Kristen McCarthy (Courtesy of Temple athletics)

By Kyle Soppe

Senior leadership is typically hard to measure in box scores, rather a calming influence on the team as a whole. This past week however, Temple Owls (7-7, 1-0) veteran guard Kristen McCarthy made her presence known in a big way in two huge road wins.

Her standout week began as Temple wrapped up its non conference schedule with a contest at Western Michigan. She came out aggressive and tallied 11 points in the games first 20 minutes, allowing her Owls to head into the locker rooms with a comfortable 10 point advantage. Temple’s lead would continue to grow, as McCarthy stepped up her defensive game with four steals. The threat of her on the outside began to open up driving lanes for her teammates, and Temple had the game wrapped up. McCarthy finished with a game high 19 points to go along with five rebounds, three of which came on the offensive end. While this game was Temple’s in the early going, their conference opener was a completely different story.

The Owls traveled to the Robins Center to face the upstart Richmond Spiders (12-3, 0-1) in what was the game of the week in the A-10. McCarthy scored the games first bucket, but that was the last time Temple would see the lead until midway through the second half. Despite briefly holding the lead, Temple was batteling from behind the entire night, and fell behind by eight points after Gen Okoro converted a lay up with 3:58 remaining in the game. On the play, McCarthy was whistled for her fourth personal foul, one away from disqualification.

But this is a senior, a senior who has learned from experience. This wasn’t the first time Temple had been down late in a game, nor was it the first time the sharp shooting senior was in foul trouble. She led the team in scoring up to this point (12 points) and was aware that her team needed her to not only to stay in the game, but to take over.

Catch and shoot from the top of the key. Bang. Three point game. Left wing pull up. Money. One point game.

After a Spider miss, the Owls were left with 5.6 seconds and the ball at half court. Shey Peddy, the teams leading scorer this season, started the games final possession by catching the ball at the top of the key. She hesitated, then drove hard to her left. Richmond was not going to let Peddy beat them, and forced her to pick up her dribble at the elbow. She spotted McCarthy on the left wing and slung a pass her way. McCarthy took one left handed dribble, and rose up …

The ball swished through the hoop as the backboard lit up, and the Temple Owls (preseason co-favorites of the A-10) had a nice road win to open conference play. McCarthy led Temple with 18 points and added 11 rebounds in the comeback victory. Her five offensive rebounds matched all of Richmond, but it was her clutch play with time running down that will be most remembered. She played every second of the emotional win, and clearly was fatigued in the final moments. Temple’s record is a bit deceiving, as they lost to powerhouses like Duke and Rutgers, but this is the top team in the A-10 until somebody knocks them off. And if McCarthy is going to play like this on a weekly basis, it will take a near perfect game from their opponent to knock them off.

Who gets your POTW?

Today we cast our eyes upon the Temple Owls.

The Owls fell 71-64 in overtime to San Diego State in the third round of the NCAA Tournament. NBA draft pick Lavoy Allen graduated. Fran Dunphy and his staff have welcomed two freshmen to North Broad Street: Will Cummings and Nick Pendergast. In addition, Anthony Lee and Jimmy McDonnell gain full eligibility as redshirt  freshmen.

Will Cummings 6’1″ 170lbs. G Jacksonville, FL — Providence School

Averaged 18.1 points, 8.1 assists and 4.0 steals as a senior at Providence School…Named First Coast Player of the Year as well as Coaches’ FACA?All-State team as a senior…Helped team to an 86-6 three-year record and school’s first state championship as a junior in 2010…Played for Florida team in USA?Hardwood Classic in Orlando in March, 2011…Outstanding student with a GPA?above 4.0 mark on a weighted system.
..Signed with Temple in early signing period.

What they’re saying about Cummings - Bob Gibbons/All Star Sports: “I had him ranked in the top 125 recruits in the country. He has good quickness. He can penetrate and dish as a point guard. He had a really good senior year. He will make an immediate contribution.”

Nick Pendergast 6’5″ 175lbs. F Bridgewater, Conn. — Kent School

Averaged 17.0 points as a senior at the Kent School, earning second team all-State honors…As a junior, earned honorable mention all-State wih 15.0 scoring average…Made team as a walk-on.

What they’re saying about Pendergast — Bob Gibbons/All Star Sports: “He’s going to be a role player. Down the road I look for him to develop. He will be a solid backup as a freshman.”

Anthony Lee (redshirt freshman) 6’9 210lbs.  Columbia, MD — West Oak Academy

Red-shirted season due to a back injury… Averaged 23.0 points, 14.0 rebounds and 3.0 blocks as a senior at West Oaks Academy in Orlando, Fla….Earned 2010 National Athletic Christian Association All-America honors and named to the 2010 National Athletic Christian Association tournament best defensive player…Was the MVP of the Sunshine Independent Athletic Association as a senior…Ranked as the 38th-best center in the country by ESPN.com heading into senior year…Averaged 14.8 points and 13.8 rebounds in 2008-09 at Eustis High School before transferring to West Oaks for his senior season. Selected for the Next Level Florida Amateur Athletic Zone Magazine Top 24 game in Fall 2009.

