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Dick Jerardi: Temple fans, go out and see your team

AROUND THE CITY Owls keep winning: The Brooks Story Ryan Brooks, a really good defender since he arrived on campus, always draws the other team's best perimeter player. His offense was overlooked because he played with Mark Tyndale and Dionte Christmas. But he made important shots. Now, he is making a lot of shots.

Temple forward Lavoy Allen averages 10.9 points and 10.3 rebounds per game this season for the Owls. (Yong Kim/Staff Photographer)
Temple forward Lavoy Allen averages 10.9 points and 10.3 rebounds per game this season for the Owls. (Yong Kim/Staff Photographer)Read more

AROUND THE CITY

Owls keep winning:

The Brooks Story

Ryan Brooks, a really good defender since he arrived on campus, always draws the other team's best perimeter player. His offense was overlooked because he played with Mark Tyndale and Dionte Christmas. But he made important shots. Now, he is making a lot of shots.

Brooks had a career-best 29 points (seven treys) in the Owls' 76-64 win over Massachusetts at the Liacouras Center on Saturday. The senior has now gone past 1,000 for his career. Meanwhile, Brooks guarded UMass' Ricky Harris, who shot 5-for-17.

Temple (15-3, 3-0 Atlantic 10) never trailed, led by 20 early in the second half and was a brilliant 14-for-25 from the arc against UMass (7-10, 1-3).

Memo to Temple fans

You have a really good team that has won 11 of 12, is fun to watch and is going to the NCAA Tournament. Where are you?

There were 4,263 at the Liacouras Center for a team ranked firmly in the top 25. If you don't start showing up, John Chaney may come looking for you.

La Salle hangs

at Richmond, loses

Despite playing without two injured seniors, La Salle (9-8, 2-2 A-10) did enough to win at a lot of conference road venues, but not quite enough at very tough Richmond (14-5, 3-1). The Spiders won, 67-63.

Ruben Guillandeaux played in the first four games and has missed the rest with a stress fracture. No word on when or if he will be back. Kimmani Barrett missed his second straight game with a sprained foot. He should be back soon.

If the injuries were not enough of an issue, Terrell Williams has been suspended for the spring semester for a violation of La Salle University regulations. He is eligible to return for the summer session. He played in 11 games, averaging 2.2 points.

Murray blowing up

Freshman big man Aaric Murray (19 points, 15 rebounds, four blocks) has gone off the last three games, scoring 58 points to go along with 27 rebounds and 10 blocks.

Hawks lose at Bona

On the night they honored the 1970 St. Bonaventure Final Four team in Olean, N.Y., Saint Joseph's led the Bonnies by nine at the half, trailed by 10 with under 7 minutes left, scored the next 11 points to get the lead back, and then lost, 68-65.

It has been a Murphy's Law season for the Hawks (5-11, 1-3 A-10). St. Bonavenutre (8-8, 1-2) shot 51 percent.

Darrin Govens had 15 points, six assists, five rebounds, three steals for St. Joe's.

Drexel misses shots, gets crushed

Just when it looked like Drexel (9-10, 4-3 Colonial) had discovered some shooters, the Dragons have reverted to their old ways. They just shot 35.8 percent in their 71-48 loss at Old Dominion (14-5, 5-1). The Dragons had as many turnovers (19) as field goals and shot just 2-for-17 from the arc.

ACROSS THE COUNTRY

Worst loss since Laettner

Louisville led at Pittsburgh, 68-63, with 34 seconds left in regulation and started missing free throws. The Cardinals, despite playing a terrific game, lost in overtime, 82-77.

Louisville coach Rick Pitino said the only tougher loss he had experienced was in that classic East Regional final against Duke at the Spectrum in 1992 when he was the coach at Kentucky.

Getting worse in Westwood

UCLA (7-10) lost, 67-46, to USC at Pauley Pavilion. Where have you gone Jrue Holiday?

Who knew? Part I

That Virginia, with first-year coach Tony Bennett (after a great run at Washington State), would be the only team unbeaten in Atlantic Coast Conference play in mid-January. It is very early, but after beating Miami, 75-57, for their seventh consecutive win, the Cavaliers (11-4, 3-0) are starting to look like contenders.

