Chronicowls '12 Temple-Duquesne

A standout shooting performance overcame a slow start to lead the Cherry and White hoopsters to their 10th consecutive victory, and 21st of the season. The Owls took two-and-a-half minutes to score their first basket, and  five minutes into the game the score was tied at 4-4. In the next ten minutes, the Owls scored 30 points, to take a decisive 34-22 lead. Juan Fernandez contributed 14 points during that span, 20 points overall, and logged 6 assists with but one turnover for the game. Temple shot 57% from the field, 52% from beyond the three-point arc, and 80% from the free throw stripe.
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Temple fans must prefer games on Saturday afternoon  over Saturday night. Yesterday's crowd of nearly 10,000 was greater than the crowd last Saturday night for the Xavier game. Hooter's Birthday Party couldn't have been the draw. There's a tradition that should be retired. Along with the "special" Simon Says game during half-time that involves some twenty mascots (they're not just team mascots any longer, now there are appearances by product mascots, like the J&J soft pretzel)
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Khalif Wyatt has perfected a move to the basket that looks awkward to me yet is very effective (Wyatt led all Temple scorers in this game, and is second for the season). Just this past week did a knowledgeable basketball fan inform me that Wyatt's move has a name (the Eurostep), it was introduced to the NBA by Manu Ginobli, and it has been adopted by several NBA stars, among them Dwayne Wade. Let the New York Times describe it:

 "Players in the NBA. now often showcase the Eurostep, a move in which a player drives past a defender by stepping one way and then quickly taking a big lateral step in the other direction. The move is a crafty way to distribute the two steps allocated to a player after he stops dribbling, and it goes right to the edge of being a traveling violation."      

All along I'm thinking that Wyatt's move is awkward, and actually he's being crafty. Keep it up, Khalif.
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There have many keys to Temple's success this season. Unquestionably, one of them has been the Owls' assist-to-turnover ratio. Their ratio of 1.27 places them 22nd in the nation (among 343 schools). Yesterday's game was their sixth of the season in which the Owls had at least 20 assists. Ramone Moore scored just three points, but he had a career-high 8 assists. Fernandez is now 7th in assists on the all-time Temple list.
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Temple is now ranked (for the first time this season) in the Top 25 poll, and stands at #16 in the all-important RPI rankings. And the Owls are 10-3 against top 100 teams.Two huge games on the road this week, against intracity rivals and top 100 teams LaSalle and St. Joe's. I expect both to be sellouts. FINAL home game, leap night, against UMass.
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Maxi's, right in the hear of Temple's campus, was the pre-game meeting spot. One of the few places left where one can find a juke box. And it has among its selections George Thorogood's 1977 recording of the classic "One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer".
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Temple scarves are everywhere, including the shoulders of Shellie Straub, former nationally ranked squash player, who was a Temple fan Saturday (and we hope from hereon) and joined the gathering at Maxi's.

Chronicowls '12 Temple-Fordham

GUEST POST FROM TALL PHIL RE. 2/1/12 GAME

’Twas an average sports night in a world-class sports mecca as the Owls mashed the Rams 78-60 while Drexel, St. Joe’s, LaSalle and “Your Sixers” all comfortably dictated, all on the very day that “I Accept All the Blame” Reid granted “Juan More Time” Castillo a stay of execution. So, get this, the Sixers at a radiant 16-6 take back seat to the Owls at 16-5.

This a great city or what?

The Owls own the Rams: five straight, 26 of the last 30, a perfect .750 over recorded history with 39 wins. You wouldn’t have known it through the first eight minutes of this one, though, as only hot-shooting Khalif Wyatt kept his stone cold mates in a game they would, when they came to their senses, last trail by 21-18.

Score at the break: 35-27. Half #1 was Wyatt’s, featuring 16 of his 24. Half #2 belonged to Ramon Moore, who knocked down a career high six treys and a game high 25, two more than Fordham ace Brian Smith. Rahlir H-J had 10. In the “go figure” department, Temple’s 15 turnovers were three more than Fordham’s, and their four steals one less. A still-recouping Michael Eric, in a reserve role yet, blocked five, a career-high tie. And we waited stoically for T.J. DiLeo to finish passing and start shooting, en route to a hard-earned three-point night.

