 17 games in which they’ve had four double-figure scorers. And Wyatt became the 12^th Temple player in history to score more than 600 points in a season, and has an outside chance of becoming only the 5^th to score 700 points.

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John Chaney was in the house, as was former President Peter Liacouras, as they joined the 1986-87 team on the floor during a halftime recognition. Dean Demopolous, assistant to coach Chaney, also participated in the ceremony. Dean is presently an assistant coach with the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers.

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Probably among the top 5 games I’ve witnessed at the Liacouras Center. Other four that leap to mind are: December 1998 one-point, last-second win over #5 Michigan State; December 2008, Dionte Christmas scored 35 points to lead the Owls to an 88‐72 win over #8 Tennessee; December 2009, Juan Fernandez delivered a career‐high 33 points in a 75‐65 win over #3 Villanova; December 2010 Ramone Moore exploded for a career‐high 30 points in a 68‐65 win over #9 Georgetown.

First Meeting

Temple and Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) have not played each other before.

Could there be a better time for their first meeting? Final home game of the regular season for the Owls. VCU ranked in the top 25. The Cherry and White in search of a victory to bolster their claim to a spot in the NCAA tournament. Four seniors playing in their final game at the Liacouras Center. Game on national TV (this will be the first time that CBS will be broadcasting a game from the Liacouras Center). 
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I would expect a sellout, but considering how disappointing the crowds have been this year, I won't predict one. I'll set the over/under at 9600.
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Virginia is a commonwealth. So is Pennsylvania. So why isn't Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) named Pennsylvania Commonwealth University (or PCU)?
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Several interesting subplots to watch for during the game.
Temple is ranked 11th in the nation in fewest turnovers per game (10.9). VCU plays an aggressive, full-court defense which has helped them to #1 in the nation in total steals and turnovers forced per game (20.1). Yet this same defense allows many easy baskets,  so VCU allows its opponents to make nearly 45% of their shots. Temple has won 18 of the 20 games this year when they've shot better than 40%.
Khalif Wyatt leads the Atlantic 10 conference in scoring. VCU leads the conference in team scoring average per game (nearly 80 points per game).
Both sides enter the game averaging an identical number of rebounds (35) and assists (14.9) per game.
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2013 marks the 25th anniversary of arguably the finest team in Cherry and White basketball history, the 1987-1988 team that finished the season ranked #1 in the Associated Press poll. That team will be honored at halftime this Sunday.
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Temple is presently ranked #43 in the RPIRPI rankings, an indication of how strong the A10 has been this year. A loss to VCU could drop the Owls out of the top 50,  thus making the Owls' performance in the A10 tournament the final determinant in whether they receive an NCAA invitation. The conference tournament in NYC (at the Barclay Center, not Madison Square Garden) next week will Temple's final one, as the Cherry and White will move to a yet-to-be-named conference. So, it's now official, the Owls will NEVER play a Big East Conference basketball game. If leaked reports play out, the Owls will be playing in the America 12 Conference. Huh?
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Owls are everywhere!  This one, at the PHS Flower Show, is ready for tomorrow's Whiteout!

Chronicowl Musings - March (not quite madness yet) 2013

Another game down to the final seconds, and another victory for the Owls.

Below, from the Twittersphere, is a snapshot of the game, and main contributors to the win.

Jake O'Buckets, as he's affectionately referred to by the Cherry Crusade for his shooting prowess, had his first double-double wearing Cherry and White. He had quite a few while playing at Boston University.  And, once again, Khalif Wyatt led the Owls in scoring, including clutch foul shooting in the final five minutes.
Cummings' three-pointer just 20 seconds into the game had the Owls faithful off their feet and into their seats, and handed the Owls their only lead of the half. The Owls did not regain the lead until  the 15-minute mark of the second half, and sttretched that lead into a comfortable 11(or so we thought) with nearly 10 minutes remaining in the contest. The URI Rams quickly tied the game, making the final eight minutes  very tense.  Why were we surprised?
The I Believe chant erupted with just a few seconds remaining. Nice story in the Inky this week about the I Believe Guy.

