ATLANTIC CITY --  Despite one field goal from Dionte Christmas and a hobbled Lavoy Allen, Temple pinned its third defeat of the season on Saint Josephs with a 79-65 victory in a quarterfinal game of the Atlantic 10 Tournament.

The only field goal for Christmas came with a little less than 6 minutes left on a driving layup that gave the Owls a 65-48 lead.

Allen, who finished with nine points and 12 rebounds points, entered Boardwalk Hall before the game with a boot on his right ankle. He showed no sign of injury, though, during the game.

“He showed a lot of toughness playing today,” said Temple coach Fran Dunphy. “I know a lot of kids who wouldn’t have played.”

With Christmas struggling and Allen hurt, Sergio Olmos (14), Ryan Brooks (19) and Semaj Inge (12) combined for 45 points

With the win, Temple improves to 24-2 all-time in A-10 quarterfinal games.

Seniors Ahmad Nivins and Tasheed Carr led the Hawks with 23 and 21 points, respectively. When coach Phil Martelli pulled them late in the game, both were overcome with emotion while on the bench during the final few seconds.

Fourth-seeded Temple (20-11) will now play top-seeded Xavier on Friday night at 6:30 in the first semifinal.

St. Joe’s (17-15) will now hope for an invitation to play in a postseason tournament.
 

March Madness is an exciting time of year for college basketball coaches, players and fans, and we start our own version of the "Madness" this week with the Atlantic 10 Championships at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.

It has been a very, very balanced season in the A-10 which should make for a tremendous tournament. The first portion of the season all the coaches in the league would agree that Xavier had separated itself from the field. Then all of the sudden Dayton comes on strong and Rhode Island really started playing well, especially down the stretch. I also think that we have had a good season at Temple, but no team can be overlooked as evidenced by our 12-seed Charlotte defeating Xavier and Richmond closing out the season with a win over Xavier.

With the A-10 Championships it is a whole different world. You have to play well for three nights in a row, but before you can play three games, you have to win the first one. It is going to be a tough road, but the team that stays together is going to survive.

As a coach, when your teams takes the floor you hope your guys are ready. Coaches prepare their teams through practices, film work and strategy then we just throw it up against the wall and hope that it sticks.

You cannot change much this time of year. The interesting thing for our team is that we are going to play an afternoon game on Thursday and, if we are lucky enough to win, we will play an evening game on Friday. That will at least allow us some time to prepare for the next opponent. It is not like you are playing at night then noon on the next day. We will have also played the our seminfinal opponent so we will know something about them. Plus we will have watched them play during the tournament.

We hope to become the first team since Coach Chaney's 2001 squad to successfully defend its A-10 title. It takes a lot of luck to repeat as champions, hopefully we have the luck on our side again this season.

Hope to see you down at Boardwalk Hall.
 

WE'RE MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO: Stopping by one of the nearby racebooks between sessions to check out the action from Gulfstream Park. Semi-seriously, just some competitive hoops. Trying to make sense of this bracket is like trying to make sense of the regular season. There was a three-way tie for second and four-way tie for fifth. The regular-season champion had four losses. Should be a few games decided late where good luck or bad can change everything in an instant.

TEAM ON THE RISE: La Salle was playing its best basketball at the finish. No player in the league is playing better at the moment than Rodney Green. The Explorers just came from behind to win at Saint Louis Saturday night. The same matchup opens the tournament.

TEAM ON THE DECLINE: Since upsetting Xavier, Charlotte has lost four of five. Its only win was against Fordham, which really does not count. This team is more talented than its record, but injuries and inconsistency put them 11th in the standings when they were picked fifth

WORTH NOTING: This is the third year the tournament has been at Boardwalk Hall. It has not been announced where next year’s tournament will be. The finalists are Dayton, Cincinnati, Springfield (Mass.), Pittsburgh and Atlantic City. Sadly, no Philadelphia on the list.

DARK HORSE TO WIN IT ALL: Richmond. Chris Mooney’s team has won five of six. The Spiders beat Xavier on Saturday. Richmond is playing faster now that Mooney has amassed more talent. Having to win four games in four days obviously plays against them, but this is a dangerous team.

TEAM THAT NEEDS HELP TO MAKE THE NCAAS: All of them except Dayton and Xavier. Rhode Island and Temple might have been in play for an at large until late-season home losses to Massachusetts and La Salle respectively. The rest of them have been playing for conference seeding in recent weeks.

BEST PLAYER: Ahmad Nivins (Saint Joseph’s) led the league in scoring (tie with Temple’s Dionte Christmas), rebounding and field goal percentage despite constant double and sometimes triple teams. He was named Player of the Year by the coaches. Athletic artistry would be the best way to describe his game.