Philly's Sammy Zeglinski (Penn Charter) starts at point guard and averages 10.7 points. Jeff Jones (Monsignor Bonner) is a valuable rotation player and averages 7.4 points.

Who knew? Part II

That Pittsburgh (15-2, 5-0) would be one of two unbeatens at this stage of Big East play, and would be this good without DeJuan Blair, Sam Young and Levance Fields. Jamie Dixon has built a mini-dynasty that has done everything but make a Final Four.

Who knew? Part III

That Fran O'Hanlon would have Lafayette (12-6) at the top of the Patriot League standings as the only unbeaten in league play (3-0). Now that he has scholarships to give and his team is on a more even playing field with the rest of the league, O'Hanlon is proving again what he already proved when he made Lafayette the league power before others started giving scholarships and his school did not. The man can really coach.

Amazing recovery for an amazing player

Put Ohio State's 6-7 Evan Turner back in the player of the year race. He only missed six games with that scary back injury. Last week, the Buckeyes won at Purdue as Turner got 32 points. Ohio State then beat Wisconsin at home. Turner (averaging 18.5 points, 9.4 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 58.0 percent shooting) has two triple-doubles and the best combination of statistics in the country.

Stuff to consider

Kansas has now won 52 straight at Allen Fieldhouse ... Colorado shot 53.2 percent against Kansas State. Frank Martin's team will have to play much better defense to have a chance to beat Texas tonight ... Georgia Tech beat Duke and North Carolina on consecutive Saturdays ... Texas' Damion James had 26 points and 12 rebounds against Texas A & M. The other four UT starters shot 3-for-19. The UT bench outscored A & M's, 38-7 ... The two unbeaten teams, Texas (17-0) and Kentucky (18-0), won by identical scores, 72-67.

DICK JERARDI'S TOP 15

1. Kentucky (18-0): Led by 19 late in the first half at Auburn and held on to win, 72-67. Tigers actually had a shot to tie in final seconds. UK shot 51.2 percent, but had 16 turnovers (seven by John Wall).

2. Texas (17-0): Trailed by 13 late in the first half at home against Texas A & M. Never led in regulation, but won in OT, 72-67.

3. Kansas (16-1): Marcus Morris had 20 points and eight rebounds as KU crushed Texas Tech, 89-63. It was 42-18 at the half.

4. Villanova (16-1): The 82-77 win over Georgetown yesterday at the Wachovia Center had the feel of a mid-March game. Lots of twists and turns. Scottie Reynolds (27 points) was great again.

5. Syracuse (17-1): Shot 57.8 percent and won at West Virginia, 72-71, despite 20 turnovers and nearly giving up a 10-point lead in the final 80 seconds.

6. Pittsburgh (15-2): Chester's Nasir Robinson had 26 points and 11 rebounds while Roman's Brad Wanamaker had 20 in wild, 82-77 OT win over Louisville.

7. Tennessee (14-2): Bruce Pearl has to be in play for coach of the year as Vols (with just six scholarship players at the moment) finished off an amazing week, with 71-69 OT win over Mississippi.

8. Duke (15-2): Blue Devils topped Wake Forest, 90-70, last night at Cameron.

9. Kansas State (15-2): Won 87-81 at Colorado in a game that "featured" 94 free throw attempts. Rather large home game tonight with No. 1 Texas.

10. BYU (18-1): Shot 58.6 percent in blowout over Colorado State, 91-47.

11. Georgetown (13-3): Hoyas came from 17 down late in the first half against 'Nova to get a tie, but could not get the lead back. Greg Monroe (29 points, 16 rebounds) was serious force around rim.

12. Cornell (15-3): Opened Ivy season by crushing Columbia, 74-53. Rematch is Saturday in New York.

13. William & Mary (14-3): Beat Hofstra, 73-66. A fun team to watch.

14. Michigan State (15-3): Spartans have taken early control of the Big Ten after 73-63 win over Illinois.

15. West Virginia (13-3): Freshman Dalton Pepper (Pennsbury) had a season-best 15 points for the Mountaineers in loss to Syracuse. First meeting between top 10 teams in Morgantown since 1960, when No. 3 WVU with Jerry West played No. 9 Villanova and Hubie White.