Owls hoping trip to Memphis is a sweeping success

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - You'll forgive Dalton Pepper for only bringing two pair of boxer shorts to Memphis for a nearly weeklong trip. His heart wants this to be an extended stay, but his luggage suggests otherwise.

"I usually bring two pair of underwear and two pair of socks on every trip," Pepper chuckled. "I pack the same way on every trip."

Except this is no ordinary expedition. In fact, it's likely the last of Pepper's college career.

Temple is in Memphis searching for a miracle. The Owls need to stun the American Athletic Conference with a four-game run that seems as likely as Elvis waking up and welcoming visitors to Graceland.

They are caught in a trap, surrounded by suspicious minds - and skeptical observers.

"A lot of guys believe we can do that," Pepper said, "but coach is going to emphasize one game at a time."

The virtual calluses on their hands is from the hole they dug themselves: 4-14 league record, eighth-seed in the 10-team conference. Their climb starts tonight with a game against Central Florida in the FedEx Forum here in Memphis (9:30 p.m., ESPN2). Rutgers is playing South Florida in the opener. Just a hunch, but plenty of seats should be available.

The most notable recent major conference tournament run by an underdog is probably Connecticut's unprecedented five-game (in 5 days) sweep through the Big East in 2011. Kemba Walker and his squad kept right on winning and captured the national title. Pepper was a reserve at West Virginia, which was one of the last teams to beat UConn in the regular season that year.

A closer correlation to what Temple is up against was pulled off by Georgia in 2008. The Bulldogs went into the SEC Tournament after finishing last in the SEC East. They won four games in 4 days - including two in one day after a tornado hit Atlanta.

Georgia was 13-17 overall, 4-12 in the league.

Temple is 9-21, 4-14 in the American.

Sure, the Owls were thumped by Louisville, but they took Memphis to overtime and hung twice with Cincinnati. All are among the league's elite and all will be in the NCAA Tournament, as will SMU and Connecticut. Houston is on the bubble.

"We've been competing all season," guard Will Cummings said. "We've beaten UCF. We're not looking past that, but we've been able to compete with - and potentially beat - all of the teams in our league."

Central Florida (12-17, 4-14) is in the same listing ship as Temple. In fact, teams all over the country are pointing toward 2011 UConn, 2008 Georgia and all the other Cinderellas for inspiration.

"It's a new season, a new start," UCF coach Donnie Jones said. "Everybody's gotta play. We talked about some teams that didn't have the regular season they wanted to, but went on to get in the NCAA Tournament by making a run. You've just got to be good for 4 nights. You have to [approach] them one at a time, start with the first one. Anything can happen."

Tonight's winner gets top-seeded and 13th-ranked Cincinnati tomorrow (7 p.m., ESPNU).

In addition to his underwear and socks, Dalton and the Owls also brought to Memphis their first two-game winning streak since December. One of those wins was against Central Florida, the other came at South Florida on an improbable buzzer-beater by Quenton DeCosey in a game Temple trailed by 18 midway through the second half.

So what if those are the only two teams to finish beneath Temple in the standings. For the first time since before Christmas, the Owls have a glimmer of hope.

"We're packing for four straight games, that's what we're packing for," coach Fran Dunphy said. "But before you can get to the fourth game, you've got to [win] the first game. That's the challenge right away. Our focus will be totally on UCF."

No Temple players made the league's first- or second-team nor the all-rookie squad. Sean Kilpatrick (Cincinnati), Shabazz Napier (UConn) and Russ Smith (Louisville) were unanimous first-team selections. Montrezl Harrell (Louisville) and Nic Moore (SMU) rounded out the first-team. The league's player of the year, coach of the year and other individual award winners will be announced today.

Team on the rise: Louisville is starting to look like it could get back to the Final Four. The Cardinals have won 9 of 10, and 13 of 15. They won the last two Big East titles (beating Cincinnati in 2012), after losing in the final three years ago.

Teams on the decline: It's a relative word, in a league when the top five took turns beating each other. But Cincy has lost 2 of 4, and 3 of 7. Ditto Memphis. SMU dropped its last 2 (to Louisville and Memphis), after winning 7 of 8 before that.

Look forward to: Seeing if Larry Brown can get his first win in a conference tournament since 1988, when Kansas went 1-1 in the Big 12 before winning it all. His Jayhawks won the Big 12 tourney in 1984 and '86. SMU lost its opening game last year in Conference USA. And since the first two Louisville-Cincy games were so good, how about one more?

Worth noting: Memphis won 7 of the last 8 C-USA tourneys. Five were played in Memphis. Houston took the other, in 2010 (in Tulsa, OK). Cincy and Louisville each won two of the four before that. Cincy won twice in Cincinnati while UL won once in Louisville (it got the other in Memphis).

Dark horse to win it all: Memphis, for the obvious reason that it's playing at home (FedEx Forum).

Teams that needs help to win the NCAAs: Houston, Rutgers, Central Florida, South Florida and Temple have to help themselves by winning it. Everyone else is already in.

Best player: Cincy's Sean Kilpatrick will probably be the conference's first Player of the Year, but Connecticut's Shabazz Napier and UL's Russ Smith are right there.

Best shooter: Smith shot 47 percent from the arc in conference play. SMU's Nic Moore, a transfer from Illinois State, wasn't far behind.

Ultimate title game: That would have to be Cincy-UL, since they tied for the regular-season crown (the Bearcats won the coin toss for top seed) and the Cards are defending national champs. I'm guessing Rick Pitino's presence could only help the TV ratings.

The dreaded pick: As much as I'd like to come up with something non-chalkish, I've always been a Pitino kind of guy. UL just drilled UConn, their probable semifinal obstacle. Memphis did sweep the Cards, if that's who's there in the final. Good luck making it three, even at home. But that's me. Regardless, nobody's going to want to see UL in their bracket in that four-letter thing.