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Temple Owls men's basketball

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Temple Owls
2024–25 Temple Owls men's basketball team
UniversityTemple University
All-time record1,994–1,155 (.633)
Head coachAdam Fisher (2nd season)
ConferenceThe American
LocationPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
ArenaLiacouras Center (Capacity: 10,206)
NicknameOwls
ColorsCherry and white[1]
   
Uniforms
Home jersey
Team colours
Home
Away jersey
Team colours
Away
Alternate jersey
Team colours
Alternate
Pre-tournament Premo-Porretta champions
1938
Pre-tournament Helms champions
1938
NCAA tournament Final Four
1956, 1958
NCAA tournament Elite Eight
1944, 1956, 1958, 1988, 1991, 1993, 1999, 2001
NCAA tournament Sweet Sixteen
1956, 1958, 1988, 1991, 1993, 1999, 2001
NCAA tournament round of 32
1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2011, 2013
NCAA tournament appearances
1944, 1956, 1958, 1964, 1967, 1970, 1972, 1979, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2019
Conference tournament champions
1979, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1990, 2000, 2001, 2008, 2009, 2010
Conference regular season champions
1937, 1938, 1964, 1967, 1969, 1972, 1977, 1979, 1982, 1984, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2010, 2012, 2016

The Temple Owls men's basketball team represents Temple University in the sport of basketball. The Owls compete in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I as a member of the American Athletic Conference (The American). They play their home games in the Liacouras Center on the university's main campus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and are currently led by head coach Adam Fisher. Temple is the sixth-most winningest NCAA Division I men's college basketball program of all time, with 1,978 wins at the end of the 2022–23 season. Although they have reached the NCAA Tournament over thirty times, they are one of nine programs with that many appearances to have not won the Tournament and one of four to have never reached the National Championship Game.

On March 7, 2012, the Temple Owls announced that they would be rejoining the Big East Conference for all sports in 2013 after 31 years in the Atlantic 10 Conference, with the Owls football team membership beginning in the 2012 season. However, before Temple became an all-sports member of the Big East, the conference split along football lines. The league's non-FBS football schools formed a new Big East in 2013, while Temple and the remaining football members remained in the old conference, but renamed it the American Athletic Conference.

History

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The Temple Owls became the first National Invitation Tournament (NIT) champions in 1938, one year before the inception of the NCAA Tournament. The NIT was broadly recognized as a National Championship awarding tournament for a number of years, beginning with the 1938 National Championship by Temple. Additionally, the Owls were retroactively recognized by the Premo-Porretta Power Poll and the Helms Athletic Foundation as the national champion for the 1937–38 season.[2] Temple again won the NIT championship in 1969.

During the 1950s, the Temple basketball team made two NCAA Final Four appearances in (1956, 1958) under head coach Harry Litwack. Litwack was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame after concluding a 21-year coaching career that included 373 wins.

Head Coach John Chaney, also a Hall of Famer, won a total of 741 career games (312 losses) and took Temple to the NCAA tournament 17 times in 24 seasons with the Owls. His teams won the Atlantic 10 regular season championship eight times, while winning the A-10 Tournament six times. His 1987–88 Owls team entered the NCAA tournament ranked No. 1 in the country, but lost in the Elite Eight to Duke. Chaney reached the Elite Eight on five occasions and was the consensus National Coach of the Year in 1988. On March 13, 2006, Chaney retired from coaching.[3]

On April 10, 2006, Penn head coach and La Salle alumnus Fran Dunphy was named the new head coach. Dunphy had coached the Quakers for 17 straight seasons prior to the move. After struggling his first year, the Owls won the A-10 Tournament for three consecutive years in 2008, 2009, and 2010. The Owls received bids to the NCAA Tournament for six straight years under Dunphy (2008–2013). However, the Owls only won a game in the Tournament twice during that time period. Since Temple joined the American Athletic Conference in 2013, the Owls have struggled, making the NCAA Tournament only in 2016 and 2019.

After the 2018 season it was announced that former Owls standout and then-assistant coach Aaron McKie would take over for Dunphy in 2019.

Players Mark Macon, Juan Ignacio Sanchez, Eddie Jones, Lavoy Allen, Aaron McKie, Tim Perry and Mardy Collins are just a few who have gone on to play in the NBA.

Rivalries

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As a member of the Big 5, the five large colleges in Philadelphia, the Owls have long-standing rivalries with Villanova, Penn, Saint Joseph's, and La Salle. The Owls are tied with Villanova for the most Big 5 titles to date, with 27. However, while tied in overall titles, Villanova has more outright titles not shared by any other tying team. The Owls have not won an outright Big 5 title since the 2000–01 season. The Owls won their most recent Big 5 title in 2022-23, going 3–1 in Big 5 play and splitting the title with Villanova. During Big 5 games, the Temple student section unfurls long banners about the opposing team, which has been a Big 5 trademark for Temple.

Other rivals include UMass, UConn, and Cincinnati. Temple was in the American Athletic Conference with UConn and Cincinnati until their departures in 2020 and 2023, respectively. When Temple was in the A-10, head coach John Chaney had a personal rivalry with UMass head coach John Calipari.