Jimmy McDonnell 6’10 195lbs. F Jackson, NJ — Jackson Memorial

Averaged 13.9 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.0 blocks per game as a senior, helping Jackson Memorial to a 16-8 record…A first team all-Division selection in the A Shore Conference, he earned MVP honors at the WOBM Holiday Classic.

What they’re saying about McDonnell – Bob Gibbons/All Star Sports: “He’s a good perimeter shooter. He can stretch defenses. He will need to get stronger. Good recruit.”

Photos and biographical material courtesy of Temple athletics.

Courtesy of Temple Athletics

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – Temple senior Kristen McCarthy is one of sixty NCAA men’s and women’s basketball student-athletes who excel both on and off the court and were selected as candidates today for the 2011-12 Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence – community, classroom, character and competition. The complete list of candidates including a link to view McCarthy’s nomination can be found at the following link:

http://www.seniorclassaward.com/news/view/ncaa_mens_and_womens_basketball_candidates_announced_for_2011-12_lowes_seni/

An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School®, the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.

The 2011-12 candidate class includes three men’s players who were members of last year’s CoSIDA Academic All-American team, one Associated Press All-American and seven players who are on teams ranked in the Associated Press preseason top 25 poll.

The women’s candidate class includes one CoSIDA Academic All-American, two Associated Press All-Americans and 12 players whose teams are ranked in the Associated Press preseason top 25.

Lowe’s, an official Corporate Partner of the NCAA, will announce the men’s Senior CLASS Award® winner during the 2012 NCAA Men’s Final Four®, which will be held March 31 and April 2 in New Orleans. The women’s award winner will be announced during the NCAA Women’s Final Four®, which will be held April 1 and 3 in Denver.

The 60 candidates will be narrowed to 10 finalists in both men’s and women’s basketball midway through the regular season, and those 10 names will be placed on the official ballot. Ballots will be distributed through a nationwide voting system to media, Division I men’s and women’s coaches and fans who will select one finalist who best exemplifies excellence in the four Cs of community, classroom, character and competition.

www.owlsports.com

Wisconsin quarterback Russell Wilson (16) runs for a touchdown against UNLV during the first half of an NCAA college football game Thursday, Sept. 1, 2011, in Madison, Wis. (Andy Manis, Associated Press)

1. Russell Wilson QB (Wisconsin)

Weekly stats: 10-13, 255 yards, 2 TD/0 INT/0 sacks; 62 yards rushing, 1 TD

This kid is what they call a “gamer.” Watched him play for two years at NC State where he took a mediocre team and bland coaching and made it competitive every week. Definitely not what people are used to seeing at Camp Randall, but it appears the Badger coaching staff will embrace his style and give him the green light. The Colorado Rockies’ minor league prospect now has the luxury of playing behind an offensive line that is bigger than most NFL teams. Yikes. Wisconsin will win the Big 10 and have to be considered for the national championship with Wilson.

2. Robert Griffin III QB (Baylor)

Weekly stats: 21-27, 359 yards, 5 TD/0 INT

Is Baylor the best team in Texas? We’ll find out on October 15 when the Bears travel to Texas A&M. They have a do-it-all quarterback that will make defensive gameplans crumble.

3a. Robert Woods WR (USC), 3b. Kendall Wright WR (Baylor)

Weekly stats: Woods 17 receptions, 177 yards, 3 TD; Wright 12 receptions, 189 yards, 2 TD

Good thing USC had Woods and Matt Barkley against Minnesota. They were the only Trojans to offensively participate and find the end zone in a close 19-17 win. Kendall Wright is only 5’10″?! I have to watch Baylor play more.

4. Landry Jones QB (Oklahoma)

Weekly stats: 35-47, 375 yards, 1 TD/0 INT/0 sacks

That’s pretty efficient. Jones may have a hard time staying in the top 5 because the rest of his team is so good. The Sooner backfield ran for 5 TDs in the easy win against Tulsa.

5. Kellen Moore QB (Boise State)

Weekly stats: 28-34, 261 yards, 3 TD/1 INT

Boise State does it again by beating up on a good team from a BCS conference by defeating Georgia 35-21. Boise won’t be challenged again until November 12 when #14 TCU visits the “Smurf Turf.”

6. Andrew Luck QB (Stanford)

Weekly stats: 17-26, 171 yards, 2 TD/0 INT

Stanford opened the post-Jim Harbaugh era by blasting San Jose State 57-3. The Cardinal spread the ball around offensively. Luck hopes to personify his name and produce a season like last year’s when he was projected to be the first pick of the NFL draft. Kudos for staying in school.

7. Matt Barkley QB (USC)

Weekly stats: 35-45, 304 yards, 3 TD/0 INT

Won’t Matt Barkley end up exactly like Jimmy Clausen? An overhyped college quarterback who has enough good games to ignore his bad games, gets drafted by a bad team who needs a quarterback for that season, then finds himself with a clipboard when an even better quarterback becomes available the following season?

8. Les Miles (LSU)

Weekly stats: Diverting media, damage control, beat #3 Oregon

Love him or hate him, the guy has stayed put in Baton Rouge despite many courtships and just keeps winning and churning out NFL-caliber players. How prepared did LSU look for Oregon’s offense? When a team spreads the field and makes it wider like the Ducks do, players have to be really disciplined not to swarm the ball too early. Force, cutback and contain. The Tigers looked like a picket fence out there and once one had the ball wrapped up, they converged like a pack of rabid wolves. Hats off to Les Miles who seems like he’d be fun to play for.