BEST SHOOTER: Rhode Island’s Jimmy Baron just set the league record with 345 made treys. This season, he made 102 and shot 45.3 percent. If he is in the gym, he is in range. He nearly beat Duke at Cameron with his quick release until the striped shirts remembered who was supposed to win.

BEST DEFENDER: Tony Gaffney (Massachusetts) led the league in blocks (113) and was second in steals (59). The frontline of the Minutemen defense is not particularly strong which puts all kinds on Gaffney as he mans the back line.

DON'T FOUL THESE GUYS: Kevin Lisch (Saint Louis) shot 82.9 percent and made 107 free throws. Duquesne’s Aaron Jackson, a wonderful all-around talent, shot 81.2 percent and made 134 foul shots.

ULTIMATE TITLE GAME: Temple-Rhode Island. With all due respect to Xavier and Dayton, they are already in the NCAA. The league would like this final as it would give them a third NCAA team. And this game would have the potential to be high scoring and quite entertaining with shooters like Baron and Christmas firing from deep and enough athletes around the basket to make it a game played in all places.

THE PICK: I liked Temple last year and the Owls got home. Without Mark Tyndale and Chris Clark scoring and leading, I don’t think this team is quite as ready as that one. I also don’t think this field is as good as last year’s. If Lavoy Allen can put together three strong games and Dionte Christmas can shoot a decent percentage from deep, I like the Owls. Juan Fernandez is going to be a very good player on North Broad. If he had been there all season, the Owls might be in play for an at large. Slowly, Fernandez’s talents are starting to emerge. If he is locked in for three games, the Owls will have even a bigger chance.
 

I am not a big “Senior Night” guy, but if ever five young men deserved to be honored, these five – Dionte Christmas, Semaj Inge, Sergio Olmos and team managers Tyler Deane and Raheem Mapp – clearly do.

Senior Night is a hard night for coaches, the players being honored, as well as their families. With that being said, it is one of those things that all teams must do. So tonight we take this moment to honor those people who have dedicated their lives to our basketball program and to Temple University. Categorically, I am proud of all three senior players as well as the two senior managers. All five of them have done so much for Temple basketball over the past 4 years. It is a great honor for them and we are happy to provide it. It is just a difficult night due to all of the emotions that go along with the event.

So please join us to help honor these fine young men, and to take part in an exciting Atlantic 10/Big 5 rivalry Thursday when we take on Saint Joseph’s.

Go Owls.

I thought I would take this opportunity to bring to light all the hard work and dedication that our staff puts into the success of the Temple basketball program.

The head coach is the one who gets most of the attention as we go about our seasons and our careers. The reality is that, like most things in life, you need great help that includes efficient and effective preparation. The assistant coaches do so many things in so many different areas that people may not recognize. For example, they very closely monitor our student athletes academically. They also plan the practices and prepare for the upcoming opponents.

This week we are playing La Salle for the second time this season. Dave Duke will serve as the scout coach for that game. He will do the requisite work that we need in terms of preparing our team offensively and defensively to make sure we are ready for the Explorers. Matt Langel and Shawn Trice do the same when it is their scout. All of the film work is put together by Dwayne Killings. Jeff Wilson then takes the administrative work out of the hands of the head coach. They do so much of the work and get such little recognition.

I just wanted to take the time publically, to say thanks to them, and to all of those assistant coaches in all of the basketball programs around the country who do not get the recognition they deserve.

Go Owls!

This Sunday Temple will celebrate one of the finest young men to wear the Cherry and White Dionte Christmas in a very unique way – his very own bobblehead. This is the first time that Temple has honored a student-athlete with a bobblehead and Dionte is very deserving of this day.

Dionte truly encompasses what you want in a student athlete on your team. He does a good job in the classroom. He has worked as hard on his academics as he has on his basketball game. He has also done a terrific job on the basketball court and really represents Temple well. His most valued asset, however, is what he does in the community. He is a good person and the kind of individual that you want to represent your basketball program and institution. It is these three components, athleticism, academics and community service that have made him one of 10 finalists for the Senior Class Award. We are very proud of all that he has accomplished in his four years at Temple and we will have fun with this Bobblehead day.

So please, come out Sunday and join me in honoring one of the greatest individuals in Temple basketball history and support our team as we take on St. Bonaventure. The game tips off at 2:00 p.m., but be sure to arrive early as only the first 3,000 fans 14 and over get a bobblehead. Also it is Hooter’s Birthday, and will be a fun day for youngsters as many of the local mascots will be in attendance for the big day.

