Temple Owls

Did you know Temple has won 10 in a row? You do, now. At 22-5 (10-2), Temple currently holds a 1/2 game lead over St. Louis and have the tie-breaker haven beat them earlier in their only scheduled matchup. Temple holds a RPI of 16 and falls in at 31 with KenPom (ADjO 16, Adj D 93). They have neutral court wins over Wichita State & Duke. Early season losses were against weaker opponents such as Bowling Green & Richmond. The other three losses were against bubble teams.

Surprisingly, Temple's team revolves around its offense. They're 20th in the nation in effective FG% and do a good job not turning it over, 36th in turnover %. They make about 7.5 3's per game and shoot at 40%, 9th best in the land. They're not overly reliant on the three and score enough inside to be balanced. They average 75.5 ppg, good for 32nd. They are slightly below average on the offensive boards and get to the line less than the national average. Temple's FTA/FGA % is 33.2%, the national average is 36.4%.

Defensively, they're not the Temple team you're accustommed to. They're 217th in scoring defense but their effective defensive fg% is 47.8%, slightly better than the national average. They're neutral on defensive rebounding % and force less turnovers than the national average. They foul less than most teams, though. Defensive FTA/FGA % is 33.8, bettering the national average of 36.4%. Symmetry!

The team is led by a three-headed back court of upperclassmen. SR, G Ramone Moore is the most prolific scorer, averaging 18 per game and shoots 40% from beyond the arc. The other SR. Juan Fernandez, averages11.5 pg while shooting 43% from deep. JR. G Khalif Wyatt score 17 pg on 48% shooting. All three of them average anywhere between 3-4 assists per game, so each is capable of setting up others. If you like guard play and believe in guard play dictating success in March, this might be a team to look at.

Xavier was the runaway choice to win the A-10 in the pre-season and a chic pick to be a Final Four type team. Since the fiasco against Cincinnati, St. Louis and Temple have risen to the top. All three of those teams will be interesting to watch come A-10 tourney time.