9. SEC football

Weekly stats: Defenses continue to stifle everybody else’s offense

How can anyone question the SEC being the best conference in the country? And please do not mention Kentucky or Vanderbilt. The SEC’s best teams beat everyone else’s best teams every year, don’t they?

10. Bernard Pierce RB (Temple)

http://www.owlsports.com

Temple defeated Villanova for the Mayor’s Cup in front of a near record crowd for a Temple football game at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. This is probably a slight homer-call.

53. LaMichael James RB (Oregon)

Weekly stats: 54 yards rushing, 1 TD; 6 receptions, 61 yards

Not a great start, but there’s hope for an Oregon offense that put up unreal numbers all last season. Surely he’ll have some ridiculous 500 yard all-purpose game soon, probably against Missouri State in two weeks.

402. LaMichael James against an SEC defense (Oregon)

Weekly stats: Not great

His last two games can’t be good for an NFL application. Or maybe he could be like a Chris Johnson. Both have a knack for finding the smallest of holes to cut into as long as their team blocks well. LSU’s defense just seemed to shorten the field and penetrate the backfield too well for James to have a chance. It’s funny how a college system can make a player perform so well and simultaneously hinder his translation to the professional level of that sport.

630. Notre Dame receivers when a Dayne Crist pass is coming

Weekly stats: A few dropped passes

There were three or four passes that Crist threw that weren’t great, but still hit the hands of Irish receivers. And I think a couple of them were during a crucial third down situation. Have to adjust and make a play on a couple of those. Hey – Even Robert Griffin III, Baylor’s quarterback, made a big reception in the fourth quarter while trailing TCU.

705. Dayne Crist QB (Notre Dame)

Weekly stats: 7-15, 95 yards, 0 TD/1 INT

What is more troublesome for Notre Dame fans: The fact that Crist played so poorly or the that Brian Kelly evaluated both him and Rees in the Spring and concluded that Crist was the better player? Crist played horrible yesterday, right? A terrible interception in the Red zone on an underthrown ball, mutliple bad throws on basic routes, no gamesmanship displayed whatsoever. He was the complete opposite of Russell Wilson. On the other hand, Rees steps in and just looks comfortable in the pocket and makes timely, hard throws.

819. Contract extension negotiations between Brian Kelly and Notre Dame

Weekly stats: Lost to Skip Holtz’s South Florida team

Considering that Skip Holtz was available (I have no idea what the circumstances were in regards to this by the way, if Holtz was contacted or if he showed no interest) this has to sting more than it would have. Holtz is one of the best coaches in the country. He will have SFU atop the Big East in another couple of years.

899. Mark Richt (Georgia)

Weekly stats: Lost to Boise State in the Georgia Dome

What does Richt know about the University of Georgia’s president that is keeping him or her from firing Richt? Georgia is supposed to be good at football, right?

997. Al Golden’s optimism (Miami)

Weekly stats: Miami plays at Maryland Monday night

Depending on how the Hurricanes open the season, this ranking may be a bit too high.

AP Photo/George Frey

By Paul Casey Gotham

Nevada in the top 25

One week after a convincing 52-13 beat down of Cal the Nevada Wolfpack did their BTO impersonation and “took care of business” knocking off BYU, 27-13. The win and a 4-0 record earned the Wolfpack a top 25 spot in both the AP and Coaches’ poll for the first time since 1948. Nevada’s emergence along with Boise St. makes two WAC teams in the top 25 and four ranked teams (TCU and Utah) from non-BCS schools. Nevada and Boise meet on Novemeber 26th in what should be a dandy of a game.

Another close call for the Sooners

On the surface, Bob Stoops’s Sooners are cruising along at 4-0. One problem might be Oklahoma’s margin of victory. The Sooners held on to defeat Cincinnati yesterday, 31-29.  The Bearcats scored 17 in the fourth. After trailing 24-9, Cincy answered with 13 to make it 24-22 with just under 10:00 remaining.

The win was Oklahoma’s third single-digit victory of the season with wins over Utah State (31-24) and Air Force (27-24). Oklahoma’s only convincing win of the season came against Florida State 47-17. Ironically, Stoops’s brother, Mark, is FSU’s defensive coordinator. Who says sibling rivalry can’t provide a little motivation?

Introducing Al Golden

It might be time to get familiar with the head coach of the Temple Owls. In his fifth year at the helm, Al Golden continues building momentum with the Owls. Last year, Temple recorded its first winning season (9-4) since 1991 and the school’s first bowl appearance in 30 years. Temple is off to a 3-1 start this year including a 30-16 beat down of last year’s Big East champion, UConn, 30-16. Yesterday, Temple held the Penn State Nittany Lions without a touchdown for 55 minutes before losing their first tilt of the season, 22-13.

QB controversy in Ann Arbor?

