Temple sets non-conference schedule

Duke and Texas are 10 postseason teams on Temple's 14-game non-conference schedule announced today.

Besides Duke and Texas, the Owls' schedule features two other teams that participated in the 2011 NCAA Tournament (Purdue, a possible foe in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off Classic, and Villanova).

Three of the NIT Final Four teams are on the schedule - Wichita State (champion), Alabama (runner-up) and Colorado (semis), as well as three participants from the CollegeInsider.com Tournament (Buffalo, along with possible PR Tip-Off foes Iona and Western Michigan).

Temple opens its season at The Palestra against Penn on Nov. 14, the earliest date these two Big 5 rivals have played. The Owls then travel to the Puerto Rico Tip-Off Classic, an eight-team, three-game tournament held from Nov. 17-20. They then travel to Bowling Green on Nov. 27, the first of four Mid-American Conference opponents on the schedule.

The Owls will look to set a new Liacouras Center record for consecutive victories when they host Central Michigan on Dec. 3. Temple tied the mark last season with its 22nd straight win, a 90-82 decision over La Salle, to cap a perfect 14-0 mark in the arena. A trip to Toledo on Dec. 7 is next.

Villanova visits the Liacouras Center on Dec. 10. The Owls then travel to Texas to take on the Longhorns (Dec. 17) while also visiting Rice (Dec. 19).

Temple completes its 2011 portion of the schedule with a home game against Buffalo (Dec. 28) and a trip to Delaware (Dec. 30).

Duke kicks off the New Year with a Jan. 4 game at the Wells Fargo Center. Maryland then concludes Temple's non-conference schedule with a neutral site game at The Palestra on Jan. 21.

Temple, who advanced to the third round of the 2011 NCAA Tournament, returns four starters from last year's squad that ended the season 26-8. The A-10 Conference dates will be released later this summer.