Go Owls!!

 
Not that long ago it looked like Temple’s only chance of getting back into the NCAA Tournament was to win the Atlantic 10 once again.

Upon further review ...

The Owls are 15-9, having won three straight since a loss at Xavier. They have six games left before the A-10 tourney, starting Wednesday against Fordham at the Liacouras Center. Then it’s two more at home, with St. Bonaventure and LaSalle, a trip to Dayton, Saint Joseph’s on North Broad Street and at George Washington.

The only time they won’t be favored is at Dayton.

Right now, the Owls’ RPI is 34. According to ESPN’s Bracketology — which I happen to put a lot of faith in, even though I’m sure many folks will point out that it’s the work of a St. Joe guy — they’re the sixth team out. Just behind Southern Cal, and just ahead of New Mexico. But a bunch of things can change before Selection Sunday. And often does.

Obviously, if Temple can win at Dayton, that would go a long way in helping its cause. Because, barring a total impolosion, Xavier and Dayton are in. It’s important for Temple to at least establish itself as the third-best team in the conference. I’m sick of hearing how the A-10 can’t get more than two teams in. From everything I’ve heard, when the Committee puts Temple’s name on the board, the Owls are being judged on how they stack up against other teams. There aren’t quotas, per ce. So if it comes down to, say, Temple and USC, it’s not A-10 vs. Pac-10.

Anyway, what if the Owls don’t win at Dayton, where the Flyers are nearly unstoppable? Well, if they win the rest of their games, which won’t be easy (especially the two Big 5 matchups, even if they’re at home), then get to the A-10 title game, why wouldn’t they have a legitimate argument?

Obviously, there’s not much margin for error. That’s what losing some of those games in November and December can do (think Long Beach) to a resume. But under that scenario, they would probably have to beat Xavier or Dayton in the A-10 semifinals. That would get them to 22-10, which figures to be bubble territory. So even a loss to X or Dayton in the final will leave them at 22-11. If nothing else, that would certainly make for an interesting discussion.

Much, of course, depends upon what goes on around the country as well. It’s not all in Temple’s hands. But the Owls can do their part, and let the invites fall how they may.

First things first. Fans can look ahead. Players and coaches can’t afford to. Because at this point, all it takes is one false step to take you out of the picture.

And if all else fails, hey, they can always just go 3-0 in Atlantic City. Then, there is no speculation. Funny how that works.

This week is a very challenging week for our basketball program as we leave the Liacouras Center to take on two of the top teams in the Atlantic 10 Conference, Saint Joseph’s and Duquesne.

Overall, winning on the road in the Atlantic 10 is a difficult proposition. Those teams that are able to win on the road separate themselves from the rest of the field. Right now, St. Joe’s has done a terrific job on the road in the league and that is why they are currently in first place in the conference.

While we do not have to leave the city to play St. Joe’s, we are going to their home away from home, the Palestra. We certainly know the confines of the Palestra, so it is not like another away court. It will, however, be a road game in terms of atmosphere as most of the fans will be for St. Joe’s. We certainly understand and respect that.

Then going to Duquesne will be a tough challenge. They proved that they belong among the top teams in the league, and have a strong homecourt advantage when they defeated Xavier in the Palumbo Center last weekend. Again that underscored how difficult it is to win on the road in the Atlantic 10.

Every game from here on out is critical. We have eight games left in the league and if we are going to finish anywhere near where we finished last year we are going to have to take care of our home games while splitting on the road any way that we can. That is the formula for success.

Go Owls
 

Sunday afternoon, at halftime of our game against Rhode Island, we will honor one of the greatest teams in the Temple basketball, the 1969 Owl team that won the NIT Championship.

It is very important for our present team to always remember who has preceded them and certainly the '68-69 NIT Championship team, coached by the legendary Harry Litwack, is a very much a part of our Temple basketball history,  It was a great stretch run that they made to the title. 

My fondest remembrance of that team and its accomplishments actually happened many years later when I was watching a piece on the old PRISM network.  In that piece one of the seniors on that team, Joe Cromer, talked about how, as great a victory as it was to win the championship against Boston College, the players felt so bad for John Baum for not getting to be the MVP that they all just went home afterward.  No celebration.  That is how badly they felt for their guy, John Baum.  It said a lot about the leadership that John had for that team, and the love and passion for the game that those guys had.  That passion is what made them such a special team.

So come out and join me in helping to honor Temple's past, and also celebrate the future as we take on a really
talented Rhode Island Rams team.   You will also be able to
see my coaching colleague, Tonya Cardoza, lead the Temple women's team against Saint Louis in our final doubleheader of the season.

Go Owls.