Denard Robinson left the game during Michigan’s third drive, and Tate Frocier entered the game. Forcier, last year’s starter, promptly completed his next 12 passes. Yes, it was against Bowling Green. Nonetheless, Forcier was ready when called upon. Hmmmm…a little competition never hurt anyone. The Wolverine medical staff cleared Robinson. Forcier also went down late in the game. He did not need medical attention. Snaps at practice this week could get interesting.

Stanley Cup gets a football doubleheader

Notre Dame fans had little to cheer about as the Stanford Cardinal took the fight out of the Fightin’ Irish, 37-14. Lord Stanley’s Cup warmed the Irish faithful. ND alum and Chicago Black Hawk GM, Stan Bowman, paid a visit to his alma mater and brought with him the hardware from the Hawks first championship since 1961.  Earlier in the day, Bowman took the trophy to Northwestern.

Like a rolling stone

Arkansas is 3-1. The Razorbacks nearly toppled the Crimson Tide yesterday. If it weren’t for a late interception, the Tide would have dropped from the top of the heap.

Can’t help but thinking – how long will it be before Bobby Petrino gets an itch to move. Bobby “used to laugh about everybody that was hanging out.” He’s been in Arkansas a while. At least two years. He’s gotta have his eye on a move.

Conference Challenge?

Since CFB won’t follow the lead of CBB and give the fans a well-deserved playoff, maybe the ADs could throw us some crumbs and give the fans a few conference challenges. You know. Like the ACC-Big Ten hoops challenge. There is also the Big 12 – Pac 10 hardwood series, and the Big East and SEC have their own soiree. Imagine if yesterday was all Big 10 versus Pac 10 games.

Score one for Toledo and Northern Illinois

Lane Kiffin and his folly thought they had a nice win when they downed Minnesota. Beating a Big Ten team by 11 looks nice on the resume. Except when that team loses to a MAC school by 11 the next week. Ouch. Couple that with Toledo downing Purdue by11 and it’s not a bad weekend for the MAC. That is if you can ignore the 40-point loss by Bowling Green. And the 38-point loss by Miami, Ohio. And the 45-point loss by Ball State. Ah, all right already.

Looking ahead

Next weekend’s slate will give the remote a workout. The Red River shootout is on tap. Texas swallowed some humble pie thanks to UCLA. No better way to get back on track than by beating the Sooners. Florida plays ‘Bama. Stanford travels to Eugene for a tilt with the Ducks. Would it be an upset if East Carolina knocked off North Carolina?

Heisman Heat

Denard Robinson

Kellen Moore

Terrelle Pryor

Andrew Luck

By Paul Gotham

Here come the Irish

What was once thought to be an aberration is looking more and more like reality.

The Notre Dame Fightin’ Irish knocked out a pair of Big East contenders: Pittsburgh 68-53 and Georgetown 78-64. A quick look at the box scores shows that the Irish are doing more with less. Notre Dame shot 22 of 44 from the field, including 10 of 18 behind the three point arc to win at Pittsburgh. Against Georgetown, the Irish hit 28 of 49. In comparison ND shot 28 of 68 in a one-point loss at Rutgers earlier this year.

Notre Dame is taking fewer shots but increasing the scoring margin. The formula is not real complicated. The Irish are developing a rhythm on offense. Players moving off the ball create passing and driving lanes. The result is five players prepared when a shot goes up.

Not only is the Irish scoring margin increasing, so, too, is their rebound margin. There is no coincidence that Notre Dame out-rebounded both the Hoyas and Panthers. By the way, Rutgers out-rebounded the Irish 43-30. Teammates will give approval to a shot when they have faith in the shot selection. That means guys are more willing and able to crash the boards.

Meanwhile, former Big East Player-of-the-Year, Luke Harangody is on the bench with an injury. Reports have it that the power forward might be down longer than originally expected. His teammates have picked up the slack in his absence. Here’s hoping Harangody has learned to trust his teammates. Too often over the last year and a half, Harangody has made poor decisions on the court. He is taking shots that suggest a lack of confidence in his teammates. The recent winning streak should change that.

Of Notre Dame’s 10 losses this season, six have come by a combined total of 11 points. Under Mike Brey, the Irish have made five appearances in the NCAA Tournament, with a record of 5-5.

Life after Hummel

One week ago, Purdue’s Boilermakers looked prime to for a number one seed. Seven days later, the Boilermakers are circling the wagons.

With Robbie Hummel on the pine for the rest of the year with an ACL injury, Matt Painter and his Boilermakers will need to redefine themselves…quickly.

Hummel averaged just under 16 points and nearly eight rebounds for the Big Ten team. Hummel led the Boilermakers with 43 three-pointers. He hit 36 percent from long range.

Purdue is still a Sweet Sixteen team. They play stiff defense. In their last ten games, only two teams have scored 60 or more against them. Problem is that without Hummel they only scored 44 against Michigan State.

Mack gives power to the people

Rockin' the Cintas Center

Xavier’s administration might need to reconsider the school calendar. Scheduling Spring Break during the final weeks of basketball season is questionable. With much off the student body away on vacation, head coach, Chris Mack, took matters into his hands. CBS’s Gary Parrish reported that Mack used the Musketeer message board to encourage enthusiasm at Sunday’s A10 first-place showdown with Richmond. Mack went so far as to impose a curfew on fans, so that the Musky faithful would bring plenty of energy to the Cintas center. Mack’s efforts paid off. Xavier won in double overtime, and Parrish called it the game of the weekend.

