Phil Sheridan: Temple's Fernandez has support near and far

ATLANTIC CITY - A year ago, Juan Fernandez watched wide-eyed as his Temple teammates went through March Madness motions that seemed exotic and amusing to a freshman from Argentina.

When the Owls came from a fourth seed to win the Atlantic Ten tournament here, Fernandez got caught up in the rituals of celebration - the high fives, the cutting down of nets, the excited speculation about NCAA tournament destinations. The one thing he couldn't do was wade into the stands at Boardwalk Hall and hug the people closest to him.

The people closest to him were far, far away.

"Last season, when they won, nobody was here," said Nancy Fiandrino, Fernandez's mother. "That is why we came. I think it's some motivation for him. Juan said it is some pressure, but I think it is motivation."

Either way, Fernandez handled it awfully well as Temple made quick work of St. Bonaventure on Friday and Rhode Island in yesterday's semifinal. Fernandez scored nine quick points as Temple jumped out to an 11-2 lead. That was before a rain delay interrupted the Owls' rhythm.

It turns out venerable Boardwalk Hall is also permeable. The leaky roof forced trash cans to be set up around the building to catch droplets of water. When a puddle formed at midcourt, play was delayed for about 12 minutes.

"We've had that at home," Fernandez said. "I didn't expect it here. We were making a run, so it was a bad time for us."

It was the closest Temple came to a challenge over the first two rounds. Fernandez finished with 14 points and seven assists in a 57-44 win.

"He's an extraordinary player," Temple coach Fran Dunphy said. "There are guys that are going to be taller, longer, faster. But he's extraordinary in terms of his feel for the game. He's hard to guard, but it's not because he's fast and quick or any of those things. He just knows the game."

That's because Fernandez was born into it. His father, Gustavo, was a professional player, a point guard, in Argentina for 17 years.

"They were born on a basketball court," Fiandrino said of Juan and his brother Gustavo. "Our family is a sport family, except for the mother."

"I followed him all the 17 years he played as a pro," Juan Fernandez said. "It was awesome. He made me really get to love this sport and learn how to be an athlete and how to handle things. He's been through a lot. Every time I have a tough situation, I always ask his advice."

When they are at home in Argentina, where they operate a family restaurant, Fernandez's parents follow his games on the Internet. After every game, they talk with their son via Skype. The technology allows for an amazing degree of connection - unimaginable when Fiandrino was a homesick college student in Vermont for a semester - but it's not the same as a big hug after a big win.

"I appreciate what they're doing," Fernandez said. "It's a really long trip for them."

Fiandrino and her sons moved around for Gustavo's playing career. When it was over, the idea was to settle down, run the restaurant, and enjoy a more normal life. Juan and his younger brother have put that plan on hold for a while.

Juan plays for the Argentine national team as well as for Temple. Gustavo, paralyzed from a childhood accident, is the No. 2-ranked junior wheelchair tennis player in the world.

"We go everywhere," Fiandrino said.

"I feel sorry for her sometimes," Juan Fernandez said. "She handled my dad going everywhere for 17 years. Now, when she thought it was over, she's got my brother and me. I'm really grateful for the opportunities my family had. It's a family of athletes. Even with my brother's problem, he always wanted to do some kind of sport and stay with physical activity. He's doing it, and he's having a great time. He's having fun and I am, too, and at the end, that's what my parents want."

This is just the third trip Fernandez's parents have been able to make to see him play for Temple. They came in the middle of his freshman year, mostly to check up on him in his new city, and again at the start of this season. But this trip is special.

"I told him we came to see them win the championship," Fiandrino said with a sly smile.

"It was an extra pressure before the tournament," Fernandez said, "because I didn't want them to have to go home after the first game. Now we're in the final, so everything is different. We just have to go out and try to win one more game."

If Temple can beat Richmond this afternoon, there will be music and high fives. There will be nets to cut down, and speculation about where the Owls will spend next weekend. And for Juan Fernandez, there will be a family to hug and to cry and to share it with.