Temple expects to be much better next season

HARTFORD, Conn. - Two years ago, Temple was picked sixth in the American Athletic Conference preseason basketball poll and the Owls fooled the experts by winning the regular season title and earning an NCAA berth.

Entering 2016-17, Temple was again picked sixth, but this time there would be no surprises.

Temple was eighth in the regular season and then lost to No. 9-seeded East Carolina in Thursday's opening round conference tournament loss to the Pirates at the XL Center.

Temple averaged 71 points per game, but allowed 70.9 and there was so little margin for error and too many errors.

It resulted in a disappointing 16-16 season.

After an impressive 9-4 nonconference showing, the Owls were 7-11 in the AAC regular season before suffering their loss in the conference tournament opener.

Unlike the nonconference schedule when the Owls upset then-No. 25 Florida State and then No. 19-West Virginia in consecutive days to win the NIT Season Tip-Off, that magic didn't extend against the heavyweights of the AAC.

It turns out the two wins on Thanksgiving weekend in Brooklyn was when Temple peaked. Against the top four teams in the AAC - Southern Methodist, Cincinnati, Houston and Central Florida - Temple was 0-7.

The Owls never had everybody playing healthy together for an extended period of time.

Obi Enechionyia, the 6-foot-10 junior, who is still considered an NBA prospect, started out looking like a first-round pick, averaging 21 points in his first seven games. He was 24 for 44 (54.5 percent) from three-point range.

After that, he shot 51 for 151 (33.7 percent) and averaged 10.9 points.

"Ob had an unbelievable beginning, a little bit of a downturn in the middle and then I think he picked it up at the end of the year," coach Fran Dunphy said.

He had one of his better games in the closing loss to ECU, with 20 points, hitting 4 of 10 from beyond the arc.

Fifth-year senior Daniel Dingle proved to be a terrific leader, but somebody who often forced the issue. He averaged 12.6 points but a team-high 2.5 turnovers per game.

Sophomore guard Shizz Alston probably made the biggest improvement of any player, and was the team's most consistent player. After averaging 2.0 points in 10.1 minutes as a freshman, he led the team in scoring (13.9 ppg.), assists (4.5) and minutes (36.4).

Quinton Rose showed great promise, making the AAC all-rookie team and averaged 10.0 points. He was the first Temple all-rookie selection since Lavoy Allen in 2007-08 (in the Atlantic Ten).

"I think we have a bright future," Rose said.

Two other freshmen - guard Alani Moore and 6-11 center Damion Moore (no relation) - averaged 6.5 and 3.4 points respectively. Alani Moore started fast and slowed down toward the end, while Damion Moore was the opposite while earning more minutes toward the end of the season.

Ernest Aflakpui, a 6-10 sophomore, had an up-and-down season, but showed improvement over his freshman year.

Add in senior point guard Josh Brown and a highly touted freshman quartet coming next season and there is clearly room for optimism.

Brown had surgery for a torn Achilles tendon on May 25. He missed the first six games, but then played five before being shut down with Achilles tendon soreness after that.

He would qualify for a medical redshirt season and if he can regain his form, that changes Temple on both ends of the court because Brown is the team's top defender.

"We're going to have four new guys join us and the biggest thing is Josh Brown joining us as well," Dunphy said. "I think we're in very good shape and I'm excited about what the future holds."

The four incoming freshmen, considered among the better classes that Dunphy has recruited, are 6-10 power forward Justyn Hamilton of Independence High in Charlotte, N.C.; 6-4 combo guard Nate Pierre-Louis of New Jersey's Roselle Catholic; 6-7 forward J.P. Moorman (Greensboro Day School, N.C.); and 6-6 forward De'Vondre Perry (Polytechnic Institute, Baltimore).

It's unknown what the future status of sophomore guard Trey Lowe is. He missed the entire season after recovering from injuries during a Feb. 28, 2016 car accident.