Temple wins the Big 5

With their 65-53 victory over LaSalle, the Temple Owls pitched a shutout in this season’s Philadelphia Big 5 city series.

Temple opened the series with a 75-65 triumph over Villanova. The Owls continued with victories over St. Joe’s (73-46 and 75-67) and Penn (60-45).

The Big 5 series began play in 1955 and has continued every year since. Until only recently, all the Big 5 games were played at the Palestra.

Player to watch-Willie Veasley, Butler

March is the time for heroes, and Willie Veasley has all the makings. The senior forward has one more go around and what better way to finish than taking the Bulldogs to the Final Four. Over the weekend, Butler played at Horizon League rival, Valparaiso. On the Butler bench with an injury was leading scorer, Gordon Hayward. No problem. Veasley picked up the slack with a 20-point, six-rebound performance. Veasley averages ten a game with nearly five rebounds and one steal.

Hazell reminds me of…

…Ray Allen. Seton Hall’s Jeremy Hazell might not garner many post-season awards. He probably won’t make any All-American teams. Hazell’s team might not get an invite to the Dance. But Hazell will eventually hear his name called in the NBA draft. If there is one player Hazell reminds me of, it is Ray Allen. Hazell moves without the ball as well as anyone in the country. When he gets the rock, he can square up and pull the trigger just like Allen. Another year in college could allow Hazell to improve his ability to go off the dribble.

1st Team All Casey

PG Jon Scheyer – Duke

SG Jordan Crawford – Xavier

SF Evan Turner – Ohio State

PF Damion James – Texas

C Greg Monroe – Georgetown

2nd Team All Casey

PG – Scottie Reynolds – Villanova

SG  Andy Rautins – Syracuse

SF  Wes Johnson – Syracuse

PF  Patrick Patterson – Kentucky

C Cole Aldrich – Kansas

All-freshmen

John Wall – Kentucky

Xavier Henry – Kansas

DeMarcus Cousins – Kentucky

Dane Miller – Rutgers

Mason Plumlee – Duke

Got any college hoops splinters? Share them here.

By Paul Gotham

Setting: 1776 N. Broad Street is the location for an Atlantic 10 showdown between Brian Gregory’s Dayton Flyers (18-8/ 7-5) and Fran Dunphy’s No. 18 Temple Owls (22-5/ 10-2).

Plot: Urgency is the theme for Dayton. At one time, the season held promise for the Flyers. Now, they find themselves in seventh place in the A 10 standings.  Temple seeks to keep pace with Richmond for the regular season conference title. The Owls have won the past two A 10 crowns.

Sub-plot: Dayton’s eight losses have been by a combined total of 27 points. This includes losing their last two on the road by a total of five points. Dayton has not yet suffered a double-digit loss this season. The Flyers are 1-2 against ranked opponents.

Temple has won three in a row and five of their last six. The Owls have held all but two of their opponents under their season scoring average. Sixteen of those opponents have scored 10 or more fewer points than usual. Temple posts a similar record against ranked opponents of a win and two setbacks.

The A 10 has 18 victories over BCS schools. Nine different teams have posted non-conference triumphs over the BCS conferences. Temple leads the way with four victories. Richmond, Rhode Island, and Xavier each have three.

Flashback: Dionte Christmas and Ryan Brooks tallied 20 a piece, but the Owls came up short at UD Arena last season.  Chris Wright matched Christmas and Brooks with 20. London Warren grabbed nine boards and dished out eight assists as the Flyers took 70-65 decision.

Temple leads the all-time series 14-11, but the Flyers have taken the last three in the series.

Temple has made 27 appearances in the NCAA tournament including Elite Eight spots in ‘01, ‘99, ‘93, ‘91, and ‘88. Dayton has earned 14 invites to The Dance, including a spot in the 1967 title game where they fell to John Wooden’s UCLA Bruins 79-64. Dayton beat West Virginia in last year’s opening round, 68-60.

Foreshadowing: Thirty-three former Owls have played in the Association. Mardy Collins is the lone Temple alum in the league. Sixteen from the Marianist college have gone on to enjoy careers in the NBA including Jim Paxson Jr. and Johnny Davis.

Conflict: Call it psychedelia, tonight’s game will be played in the 60s. Dayton averages a touch above 70, but, as pointed out above, Temple trims their opponents’ totals. The Owls enter the action at 66 a contest.

Surprisingly, the Flyers fell victim to foul troubles in their two-point loss at Duquesne. Ten Flyers play at least ten minutes. Usually, they can avoid foul problems. Nonetheless, Chris Wright spent significant time on the bench with four fouls, and London Warren fouled out at 1:19 mark with Dayton in the lead.

How will this affect the usually aggressive Flyers?

How will the Owl defense respond? Temple was exposed earlier this year against Kansas. The Owls got out and defended beyond the arc while fronting the post. Kansas exploited an advantage in athleticism for a big win. Temple matches up with Dayton athletically, but will the Flyers take a page from the Kansas playbook?