 For those unfamiliar, here's background on this feel-good story.
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At least 2000 fans brought their empty seat disguises yesterday. Along with several thousand youngsters at the Liacouras Center to celebrate Hooter's birthday ( the birthday celebration was a fresh idea several years ago but has now gone stale), the announced attendance topped 9000 (second-largest of the season).
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A rare out-of-conference game, a make-up of a game in December rescheduled due to particularly nasty weather, produced Temple's 20th win of the season, and the top of the Inky front page header, as shown below.  And while it may not have been the burst of spring, it surely was a burst of Wyatt, as in Khalif. 
Khalif Wyatt had a most ordinary 38 minutes of game, and a most extraordinary final two minutes of game. He tallied 12 points in those final 120 seconds, to turn a 5 point deficit into a five point win, over a stunned Detriot squad, and an equally stunned but ever more gleeful Temple crowd (only
4000-plus of them by the way, yet another crowd that filled fewer than half of the seats in the 10,206 seat arena).    This game was also the final game of the Gotham Classic, a December tournament in which Temple emerged the winner by virtue of their wins against Syracuse and Detroit.

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Yesterday, in the city of Brotherly Love, was a day for college basketball junkies. Starting with the Temple game at 2pm,  a fan could have watched the Owls victory, stopped after the game to have a bite to eat (at any of the spots mentioned in the Places to Visit Before or After the Game on the far right column of this blog), continued on the Palestra for a 6pm tipoff between Penn and Harvard, left at halftime, walked a few blocks to the Daskalakis Center for the tipoff of Drexel-UNC Wilmington, stayed for the first half, and then headed out to City Line to watch the second half of St. Joe's -Fordham. And, oh yeah, this itinerary did not include LaSalle, which was hosting Duquesne at the same time the Cherry and White were on the floor.  Don't know how many Philadelphians took in more than one game, but I do know that more than 23,000 fans were in attendance for those games.
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City Series games, like the Temple-LaSalle contest at Liacouras Center just last week, bring out the best (and worst) of rollouts. LaSalle fans brought out the best banner (IMO) of the season during that game: Duquesne Wins are Temple Made (Duquesne has one win in the Atlantic Ten this season).

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A whiteout (like the one above, against Xavier last year, in a nationally televised game) is planned for next Sunday's final home against VCU's Rams (go figure, the opponents in Temple's final two home games this season have a ram as their nickname). Disclosure: my first, and only football helmet, as a youngster had the Los Angeles (now St. Louis) Ram as its insignia.  Anyway, VCU (Virginia Commonwealth University) is in the top #25, and should draw a sellout crowd. Wouldn't you expect that the fans attending the game yesterday would be reminded (informed) by the PA announcer of next Sunday's home and regular season finale, with an enjoinder to buy seats right after this game, at the ticket windows , open for your convenience, in the lobby.  Alas, all ticket windows were closed.
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The athletic department should cease promoting, immediately, Temple's entry into the Big East. It now appears very likely that Temple may never play a Big East basketball game.  And what's with the Big East member school banners flying prominently in the concourse of Liacouras Center. A bit premature, I'd offer.
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Five consecutive one-point games. We'll never see that again in our lifetimes. That's more one-point games than the Owls have had the previous FOUR YEARS. Surely, lots of drama and tension this year.
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South Florida, Southern Methodist University, Houston, East Carolina, and Central Florida are among the schools Temple will play next season in the to-be-named-later Conference. Other than South Florida (and I've trying to forget that game in the second round of last year's NCAA tournament) the Owls have not faced any of these schools in the last decade. Not exactly rivals, one might say. Makes you want to run right out to get season tickets for next year's campaign, right?