So what do we know re. the 2011-2012 Temple Owls? They’re batting .762 after a season-high five game winning streak. They’re 8-1 at home, where five of their remaining nine regular season games will spontaneously combust. They play Fordham yet again, away, in the season clincher. They travel no further than Kingston, RI, where they play Fri. Only Xavier (15-7 after their win last night) would appear to loom large. If they stay-play within themselves, these Owls could run not just (up and down) the floor, but perhaps the proverbial table.

Non-basketball notes: One, the first 500 Temple students last eve received RecycleMania t-shirts. Two, hmmmm, y’think there were that many students there? Three, the attendance was 4,080—if you count the Diamond Gems and the Dribbling Dunkin' Donut Coffee Cups and the trombonists and the Super Inflectioned PA Meister, 73 times each. Four, speaking of which, how to ’splain the infernal rejoinder following every other whistle, “There’s a time out (voice up, up, away) …on the floor (voice, well, on the floor).” Okay, so just where else do timeouts routinely take place? Five, this group ate first at McCrossens Tavern on 20^th just below Spring Garden, where waiting, for salads not for Godot, was the core activity, and stars don’t come easily; and drank last at Jack’s Firehouse, 2130 Fairmount, a fine place to savor victory and consider the day.

Chronicowls '12 Temple-Maryland

Twice as many assists as turnovers. That’ll win most basketball games. As it did, yesterday MORNING, for the Cherry and White.  Temple’s starting three guards,  Juan Fernandez, Ramone Moore, and Khalif Wyatt,  produced 54 points, 13 assists, and but 5 giveaways.  And substitute guard Aaron brown contributed 12 points and a team-leading 8 rebounds in 26 minutes of play. An impressive Parliament of Owls.  Graduate student Michael Eric  returned to action after a 13-game absence due to a fractured right patella.

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A packed but not quite full Palestra, although the attendance was announced as a sellout of 8722. Doubtless, more than a few couldn’t make the game because of “wintry mix” driving conditions. Nonetheless, plenty of spirit and energy in the hoops cathedral, as the Maryland faithful “travel well”, and brought at least several thousand supporters to the Penn campus venue. So it seemed more like a Big Five contest, as each cheering section tried to outdo the other. Only rollouts were absent.

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A little more than 5 minutes remain in the game.  In the five minutes just elapsed, the Terrapins had cut a 10-point Temple lead to one. In the next 90 SECONDS, first Wyatt, then Moore, and then Fernandez each make unlikely three point shots.  I Believe We Have Won broke out with about one minute remaining.

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It was an extraordinary day for Philadelphia college basketball, and its fans. For starters, one could have begun  at 11am with the Temple-Maryland tipoff, enjoyed lunch following the game (Slainte, at 30^th and Market, was a good choice yesterday), walked several blocks to the Daskalakis Athletic Center to join 2500 other fans to watch Drexel play Northeastern (the Dragons won), then return to the Palestra to join another sellout crowd to watch Penn edge St. Joe’s in a Big Five classic.  If an Explorers fan, one could have gone to the Gola Arena (instead of the Daskalakis Center)  to see LaSalle play Rhode Island. All in all, five city teams won (Villanova played at Madison Square Garden where they defeated St. John’s) and more than 20,000 fans were in attendance at college basketball games across the city and throughout the day .  Reuben Frank, CSNPhilly columnist,  has an interesting recap of the day (read here ).

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Amazing series of ramps now connect part of the Penn campus. It is now possible to walk from the River Field athletic complex to the Palestra without setting foot on a Philadelphia street.

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Oddsmakers had the Owls favored by NINE over their ACC opponent.  Surprised me (after all, Maryland entered the game with a record (12-5) identical to Temple’s), but the forecasters had obviously done their research, as the Owls beat the spread. While the game was tight throughout, Temple trailed for less than a minute, and led the entire second half.

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The Diamond Gems were in fine form yesterday. The halftime entertainment featured a young man in a Temple teeshirt performing one  balancing act after another (using his chin) , starting with a chair and concluding with a 10-foot stepladder. You had to be there!

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Temple now stands at #19 in the RPI rankings.  St. Joe’s, their next opponent at the Liacouras Center, this Saturday at 4pm, holds the 60^th place in the RPI.  Before then, a difficult game on the road, against Charlotte, this Wednesday evening.  Only radio coverage(1210 AM WPHT) of the game.

