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Team Preview: 2nd Place - Temple
By Andrew Greene | November 17, 2008
The 2007-2008 season saw the Owls return to the NCAA tournament for the first time in seven seasons. While the Michigan State Spartans defeated the Owls in the first round of the Dance, 72-61, 2007-08 was an incredibly successful season for Temple - in just Fran Dunphy’s second year at the helm.
Temple began the year with a challenging non-conference slate. After matching up against the likes of Tennessee, Villanova, Florida and Duke throughout November and December, the Owls found themselves hovering around the .500 mark as conference play began. Once in conference play, Temple drew upon the experience gained from those early tests and turned in a successful A-10 season, finishing 11-5 and earning a first-round bye in the conference tournament.
In Atlantic City, Temple knocked off an underrated LaSalle team behind 29 points from Dionte Christmas, stifled Charlotte with the help of Mark Tyndale (20 points, 15 rebounds) and hit the jackpot against Saint Joseph’s in the finals to capture the Atlantic 10 Championship and an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Prior to the 2007-2008 season, the last time the Owls won the Atlantic 10 Championship was 2001.
In addition to team success, several individuals turned in outstanding performances during 2007-08. Freshman Lavoy Allen had a great debut campaign and was named to the All Rookie Team. Dionte Christmas had another fine season for the Owls. The Philadelphia native was named First-Team Atlantic 10, led the league in scoring (19.7 ppg) for the second year in a row and was named Most Outstanding Player of the Atlantic 10 Championship. Christmas, however, was not the only Owl who enjoyed playing under the bright lights in Atlantic City. Mark Tyndale, a Second Team All-Conference selection, joined his teammate on the All-Championship Team.
Tyndale has graduated, but Christmas and Allen return to lead the 2008-09 version of the Owls as they seek a return to postseason play.
Probable Starters:
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Luis Guzman, 6-3, Jr.
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Dionte Christmas, 6-5, Sr.
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Ryan Brooks, 6-4, Jr.
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Lavoy Allen, 6-9, So.
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Sergio Olmos, 7-0, Sr.
On the Court in 2008-09: Despite the departure of Chris Clark - who deserves mention for improving under Fran Dunphy and becoming an important role player - the backcourt will once again be a strength for the Owls this season, with Wooden Award candidate Dionte Christmas serving as the focal point of a talented perimeter attack.
Christmas will look to be the first player in Atlantic 10 history to lead the league in scoring three times, as the gifted scorer looks to build on a 2007-2008 season that saw him score in double digits in every game but two. The prohibitive favorite for player of the year, Christmas can beat opponents in so many ways. Whether it be off-the-dribble or with his deadly jumper, the twelfth scorer on TU’s all time list is a threat to put up thirty every time he sets foot on the floor.
Last year, however, he became a more patient and well-rounded player. The 6-5 guard averaged 5.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game and also chipped in on the defensive end with 46 steals, or 1.4 per contest. Outside the numbers, Christmas forced less and trusted his teammates more.
Luis Guzman will join Christmas in the backcourt. Guzman, a steady player, started 27 games last season for the Owls. The 6-3 guard averaged 3.9 points and 2.3 rebounds per contest. He possesses a decent shooting stroke (44% from the field, 32% from three-point range) and exercises good shot selection. He’ll handle the ball for Fran Dunphy’s offense in 2008-09 and looks to improve upon his 1.2/1 assist-to-turnover ratio.
Ryan Brooks, a junior from Narberth, Pennsylvania is coming off a great summer and is expected to have an expanded role with the Owls this season. Brooks can do a bit of everything; he averaged 8.6 points and 2.4 boards per outing, has the ability to get into the lane and score, possesses a solid frame to complete plays around the hoop, and is nearly automatic from the free-throw line (87%). He’ll step into the slot vacated by Mark Tyndale. Tyndale was the only player in the conference to account for more than 20% of his team’s total points, assists and rebounds in 2007-08. While these are big shoes to fill, Brooks should be up to the challenge as he looks to seize the three-spot for the Owls for the next two seasons.
Ramone Moore will also see time for the Owls after sitting out last season. The 6-4 Moore is a pure scorer and rebounds well from his guard position. He’ll provide a spark off the bench for the TU offense.
Another new arrival, Juan Fernandez, will join the lineup after the first semester. A few months ago, Fernandez competed in the FIBA Americas Under-18 Championship, where he led Argentina to the gold medal. In the championship game, he scored 16 points as Argentina defeated the United States 77-64. Fernandez is fundamentally sound and a good team player. He also has good size and a plus handle.
Senior captain Semaj Inge will provide energy and a defensive presence. He has active hands (20 steals) and good quickness. When the Owls have the ball, if Inge can simply convert putbacks and take care of the basketball, he’ll fill a vital role for the Owls.