Chronicowls '13 Temple-Dayton

From the  recent Chronicowls post following the one-point win over Charlotte: "here’s hoping that all their remaining contests have fairy tale endings."
From a Chronicowls reader, after today's match-up with Dayton: "Temple won, barely, against Dayton, fairy tales prevail!!"

I 'Can't' Believe that We Have Won.
More to follow.

Chronicowls '13 Temple-Charlotte

Temple 89-Charlotte 88

Want a villain in the nearly disastrous Charlotte game? Start with the carefree lad who missed the half court shot, for a cool 10 grand, by a country mile. Or the sea of no-shows (capacity minus an announced 4,785) who no-showed to not cheer these Owls on (despite those expensive Expressway billboards). How ’bout the “Our defense needs a lot of work at this point” (quoth Dunphy) non-defense? Or was it Scootie Randall singlehandedly, who, in 36 agonizing minutes, amassed 0 field goals, 2 free throws, 3 offensive out of 5 rebounds, and 2 assists but 4 turnovers—to total 2 points.

That’s one point every 18 minutes, while surprising Dalton Pepper bagged 11 points in his 18 minutes. In fact, he and Jake O’Brien, with a most impressive 22 including a sparkling, game-high 4 of 5 from out there, both scored season highs. Khalif Wyatt chipped in a game-high 25 while Rahlir H-J with 11 was the fourth Owl in double figures. Not to mention his career-high 5 steals.

Somebody say steals? The Owls had 10 vs. the slow-starting 49ers’ 8. Turnovers? Sloppiness ruled this contest as Temple committed “only” 13—five of them in the final 2:09 to trigger a frenetic photo finish—vs. a whopping 19 by Charlotte. That’s 32 damaging “here y’ares” in a 40-minute game between two perfectly presentable teams with an aggregate 32-12 won-loss record. Poor passing, poor catching, poor luck.

Because of the turnovers…because Temple blew an early 13-point lead (among others)…because Dunphy stayed with Randall far too long…because the Owls prevailed by one fragile point (48-47) in the second half…because Charlotte shot a glittery 60.4 percent from the floor, without its suspended leading scorer (DeMario Mayfield)…because Charlotte racked up treys twice as effectively (7-10 to 7-19) as the Owls…and because skid happens, the game went down to the wire.

The proverbial and absolute wire, that is. It took Wyatt’s final (of 10-13 on the night) foul shot with 8.3 seconds remaining to stave off the 49ers’ Pierria Henry’s barely-buzzer-beating three. No way it should’ve been this close. Not when Temple needed to show major moxie after the 1-point loss to St. Joe’s just four days back. Not when they’re heading to loud and sold-out Dayton, the conference’s 38.7 percent 3-point shooting juggernaut, for Saturday brunch. Not when Charlotte had been annihilated by 20 and 28 points their last two road games. And not when the Big Dance, from this vantage point, is viewed through cataracts.

But the fans won tacos, the Owls won the game and here’s hoping that all their remaining contests have fairy tale endings. Speaking of which, our group next headed to the redoubtable Jack’s Firehouse, guarding the prison on Fairmount, for a spot of libation liberation. And we witnessed true magic—3-Card Monte with 3 stainless steel mixers and 3 maraschino cherries, till, WHOOPS, where’d the fourth cherry, then, WOW, a lime, and, WHA’ZIS, now that lemon, all come from? Ask Matt behind the bar there to blow your mind as he did ours. And if you’re a self-respecting bourbon fan, the vast selection is to drink for. 

--Post by Chronicowls contributor Tall Phil

 

Chronicowls '13 Temple @ St. Joe's

Post by blog contributor Scott Matlack

St Joes 70 - Temple 69

With 5:39 remaining Temple had a 9 point lead after another three-point basket by Khalif Wyatt. But you have to take the good with the bad with Wyatt, and he was late getting back to cover Carl Jones who nailed his own 3 to spark a 12-3 run to tie the game at 64 a few minutes later. 4,200 raucous fans cheered on St Joe's at Hagan Arena Saturday night in a very exciting Big Five game that unfortunately had the Owls losing.