Chronicowls '11, Post 10 (Temple-LaSalle)

There must not be  many  Division 1 college basketball facilities like Gola Arena.  The fans enter at court level. Walked in yesterday, several minutes before tip-off, and found myself shoulder-to-shoulder with Temple cheerleaders. And just several feet away, Temple players were in a layup drill.
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Another slow start for the Owls, who went the first seven minutes of the game without a basket. They were fortunate to be behind only 10-5 when Fernandez made a three-pointer for that first basket.  Then, LaSalle scored but 4 points in the final seven minutes of the half, and the Owls outscored LaSalle 16-4 to take a 9-point halftime lead. Twelve Explorer turnovers in the first half helped the Owls keep it close until Khalif Wyatt  took control of the game. In the final nine minutes of the half, Wyatt scored as many points (11) as did the Explorers.  

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For stretches of the game, Lavoy Allen seemed absent. But his final stats of 14 points and 7 rebounds suggest a solid, if not spectacular game. And congratulations to Allen, who became only the fifth temple player to nab 1000 rebounds in his career. Before the season is finished, Allen is sure to become the Owls’ all-time leading rebounder.

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Congratulations, also, to Coach Dunphy, who earned his 100^th win at Temple.

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LaSalle places high value upon its band. Where else can one find the pep band in the first few rows right at midcourt? But what’s with the cowbell?

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Question: does a steal count as a turnover against the team from whom the ball was stolen?

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Five Temple turnovers in the final 100 seconds of the game left the outcome unsettled.

The oddsmakers’ spread was 6.  A Lasalle basket in the final second of the game meant that the Explorers beat the spread.  Right on the mark again. Uncanny.

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McMenamin's (in Mt. Airy) was the choice for post-game gustatory delights. Plenty of college and pro basketball on the TVs, but the one that caught my eye was replaying Liverpool's Premier League match from earlier in the day.

Chronicowls '11, Post 7 (Temple-Penn)

Penn had cut a 14-point Temple lead to 6 early in the second half , and the Owl supporters were getting restless. The oddsmakers’ 17 point spread on the game seemed way off the mark.  And then Temple went on one of its characteristic runs, separating themselves from the Quakers and coasting to a (yep, you guessed it) 17-point victory. Competent at their craft, are those oddsmakers.  Ramone Moore’s two free throws in the final minute of play made 17 the winning margin AND won every ticket-holder a free taco at Qdoba.

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Khalif Wyatt had a breakout game, leading Temple with 27 points. That made Wyatt the 7^th Owl to be the high scorer of a game this season. Lots of talent on this team.  Wyatt also recorded a team high 5 steals last night, and Lavoy Allen had season-high of 6 blocked shots. 

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Former Governor Ed Rendell joined nearly 8,000 fans at the Liacouras Center. Larger crowd than I expected. Good to see the suites in use, they're dark on many game nights.

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Diamond Gems were uninspired, in their outfits and performances. Must have been worn out from their recent appearance in Florida, where they competed in the College Cheerleading and Dance Team National Championship held at ESPN's Wide World of Sports Complex.  The Diamond Gems competed in the Division 1 Hip Hop Category (7^th place finish) and Division 1 Pom Category (a very respectable 4^th place finish).

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Last night the halftime entertainment once again consisted of a youth basketball game. Impressive play last night from the youngsters, including a handful of successful three-point shots. I wonder, though, why music has to be blaring out of the PA system while the game is underway. If someone insists that music must accompany halftime entertainment, then, please, turn  down  the volume.

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Former Temple great Bill Mlkvy (Owl Without a Vowel) was honored at halftime. He celebrated his 80th birthday yesterday. Looks 15 years his junior, and perpetually wears a smile. Sixty seasons ago, Bill Milkvy averaged 29 points a game, and scored 730 points. The former still stands as a school record. Only five players since Mlkvy  have scored more than 700 points in a season (and there are many more games in a season now than in Dr. Mlkvy's day). Those five are (descending from most recent): David Hawkins, Lynn Greer, Nate Blackwell, Terence Stansbury, and Hal Lear. If Mark Macon came to mind, he scored 699 points in his freshman season.

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The loss to Duquesne hurt Temple’s ranking in the polls and RPI, dropping out of the top 25 in each. A win this Saturday, in Cincinnati against Xavier, would be a huge boost. The Musketeers are the only Atlantic 10 school ahead of the Owls in the RPI rankings (read here for more).

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Lively post-game gathering at Pub Webb.  Seems like the place to be on campus on Wednesday nights. DJ spinning music, Yuenglings at a special price, and fans celebrating a hoops victory.