The Flyers frequently run a double high screen on the ball. Opponents struggle to defend this. If Temple tries to apply pressure on the ball 25 feet from the basket, the Flyers could capitalize on an open area in the lane.

Chris Johnson is the key to Dayton’s success. The sophomore guard hits nearly 37 percent from behind the three-point arc. He is unafraid to shoot. He can create his own shot off the dribble. Dayton will need Johnson to open up the middle.

From there Wright has to takeover. The pre-season Wooden candidate scores 14 and half points and grabs seven rebounds in 28 minutes of playing time. Wright scored Dayton’s first 11 points against Duquesne. he is capable of dominating, but he has not shown that he can do it for long stretches.

Marcus Johnson chips in eight points and three rebounds. Rob Lowery share point guard duties with Warren. The senior scores almost seven a game and hands out nearly four assists.

Paul Williams is valuable off the bench. The sophomore has hit 23 threes this season.

Ryan Brooks leads three Owls in double figures with nearly 15 a game. The senior guard hands out almost two assists to every turnover.

Off the bench, Juan Fernandez hits 43.7 percent of his trifecta attempts. Fernandez hit seven of nine when Temple beat Villanova earlier this year.

Lavoy Allen averages a double-double (11.4ppg and 10.3 rpg).

Ramone Moore, Michael Eric, and Luiz Guzman round out the starting five combining for 18 points and 12 rebounds.

Resolution: The time is now for Dayton. They need to put their losses behind and notch a win over a ranked opponent. Temple will not go down easy. Wright and Johnson will combine for over 30 points as the Flyers win a low-scoring affair.

Got any comments on the game? Post them here.

By Paul Gotham

Setting:  It’s a battle for first place in the Atlantic 10 at 1776 N. Broad Street as Chris Mack’s Xavier Musketeers (12-5/4-0) take on Fran Dunphy’s No. 16 Temple Owls (15-3/3-0).

Plot: Both Temple and Xavier bring four-game winning streaks into the tilt.

Sub-plot: This is the Musketeers lone road game for the remainder of the month. Xavier is coming off an emotional win over Dayton on Saturday. Temple plays their next two games on the road: Saturday at Fordham and next Wednesday at Charlotte.

Xavier is 1-1 against ranked opponents this year. The Muskies lost a heart-breaker to then No. 21, Butler, 69-68. Xavier knocked off then No.19 Cincinnati, 83-79 in double overtime.

Xavier has won the last three regular season A10 titles. Temple won the last two A10 tournaments.

The Atlantic 10 is ranked fourth by the RPI.

Flashback: Dionte Christmas scored 20 and Lavoy Allen grabbed 10 boards as the Owls beat the Muskies, 55-53 in the semi-finals of last year’s A10 tournament.

Temple leads the series 11-9 with a 78-59 victory the last time the two met at the Liacouras Center.

Temple has made 27 appearances in the NCAA tournament including Elite Eight spots in ’01, ’99, ’93, ’91, and ’88. Xavier has reached the tournament 20 times with Elite Eight showings in ’08 and ’04.

Foreshadowing:  Sixteen Musketeers have played in the NBA including current stars Derrick Brown, James Posey , and David West.  Thirty-three former Owls have played in the Association. Mardy Collins is the lone Temple alum in the league.

Conflict: Xavier is 11-1 when scoring 70 or more points this season with their only loss coming in double overtime to Wake Forest. The Muskies make 45.1 percent of their shots from the field.

Temple opponents only hit 37.5 percent of their field goals while scoring 56 points per game.

Temple grabs fewer rebounds per game (38.2) than Xavier (39.2), but the Owls hold an advantage in rebound margin 3.7 to 1.8.

Xavier turns over the ball 12.9 times per game; Temple loses the rock 10.7 times. Xavier gets 6.4 steals per game while Temple swipes 4.7.

Ryan Brooks earned A10 Player-of-the-Week honors averaging 20 points and five rebounds as the Owls went 3-0 last week. The senior guard hit 10 three pointers for the week.

Juan Fernandez hits threes at a rate of 44.7 percent and leads the Owls with 42 total trifectas.

Temple will need these two to open up the floor for success inside.

Lavoy Allen leads the Cherry and White with 10.3 rebounds including 69 offensive boards.

Luis Guzman averages almost three assist per game.

Ramone Moore and Craig Williams combine for 10 points and five rebounds.

Xavier has held opponents to 29.6 from the three point arc. Terrell Holloway, Mark Lyons, Dante Jackson, and Jordan Crawford frustrate opposing perimeter shooters.

Jackson has established himself as the most versatile player on the Xavier squad. At 6’5″, the junior can defend players on the perimeter, but he has also drawn the assignment of bigger players such as Wake Forest’s 6’9″ Al-Farouq Aminu. Jackson hit five threes en route to a game-high 19 as the Muskies knocked off Dayton Saturday. He also grabs three boards per game.

Crawford leads three X-Men in double figures with 19 points. Crawford dished out four assists in Saturday’s win. The transfer has struggled at times trying to do too much. He averages 2.6 assists per game. This number needs to increase for Xavier to be successful over the long haul.