 

Wyatt made a three-point shot from about 40 feet with 10.4 seconds remaining to trail by one. Temple fouled Jones who missed the front end of a one-and-one. Wyatt then drove the length of the court with time running out but his shot was blocked by Kanacevic. With .7 seconds left Wyatt received the inbound pass open enough to set before shooting but he rushed it and the shot fell well short. And that was the game.
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Inside vs. outside - The Hawks pounded the ball down low and Temple seemed unable to stop Ron Roberts (18 pts), CJ Aiken (16 pts), and Halil Kanacevic (12 pts). Meanwhile, Temple shot 11-31 from beyond the arc.

Wyatt scored a career-high 34 points to lead all scorers but had plenty of opportunities to pass the ball to wide open teammates when everyone in a St. Joe's uniform collapsed on him. That, to me, is the problem with the Owls offense. No balance at all. Cummings was the only other Owl who scored in double figures.
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Temple is now 3-4 in the A-10 and may need to win the conference tournament to get in the NCAA tournament. I thought Temple had talent and depth but I now don't know what to make of this team.
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With 7 minutes remaining Dunphy pulled Randall after a stupid turnover. I never witnessed Dunphy so angry.
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Banners rolled out by the Hawk faithful:

Temple made : The Big East dissolve

Khalif - for a good time call 510-233-9876

Wyatt - that isn't the kind of penetration Dunphy was looking for.

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Timeout break entertainment I enjoyed -

Putting contest from the baseline. Both gents got the ball in the half court circle. Looked pretty tough.

A couple of fit gals did jump rope, ran through a serpentine, jumping jacks, push-ups, then made a lay up. My achilles was hurting just watching it.
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We had a beer at the Landmark Americana before the game where there was a Temple following with some free food, then went to McShea's in Narberth afterwards.

Hagan Arena is intimate, but it doesn't have the charm of the Palestra. We couldn't see the scoreboard because of obstructions. What idiot designed the place? Don't ever hire an architect from St Joes.
I was wishing I was at the Liacouras Center, in a comfortable seat, with a cold beer.

Chronicowls "13 Temple-Richmond

Guest post by blog contributor Scott Matlack

Temple 71, Richmond 64

Temple squandered a 13 point lead  in the first half but kept the Spiders scoreless for more than six minutes late in the second half to take the win.  It was the first game in some time where someone other than Wyatt (Randall 21 points) led Temple in scoring.  This was one of the most balanced offensive games of the year for the Owls with four players in double figures:  

Hollis Jefferson    11
Randall                 21
Wyatt                   19
Lee                       12

It was good to see Scootie Randall come out of his shooting slump (8 - 13 from the field) but most impressive, I thought, was the play at both ends by Anthony Lee who contributed a double-double (12 points, 13 rebounds).  The Owls will have to get better at taking care of the ball if they are to continue to win.  With guard T.J. DiLeo nursing a high ankle sprain the Owls had 15 turnovers against only 12 assists.

Temple great Hal Lear  had his jersey retired at halftime.