Lavoy Allen will look to build on a solid freshman year. The silky-smooth big man has worlds of talent and can fill the stat sheet with ease. In his freshman season, Allen averaged 8.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, nearly 2 assists and 1.5 blocks per game, making the All-Rookie team in the process. But that doesn’t tell nearly the whole story. Allen has All-Conference potential and should blossom into a star in the league this season. He is long, slippery in the lane and can score in a variety of ways around the bucket.
Along with the injured Dan Geriot of Richmond, Allen is the best passing big man in the conference and simply sees the floor in a way most others do not. As a result, the sophomore plays the game with poise beyond his years. With Allen, there are no hurdles to his development. As the coaching staff has remarked, if the big man commits to being the best, the sky is the limit.
Sergio Olmos will add leadership in the frontcourt. Last season, the seven-footer from Spain shot 56.3 percent from the floor and was second to Allen on the team in blocks. He averaged 5.6 points and 3.6 rebounds per game last season and has made great strides under Dunphy’s tutelage. The big fella can score enough on the interior to deter constant double-teaming of Allen and has worked diligently to become more adept at battling down low and playing through contact.
Michael Eric will rejoin the team this season after sitting out last year. Eric is long and athletic, run the floor well and can alter shots. He should excel in transition, but will need to round into form after sitting the year out, and add muscle to his frame to be able to consistently bang down low in the A-10. Craig Williams, a 6-9, 240 pound sophomore also adds depth to the frontcourt.
Newcomer Breakdown: According to Assistant Coach Matt Langel
Andrew “Scootie” Randall - Led his Communication Tech High School team to the public league championship in Philadelphia. He is a tough kid who can do a lot of different things on the court. His versatility allows him to be effective inside as well as from the perimeter. He is also the type of player that does whatever is necessary to help his team win. In high school, it was scoring points; but he also excels at the intangibles of the game, like rebounding the basketball and passing.
T.J. Dileo - Was named the South Jersey Athlete of the Year for his outstanding seasons in both soccer and basketball (2nd team All-New Jersey in both sports). Despite growing up in a basketball family (his father Tony works for the 76ers), TJ is a late bloomer. This past season was a breakout one for him, as he led Cinnaminson, his high school, to one of the best seasons in the school’s history, compiling a 25-4 record. He averaged almost 24 points per game, with a single-game high of 50. We believe his best basketball days are ahead of him and think his shooting and playmaking abilities will certainly help our team.
Go-to-Guy: Dionte Christmas. A prolific scorer, Christmas will be the player who has the ball in his hands when the Cherry and White need a deuce (or a triple). Christmas possesses great range and has worked hard at creating for himself off the dribble. He’s a solid free-throw shooter at 77%, a necessary skill late in games. A fierce competitor, Christmas loves playing in big games… and making big-time shots.
Impact Newcomer: Ramone Moore may be the newcomer that turns heads this season. His experience and game translate well and, while Moore sat out last year, he had the opportunity to become acclimated and practice with the team. He can score in numerous ways, finishes well around the hoop and is a good ball handler. He’ll provide scoring punch off the bench for the Owls, spelling Christmas.
Marquee Non-Conference Match-up: On December 20th, 2008, the Owls travel to Lawrence to take on the reigning National Champion Kansas Jayhawks.
Notable Positive Team Stat (2007-2008): Mark Tyndale led the Owls in rebounding (245), assists (145), steals (54) and minutes per game (37.4). He was second on the team in scoring with an average of 15.9 points per game.
Notable Negative Team Stat from (2007-2008): Dionte Christmas (19.7 ppg) and Mark Tyndale (15.9 ppg) were the only players to average double-digits for Temple in 2007-08.
The Owls will succeed if… they find a way to offset the loss of Mark Tyndale. Tyndale did everything for Temple last year except sell popcorn, and teams are going to defend Christmas the minute he steps off the bus. While not the deepest team, the Owls’ five starters on par with any group in the league and the new additions to the fold - namely Ramone Moore and Juan Fernandez - are skilled. The Owls need for Lavoy Allen to become the player he can be, controlling the paint on both ends of the floor, and for Ryan Brooks to step into the role occupied by Tyndale and help offset the loss.
There are not many areas in which Temple must improve, evidenced by their lofty ranking. TU is an efficient offensive squad, shoots well from the perimeter and carries an excellent assist-to-turnover ratio. The Owls can, however, stand to improve on the glass - particularly in creating second-chance opportunities, where they hauled in only eight offensive boards a game (twelfth in the conference). Perimeter defense will also be an area Fran Dunphy looks to tighten-up, as the Owls sets their sights on postseason play for the second year in a row.
Outlook: Temple is expected to challenge XU for the regular season title and is certainly capable of defending their A-10 Tournament Championship. Christmas, Allen and Brooks provide the Owls with three scorers, and Ramone Moore has all the skills to average in double-figures and make this a truly potent offensive team. If the Owls receive strong play from the others on the interior to complement Allen and hold their own on the boards, the Owls will soar.
For the second year in a row, look for the Owls’ name to be called on Selection Sunday.
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