Temple set to take on top-ranked Kansas

THE LIACOURAS CENTER opened on Dec. 9, 1997. The game against Fresno State and Jerry Tarkanian was a sellout (10,000 and change). The building hasn't seen all that many since then. This afternoon will be an exception. For good reason. It's the first time that a top-ranked team has played there.

Kansas (12-0) has won 50 in a row at home, including, for what it's worth, a 90-65 victory over La Salle on Dec. 9. North Broad Street isn't Allen Fieldhouse. Or even the Pavilion. Ask Villanova. Temple (11-2) beat the then-No. 3 Wildcats by 10, 3 weeks ago. It's still Villanova's only loss.

The last time the Owls, who are off to their best start since the 1993-94 team won 16 of its first 18, played a No. 1 on campus was Feb. 1, 1996, when they lost to Massachusetts at McGonigle Hall. By 24.

The Owls, the two-time defending Atlantic 10 champions who were picked to finish fifth this season, just completed the program's first unbeaten December in 22 years with a 70-60 win at Northern Illinois on Wednesday. This team and that one went 7-0 for the month. The 1987-88 squad, of course, started 14-0 and eventually made it to No. 1.

The Owls are 2-12 against No. 1s. On Dec. 22, 1995, they beat Kansas in overtime, 74-66, in the Jimmy V. Classic at the Meadowlands. Nine days earlier, they had beaten No. 2 'Nova, then somehow lost their other five games that month. And on Feb. 20, 2000, they won at Cincinnati, 77-69.

Their last five losses to a top-ranked team have all been to Duke.

The last time any Big 5 school beat a No. 1 was Feb. 13, 2006, Villanova over Connecticut (69-64) at the Center. The last time No. 1 played here was Dec. 4, 2007, when Penn fell to North Carolina at the Palestra (106-71).

Kansas, however, did lose as a No. 2 here on Jan. 22, 2005, to 'Nova at the complex (83-62).

Ranked 18th, the Owls are in the Top 20 for the first time since 2001. This will be the seventh time they've been ranked when facing a No. 1 (1-5).

Both teams defend. The Owls are giving up 54.2 points a game, Kansas 56.6. The Owls are among the national leaders in turnovers, averaging 10.5. Kansas holds opponents to 34.6 percent from the floor. Only visiting Radford, in a 99-64 loss on Dec. 9, managed to get above 40. Against 'Nova, Temple shot just over 54. KU is at 52 for the season.

The Jayhawks beat Temple in Lawrence a year ago, 71-59.

The Jayhawks' top scorer is freshman guard Xavier Henry, at 16.4 points per. Kansas gets significant contributions from two Prep Charter products, twin sophomore big men Marcus and Markieff Morris. Marcus, who starts, scores 11.6 points a game. In the last three, he's averaged 17. He also gets 5.6 rebounds, in 23.8 minutes. He's shot 50 percent from the floor 10 times, including the last five games. Markieff, in 15.1 minutes off of the bench, averages 7.4 points, 5.6 boards and is shooting a team-best 63 percent.

Kansas has been atop the polls for eight consecutive weeks, the second-longest run in program history. In 1996-97, the Hawks were No. 1 for 15 consecutive votes. This is the 50th time time they've reached No. 1.

For the second consecutive season, Villanova (11-1) is entering its Big East schedule with a single blemish. And, for the second consecutive January, the Wildcats will get things going at Marquette.

Last New Year's Day, the 'Cats lost at the Bradley Center, 79-72, and started 2-3 in the conference. But they won the Feb. 10 rematch on the Main Line, 102-84. They beat the Golden Eagles again in the quarterfinals of the postseason tourament, 76-75, on a layup at the buzzer.

Marquette (9-4, 0-1) lost at No. 6 West Virginia by a point on Tuesday. The eighth-ranked Wildcats have been off since beating visiting Delaware by 34 on Dec. 23.

Interestingly, the teams will meet again next Saturday at the Pavilion, after 'Nova plays its first Big East home game Wednesday against DePaul (7-6, 0-1).

'Nova learned Thursday that 6-10 freshman Mouphtaou Yarou had received medical clearance to resume playing. After starting the first two games, he'd been sidelined since Nov. 19. Eleven days later, he was diagnosed with hepatitis B, and there were concerns that he might miss the rest of the season. In the interim, he was under the care of the team physican, Dr. Frank Furman.

Yarou probably won't play today. And it obviously might take a while before he's ready to really help. But his availability should eventually make a difference, particularly for a team that can use another low-post player.

Speaking of a missing presence, the 'Cats have had senior guard Reggie Redding back for two games. He sat out the first semester after being suspended by the university for violating its student code of conduct during the summer. Since his return, he's averaged 15.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and two steals in 28.5 minutes.