Chronicowls '13 Temple-Penn

For Philadelphia college hoops fans, it's been an extraordinary week. Four wins over top 25 teams by local schools. Don't recall such a week in my lifetime. Are we witnessing the resurgence of Philly college hoops?
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More than 40,000 fans entered through the turnstiles of basketball arenas, college and pro, in Philadelphia yesterday. Almost half of that number, including Chronicowls reader Mike P.,  were part of a sold-out Wells Fargo Center to see one of the finest singular performances we're likely to see in many a year (think Holiday). The Hagan Center on St. Joe's campus was similarly standing room only. Those fortunate to hold tickets saw the Hawks outscore Xavier. And 7700 fans were in attendance at Verizon Wireless Arena  in Richmond to see LaSalle top VCU and claim its second consecutive win over top 25 opponent (first time in 60 years, I read). The Owls meanwhile travelled to Indianapolis for a first-ever matchup with Butler, where a sold-out arena of 10,000 awaited the intrepid Owls. 1 for 12 shooting from Jake O'Brien and Dalton Pepper, an early injury which sidelined T.J. Di Leo for the rest of the game, and a porous defense, anchored by Khalif Wyatt, proved the Owls' undoing against the 9th ranked home side.
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The Cherry and White were home this past Wednesday evening for their second Big Five contest of the campaign, against the Quakers of Pennsylvania.  Penn hardly looked the part of a squad that had lost 14 of their first 17 games. And Temple hardly looked like a side that had won 12 of its first 17.
School had returned to session, so the Cherry Crusade were out in full force. And the Diamond Gems had returned from the national dance competition in Orlando. And their vocal support lifted a sluggish Owl team to an expected victory.
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Second largest crowd (6700) of the season, most of whom it seemed parked in the garage,  were at the Liacouras Center for the Temple-Penn matchup. Must have been the sub-20 degree temperature that drove fans to indoor parking.   The Owls most attractive home game this season is shaping up to be the one where the Explorers from LaSalle will be heading south on Broad to the Liacouras Center.
The victor of that game will likely be this season's winner of the Big Five. That game has to be a sellout, doesn't it?
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Before the loss to Butler, Temple had fallen out of the top 50 in the RPI rankings. There are now 4 schools in the Atlantic 10 ahead of the Owls, including LaSalle. Temple has losses to canisius (ranked 117) and St. bonaventure (sitting at 130). An at-large NCAA berth isn't looking probable right about now. But no doubt the rest of the season promises to be interesting. Make your plans to become part of the Temple hoops fan experience. And share your thoughts by posting your comments here on Chronicowls (look for the Post Your Comments link below).

Chronicowls'13 - Temple - St. Bonnie's

In winning for the first time at Liacouras Center, St. Bonaventure played like a top 25 team.

60% plus accuracy from beyond the three-point arc, 85% shooting from the free-throw line, and an assist-turnover ratio of better than 2:1 (21 assists,10turnovers). And all five starters scored in double figures.  Meanwhile, the Owls took more than half of their shots outside the three-point mark (why, some would ask), and made just about one-third of them.

The better team surely won yesterday afternoon.

Jake O’Brien had 16 points with more than three minutes remaining in the FIRST half. He had scored more than half of Temple’s points, and had brought the Owls back into the lead after another slow start.

When O’Brien committed his second foul with two minutes remaining in the half, Coach Dunphy substituted for him.  The Bonnies then outscored the Owls 11-2 during the reaminder of the half, and went to intermission holding a four-point lead. And O’Brien didn’t score the rest of the game. And Temple never regained the lead.

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School is not back in session, so the Cherry Crusade (student section) was small in number. And the Diamond Gems were absent, as the squad was competing once again at the national championships for dance teams. No word yet on the outcome.  For those who missed the Gems, see photo below.

The Pep Band was present, bolstered by no less than four tubas, and provided plenty of spirit. And the crowd, one of the largest of the season, was enthusiastic, particularly as the Owls mounted a comeback that cut a 12-point deficit to two. That, as it turned out, was as close as the Owls would get in the second half.
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Perhaps one of the finer performances of the afternoon was turned in by the Temple student chosen to “bowl” during one of the timeouts. A hefty prize awaits the student who rolls a bowling ball the length of the court and scores a strike. On most attempts over the course of the season, a “gutter” ball is rolled.  This student knocked down seven of the pins.

And it’s refreshing to see some of the inane games that have passed for entertainment during time-outs replaced by noteworthy recognitions, like the one of a Temple professor with a lengthy list of accomplishments. Too bad someone decided it would be a good time to play loud background music while the PA announcer was reciting the professor’s accomplishments.

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Tough loss, but as one nearby fan commented at game’s end, “That’s the crucible that is the A10”.