Holloway is a lunch pail type of player who scores 11 a game and has an assist to turnover ratio of 2.5:1. Holloway hits 90.7 percent from the free throw line. The sophomore performs his best in the tightest of games. Saturday, he hit 13 of 14. Against Cincinnati, Holloway was a perfect 11 of 11 line from the charity stripe.

Jason Love contributes 10 point and nine rebounds. The senior center has developed a jump hook that is nearly indefensible.

Kenny Frease rounds out Xavier’s starting five. The seven-footer averages just under six points and a tad below five rebounds per game.

Resolution: Dunphy deploys eight of his Owls for 13 or more minutes per game. Mack uses eight guys for 16 or minutes. Temple likes to front the post. Look for Xavier to try some lob entries into Frease. Jamel McLean will provide valuable minutes off the XU bench. The junior forward will be counted on to control the boards.

Brad Redford provides a spark off the bench for Xavier. Redford hits 47.9 percent from behind the three-point arc. The sophomore has learned how to get open in transition and finish from long range. Holloway and Jackson will need to continue to find the three-point threat.

It’s been a while since Xavier has won in Philly, but that changes Wednesday night. The Muskies with their balanced attack will win a one-possession game.

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Henry - Photo by REUTERS/Dave Kaup

By Paul Gotham

Kansas vs. Temple: the difference between 1 and 18

Saturday, Fran Dunphy and his No. 18 Temple Owls got a front row view as to why the Kansas Jayhawks rank number one in the nation. Temple completed an undefeated December. Kansas was on the road. Everything looked good for the Owls.  That was until Kansas went on a 19-4 run en route to an 84-52 victory.

Much of the discussion surrounding the game has focused on the Kansas offense. And why not, the Jayhawks shot over 54 percent from the field. On the surface, Kansas played like the cliche runaway train.

Things is, poor offense by the Owls engineered the Jayhawk locomotive.

With 8:24 remaining in the first half, Juan Fernandez knocked down a three to pull Temple within a deuce, 19-17. That was as close as the Owls would get, and their shot selection doomed them.

Temple actually took more shots than Kansas. The Owls finished the game with 64 attempts while Kansas took 55. The disparity comes as the result of a handful of possessions where the Owls beat the Jayhawks to long rebounds.

The problem was that as soon as the Owls secured the rock they could not wait to jack up another shot.

Temple finished the game 5-29 from the three-point arc. Kansas, on the other hand, 7-13. For those of you scratching your head, you are not alone. The Jayhawks took 16 fewer threes and made two more than Temple.

It was Kansas’s other 63 points that were the difference. Temple’s many ill-advised shots resulted in a highlight reel of lay ups at the other end. Kansas frustrated Temple’s offense all day. The Owls could not consistently pass on the interior and settled for long shots. The Jayhawks converted those opportunities at the other end.

Fran Dunphy now has the chance to teach his kids a few lessons on patience. There is a good chance he will say the following once or twice at practice: a bad shot at one end becomes a lay up at the other end.

As for Kansas, it is like I am watching the October – November New Orleans Saints: I haven’t seen that many weapons in one place since I saw PBS documentary on the Taliban (yes, I used that one before). Sherron Collins, Cole Aldrich, and Marcus Morris just come in waves. Then you throw in Tyshawn Taylor and Xavier Henry. Geez!!!  That’s a lot of firepower. Oh yeah, and Brady Morningstar is back after suspension. And don’t forget C.J. Henry and Markieff Morris. The Jayhawks are tough to defend with an extended man to man.

Henry is special. Kentucky’s John Wall gets all the hype, but Henry is just as good. Of course, it helps that he is in that lineup.

Since I mentioned the Saints, the concern for Kansas has to be the possibility of peaking too early. A dose of Big12 action should bring them down to size.  Only one regular season game between Kansas and Texas: February eighth. Kansas catches Kansas State twice (1/30 and 3/3).

Speaking of the Horns

The Big 12′s other undefeated team is the Texas Longhorns at 14-0. But the Horns have been living dangerously.

Three night after trimming the Texas A&M-CC (not short for community college – rather Corpus Christi), 76-70, the Horns led the Arkansas Razorbacks by two with eight minutes remaining.  Damion James scored eight points in the final two minutes as Texas won, 96-85.

"This coaching thing can be tiring." AP Photo/Gerry Broome

Carolina blues

According to Mike DeCourcy from Sporting News, the message board in the UNC locker room is an eye-catcher: “Will we make the tournament?”

Forgive me if I’m not buying it. Yeah, Ol’ Roy can scare a bunch of teenagers, but it’s going to take more than that to fool the rest of us.

Sure, Carolina’s four losses is the most among the top 25. But look closely, the Heels have fallen to Syracuse, Texas, and Kansas. Who wouldn’t? Even Carolina’s defeat at the hands of College of Charlestonhas extenuating circumstances: Marcus Ginyard and Will Graves watched the game in street clothes – the two guards recovering from injuries.

In case you didn’t catch it, check out the three at the buzzer by Andrew Goudelock.

So Carolina is down a little, but don’t count them out. Few schools could lose guys like Hansbrough, Lawson, Ellington and Green and still sniff the top 25. Of course, if anyone else was coaching the Heels, it would be a different story. It’s just that that I derive a mild amount of twisted satisfaction watching Roy have to actually try and coach this year. It’s a little different when you don’t have player of the year candidates in the lineup.

