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For Owls, tournament a measuring stick

So how good is Temple? Are the 21st-ranked Owls on the verge of becoming a mid-major power like 14th-ranked Memphis and 22d-ranked Gonzaga? Or is 2-0 Temple overhyped?

Ramone Moore leads Temple in scoring with an average of 13 points per game. (Ron Cortes/Staff file photo)
Ramone Moore leads Temple in scoring with an average of 13 points per game. (Ron Cortes/Staff file photo)Read more

So how good is Temple?

Are the 21st-ranked Owls on the verge of becoming a mid-major power like 14th-ranked Memphis and 22d-ranked Gonzaga? Or is 2-0 Temple overhyped?

We may learn the answers to those questions this week in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. The Owls will compete against solid major-conference opponents in the fifth annual Old Spice Classic, which runs Thursday through Sunday at ESPN's Wide World of Sports Complex.

Five of the eight participating teams - Temple, California, Notre Dame, Texas A&M, and Wisconsin - reached last season's NCAA tournament. Boston College, Georgia, and Manhattan will also compete in the classic.

Temple will face defending Pacific Ten champ Cal (2-0) in Thursday's 9 p.m. first-round matchup. The championship game of the bracket-format tournament is set for 7 p.m. Sunday.

"We know that we are in for a great battle each and every game that we have down there, starting with California, which is really a terrific basketball program," Temple coach Fran Dunphy said. "We have to play our best basketball game in three straight games [to win the tournament]. But before we can do it in Game 2 and Game 3, we have to do it in Game 1."

The youthful Bears, who were picked to finish seventh in the Pac-10, made a statement by blowing out two-time defending Mountain West champion New Mexico, 89-64, on Saturday.

Junior point guard Jorge Gutierrez (19 points and 5.5 assists per game), junior forward Harper Kamp (18.5 ppg.), and freshman guard Gary Franklin (11.5 ppg.) are California's offensive leaders.

Kamp missed last season with a knee injury.

The Owls, on the other hand, have four starters who score in double figures. Junior guard Ramone Moore is the leader with a 13-point average, followed by junior point guard Juan Fernandez (11), junior center Micheal Eric (11), and senior power forward Lavoy Allen (10.5).

Temple's victories came against Seton Hall (2-3) and Toledo (0-5).

OLD SPICE CLASSIC

Thursday

OPENING ROUND

Game 1: Boston College vs. Texas A&M, 12 p.m.; ESPN2

Game 2: Wisconsin vs. Manhattan, 2 p.m.; ESPN2

Game 3: Georgia vs. Notre Dame, 7 p.m.; ESPN2

Game 4: Temple vs. California, 9 p.m.: ESPN2

Friday

SEMIFINALS

Game 5: winner of Game 1 vs. winner of Game 2, 12 p.m.; ESPN

Game 7: winner of Game 3 vs. winner of Game 4, 5 p.m.; ESPN2

CONSOLATION BRACKET

Game 6: loser of Game 1 vs. loser of Game 2, 2:30 p.m.; ESPNU

Game 8: loser of Game 3 vs. losers Game 4, 7:30 p.m.; ESPNU

Sunday

FIFTH-PLACE GAME

Game 9: winner of Game 6 vs. winner of Game 8, 11 a.m.; ESPNU

THIRD-PLACE GAME

Game 10: loser of Game 5 vs. loser of Game 7, 1 p.m.; ESPNU

SEVENTH-PLACE GAME

Game 11: loser of Game 6 vs. loser of Game 8, 4:30 p.m.

CHAMPIONSHIP

Game 12: winner of Game 5 vs. winner of Game 7, 7 p.m.; ESPN2