Owls Meet Jayhawks

Very impressive effort by the Owls. Only made FOUR turnovers.
And made but 19 field goals, including NONE in a seven-minute stretch during the second half. And still the Owls were in the game.Here's a wrapup, as told on Twitter.

Chronicowls '13 - Owls Fly By Falcons to Close Out 2012

 

 

A fine finish to the year, and an inspiration to Chronicowls.  A rare New Year’s Eve game. Alright, the competition didn’t exactly bowl us over (Bowling Green), but the win was a highlight in at least two ways. The school’s 1800^th win in basketball, joining an elite group of SIX schools who have reached that milestone.  And as a dear friend once advised me, “a milestone is but a marker by the side of the road that tells you how far you’ve come, but leaves no clue as to where you’re headed.”  I believe the Owls are headed to many more milestones. The second highlight marking the win on New Year’s Eve is that it was Temple’s first on that date (then again, the Owls had played just three times on this date, losing to Fresno State in 1998 and to Villanova in 2002 and 2005). Dinner and drink at Jack’s Firehouse, followed by the 6pm fireworks, completed a highly satisfactory  New Year’s Eve for the Chronicowlers.

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Temple, now 6-1 at The Liacouras Center this season, has tallied its most wins on its home floor to the start a season before the New Year (Jan. 1) in program history. Not surprising, since in years past Temple hasn’t played 7 home games before the turn of the year. All in all, there will be 17 home games this season (if the postponed Detroit game is rescheduled), the most in recent memory. No excuse for not catching at least one game this campaign.

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Breakthrough this year. The winning number of the 50-50 raffle supporting a Temple athletic squad is now posted on the scoreboard, along with a PA announcement. An earlier post (read here) described the new scoreboard and the advertising ribbon. Both are enhancements to the Liacouras Center  experience, which, I contend, is equal to any college basketball venue  in the region, including the Palestra.

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Temple opens the 2013 calendar at #32 in the RPI rankings.  Conference competition kicks off next week.  No fewer than ten Atlantic 10 schools are ranked in the top 100 of the RPI, so the conference schedule will be exceptionally tough this year (Temple’s final season in the Atlantic 10).

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2013 also begins with two difficult match-ups on the road, Kansas (#2 in RPI) and Xavier, before the Owls return to the Liacouras Center for a rare Saturday evening (6pm) tipoff on January 12. Two other attractive home games this season should be LaSalle on February 21 and Virginia Commonwealth (VCU) on March 10.
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It’s now easier to follow the Owls. The Athletic Department has released an app for the iPhone and Android.

Chronicowls '13 - Wagner (on Temple-Wagner)

And so they came to the Land of Liacouras, these Seahawks, from their 105-acre perch atop Grymes Hill on Staten Island, overlooking harbor, ocean and Manhattan. They were loaded for bear fresh off their mid-week dismantling of Princeton via an 8-2 OT run. Coached by Bashir Mason, who led Drexel in assists and steals for four years and beat Temple as a senior, the Green & White had averaged 43 pts. in two wins and 63 in three losses. If you can imagine that!

Saturday afternoon’s final at the staggeringly unpopulated (no part of an announced 5,371) North Broad bastion: 70-62 Owls, about which Dunphy confessed, “I think they outworked us…played harder…tougher…better than us. They deserve a lot of credit, the Wagner guys.” Hmmm. Probably so, praying to reprise their 25-6 campaign last year. But they were smaller and couldn’t shoot straight, or long, with a woeful trey display of 3-for-11. That’s vs. Temple’s 9-19, 47.4% longball game, surpassing its 16-38, 42.1 efficiency inside the arc.

Advisedly ceding the turnover title 12-7, the Owls prevailed in FG and FT percentages (.431, .786), blocked shots (7-4), assists (14-11) and steals (7-3). Three Wagner guys may’ve had three with double figures, but they were no match for Temple’s two, Scootie Randall with 10 pts. plus a team-high 9 boards and Khalif Wyatt with a game-high 26 in his 34 minutes. That included a critical trey at the 1:45 mark when Wagner had, somehow, fought back to trail just 60-55. Which must’ve been what Dunphy meant!