An alternative to the Skip Prosser Classic?

The Xavier-Wake Forest match up lived up to its billing. Ishmael Smith earned a POTW nomination as the Deacs took a double OT thriller 83-79. The game was scheduled to be the first of a ten game series honoring the late Skip Prosser.

Not if Wake Forest coach, Dino Gaudio, has his way. Gaudio did not enjoy playing and/or beating his friends at Xavier. Dan Collins is reporting that the Wake coach has suggested a showcase that would consist of two games at one site. Wake would play a team other than Xavier from the A10, and the Musketeers would do battle with an ACC school. Sounds like a great idea to honor the memory of Skip Prosser. Here’s hoping Gaudio has his way.

Scott Sutton: Keeping it in the family

Growing up, Scott Sutton witnessed plenty of basketball. His hall-of-fame father Eddie won over 800 games at the division one level. When the younger Sutton got his chance, he took it. Eleven years later, Scott Sutton has made a name for himself at Oral Roberts University. Dana O’Neil chronciled Sutton’s time on the sidelines. Sutton guided the Golden Eagles to three straight NCAA Tournament appearances between 2006-08. Despite a rash of injuries, Sutton has Oral Roberts primed for another run this year. Thus far, Oral Roberts has wins over Stanford, Missouri, and then No.12 New Mexico.

Got any college basketball splinters? Share them here.

By Paul Gotham

Setting: 1776 N. Broad Street is the site for a Top 20 tangle as Bill Self’s No. 1 Kansas Jayhawks (12-0) visit the Liacouras Center in downtown Philadelphia for a tilt with Fran Dunphy’s No. 18 Temple Owls (11-2).

Plot: Temple finished an undefeated month of December with a victory over Northern Illinois, 70-60. Kansas throttled Belmont, 81-51 to close out 2009. Temple opens A10 play on Wednesday. Kansas does not start conference play until January 13th.

Sub-plots: Temple leads its Atlantic 10 rivals as the conference has ascended to a number four ranking in the RPI. Kansas and No. 2 Texas lead a Big 12 conference ranked number two.

Flashback: Dionte Christmas scored 18 of his game-high 21, but the Jayhawks won last December, 71-59. Kansas holds a 6-3 advantage all-time against Temple. In 1995, the Owls trimmed then No. 1 Kansas in overtime, 74-66.

The two schools rank in the top ten of total victories for Division One schools. Kansas sits at third with 1,982 wins. Temple is is sixth with 1,722. Kentucky leads the way with 2,002 triumphs. North Carolina follows with 1,997.

Foreshadowing: 52 former Jayhawks have played in the NBA. Currently, nine Jayhawks roam the NBA hard courts: Darrell Arthur, Mario Chalmers, Nick Collison, Drew Gooden, Kirk Hinrich, Darnell Jackson, Paul Pierce, Brandon Rush, and Julian Wright.

33 former Owls have played in the NBA. Mardy Collins is the lone Temple alum in the league.

Conflict: Temple averages 64 points per game while Kansas fills it up to the tune of 87 per game. The Owls hold opponents to 54; Self’s Jayhawks limit adversaries to 58.

Who will dictate the tempo of this game?

Kansas wants to run the floor. Temple wants to run half court.

Temple’s Juan Fernandez is capable of carrying the Owls. The sophomore guard has scored 20 or more in three of Temple’s last four games. Fernandez knocked down 11 trifectas as Temple downed then No. 3, Villanova, 75-65. The 6′4″ Argentine leads the Owls hitting 32 of 69 (.464) from long range.

When will the Owls decide to air it out? Conventional wisdom suggests the home team should get out of the gate quickly. Fran Dunphy knows these Jayhawks have too much firepower for an early game deluge.

Freshman Xavier Henry with 16 points per game, leads four Jayhawks in double figures. Sherron Collins follows with 13 points and 51 total assists. Marcus Morris and Cole Aldrich chip in 11 a piece.

Kansas is 13th in the nation with a rebounding margin of 8.3. Alrich leads the way with 10. Morris and Henry combine for nine.

The Jayhawks are number three in the land with a field goal percentage defense of .346 including .278 from behind the arc.

Ryan Brooks leads the Cherry and White with 15.8 per game. Lavoy Allen averages a double-double with 10.6 rebounds and points per game.

Fernandez and Luiz Guzman combine for six and a half assists per game.

The Owls have turned the ball over just 137 times thus far while opponents have fumbled the ball 159 times. For the Owls to be successful, this trend will need to continue.

Allen gives up two inches and twenty pounds to Aldrich. Temple will be hard pressed to find an advantage on the boards today. Instead, the Owls will need to value possession of the ball. Poor shots will result in lay ups at the other end. Fernandez and Guzman will need to control the flow.

Resolution: Kansas is too athletic to knock out in the first half. The Jayhwaks are undefeated, but they have not played a team that is as disciplined on the offensive end and tenacious on the defensive end as are the Owls. When the Temple band strikes up ‘Living On A Prayer,’ the Cherry and White will still have the Jayhawks in the sites. Fernandez will struggle early from the field, but he will find his mark and lead the Owls to the upset.

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