Strange game? Sure. Minutes in, Wagner led 10-2. Cause for concern? Welllll…nope. Moments later, it was all Owls, 12-10. And they built leads from there, albeit never commanding, because Wagner, despite an entertaining airball display and some awfully short guys in awfully long shorts, is certainly scrappy. And don’t forget, these Seahawks were seeking to set the tone for their gridiron brethren who, that evening, would tangle with Eastern Washington in the FCS playoffs, after trumping their 0-3 start with a slick 9-0 finish. In the end, alas, both squads fell.

NEC conference member Wagner draws from a student body under 2,200, with 375 grad students thrown in. Temple doesn’t. Speaking of which, Temple’s graduate forward Jake O’Brien added 8 pts. and others of the nine who saw action contributed. But now the fun starts. First, the Big 5 opener at the Pavilion on Wednesday vs. a ’Nova squad ripe for the picking. Looks like 6-0, best since the ’87-’88 opening run of 14-0 (en route to 32-2). Then, next Saturday at the Izod Center, it’s Doooookkk. So 7-0 outta the box could portend great things this season, especially with three home games to follow.

Oh, and by the way, one great thing happened when the Owls’ all-male Broad Street Line took center court before tip-off to belt out a courageous and mostly harmonious rendition of, “Oh, say can you see.” If you can see ’em at an entertainment venue near you, do. If, on the other hand, you’re offered one chance to hurl an ersatz bowling ball the length of the Liacouras court at an ersatz bunch of bowling pins, albeit for $10,000, tell ’em you’ll have to ask your mother.

 Posted by "Tall Phil" Wagner

Chronicowls '13- Meeting of the Owls

The Owls of Temple hosted their counterparts from Rice University, in the 2012-13 hoops season opener at the Liacouras Center. And the wise Owls prevailed, relying upon their experienced seniors (Hollis-Jefferson, Wyatt, and Randall) and two grad students (DiLeo and O'Brien)to outlast the visitors. By the way, Temple and Rice are two of four Division I basketball programs to use the "Owls" moniker. Not present on the Liacouras Center floor Saturday night were Florida Atlantic and Kennesaw State.
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The Liacouras Center, now in its 16th year, has gone high-tech. Welcome news for the "Temple fan experience". A new center-hung scoreboard consisting of four video screens and featuring high-definition quality visuals for live action, replays, game animations, team logos, student athlete introductions and real-time statistics. And that's not all. Complementing the center-hung scoreboard is  a new   LED ribbon system spread (or wrap-around)across the Liacouras Center's 200 Level façade. Very impressive. One glitch noted by last night's attendees - lighting varies in intensity depending upon the background of the advertising being shown on the wraparound. I'm confident it will be worked out.
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The Owls are comfortable in their nest - they have won 36 of their last 38 games  at home.
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 Temple clearly looked to be the superior side early on, jumping out to a 16-5 lead. For the next seven minutes, the Owls scored but seven points, and found themselves tied at 23. Rice stayed close (they were within one point of Temple with 9 minutes remaining in the game) but never took the lead.
Keys to Temple's win: twice as many assists (16) as turnovers (8) and making 10 of 11 free throws in the second half.
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The Owls bench  -- comprised of T.J. DiLeo, Dalton Pepper, Jake O'Brien, Quenton DeCosey and Dan Dingle and considered to be a strength of the team-- posted just five points and didn't register a single basket until five minutes remained in the game. The Temple bench was outscored by Rice's,
18-5, and went 1-for-11 shooting.
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Good-sized crowd last night (almost 7000) , spirited student section (the Wild Cherry), and a full complement of enthusiastic pep band members. All enjoyed a highly entertaining halftime performance by a rope-skipping, somersaulting troupe whose show was one of the best in years.
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The oddsmakers had  Temple favored by 14. Final score: Temple Owls 77 - Rice Owls 63.