Awards and honors

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Retired numbers

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Temple Owls retired numbers
No. Player Pos. Tenure No. ret. Ref.
5 Guy Rodgers PG 1955–1958 [4]
6 Hal Lear PG 1953–1956 2012 [5]
12 Mark Macon SG, PG 1987–1991 [6]
20 Bill Mlkvy SF 1949–1952 [7]

National Awards

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All Americans

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National Coach of the Year

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Conference awards

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  • Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year [9]
  • American Athletic Conference Most Improved Player
    • Nate Pierre-Louis – 2019[10]
  • American Athletic Conference Coach of the Year

Owls in pro basketball

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NBA Drafted players

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Year Round Overall Player Team
2011 2 50 Lavoy Allen Philadelphia 76ers
2006 1 29 Mardy Collins New York Knicks
2000 2 48 Mark Karcher Philadelphia 76ers
1997 2 37 Marc Jackson Golden State Warriors
1994 1 10 Eddie Jones Los Angeles Lakers
1 17 Aaron McKie Portland Trail Blazers
1991 1 8 Mark Macon Denver Nuggets
1 18 Duane Causwell Sacramento Kings
1988 1 7 Tim Perry Phoenix Suns
1987 2 27 Nate Blackwell San Antonio Spurs
1985 4 78 Granger Hall Phoenix Suns
6 124 Charles Rayne Phoenix Suns
1984 1 15 Terence Stansbury Dallas Mavericks
8 167 Jim McLoughlin Los Angeles Clippers
1981 9 202 Ron Wister Philadelphia 76ers
1979 4 81 Ricky Reed Los Angeles Lakers
1978 9 181 Tim Claxton Philadelphia 76ers
1974 5 87 Joe Newman Detroit Pistons
1972 2 30 Ollie Johnson Portland Trail Blazers
1969 2 23 John Baum Chicago Bulls
3 40 Eddie Mast New York Knicks
5 70 Joe Cromer Philadelphia 76ers
1968 9 118 Clarence Brookins Philadelphia 76ers
15 187 John Baum Los Angeles Lakers
1966 4 40 Jim Williams Chicago Bulls
1960 2 15 Bill Kennedy Philadelphia Warriors
1958 Guy Rodgers Philadelphia Warriors
7 52 Jay Norman Philadelphia Warriors
9 68 Tink Van Patton Philadelphia Warriors
1956 1 7 Hal Lear Philadelphia Warriors
1955 7 Al Didriksen Philadelphia Warriors
8 Harry Silcox Philadelphia Warriors
1952 Bill Mlkvy Philadelphia Warriors
1950 5 Ike Borsavage Philadelphia Warriors

[13]

Postseason

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NCAA tournament results

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The Owls have appeared in the NCAA tournament 33 times. Their combined record is 33–33.

Year Seed Round Opponent Result
1944 Elite Eight
Regional 3rd Place Game
Ohio State
Catholic
L 47–57
W 55–35
1956 First Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
Final Four
National 3rd Place Game
Holy Cross
Connecticut
Canisius
Iowa
SMU
W 74–72
W 65–59
W 60–58
L 76–83
W 90–81
1958 Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
Final Four
National 3rd Place Game
Maryland
Dartmouth
Kentucky
Kansas State
W 71–67
W 69–50
L 60–61
W 67–57
1964 First Round Connecticut L 48–53
1967 First Round St. John's L 53–57
1970 First Round South Carolina L 51–53
1972 First Round West Virginia L 71–77
1979 No. 7 First Round No. 10 St. John's L 70–75
1984 No. 8 First Round
Second Round
No. 9 St. John's
No. 1 North Carolina
W 65–63
L 66–77
1985 No. 8 First Round
Second Round
No. 9 Virginia Tech
No. 1 Georgetown
W 60–57
L 46–63
1986 No. 9 First Round
Second Round
No. 8 Jacksonville
No. 1 Kansas
W 61–50 OT
L 43–65
1987 No. 2 First Round
Second Round
No. 15 Southern
No. 10 LSU
W 75–56
L 62–72
1988 No. 1 First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
No. 16 Lehigh
No. 8 Georgetown
No. 13 Richmond
No. 2 Duke
W 87–73
W 74–53
W 69–47
L 53–63
1990 No. 11 First Round No. 6 St. John's L 65–81
1991 No. 10 First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
No. 7 Purdue
No. 15 Richmond
No. 3 Oklahoma State
No. 1 North Carolina
W 80–63
W 77–64
W 72–63 OT
L 72–75
1992 No. 11 First Round No. 6 Michigan L 66–73
1993 No. 7 First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
No. 10 Missouri
No. 15 Santa Clara
No. 3 Vanderbilt
No. 1 Michigan
W 75–61
W 68–57
W 67–59
L 72–77
1994 No. 4 First Round
Second Round
No. 13 Drexel
No. 5 Indiana
W 61–39
L 58–67
1995 No. 7 First Round No. 10 Cincinnati L 71–77
1996 No. 7 First Round
Second Round
No. 10 Oklahoma
No. 2 Cincinnati
W 61–43
L 65–78
1997 No. 9 First Round
Second Round
No. 8 Ole Miss
No. 1 Minnesota
W 62–40
L 57–76
1998 No. 7 First Round No. 10 West Virginia L 52–82
1999 No. 6 First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
No. No. 11 Kent State
No. 3 Cincinnati
No. 10 Purdue
No. 1 Duke
W 61–54
W 64–54
W 77–55
L 64–85
2000 No. 2 First Round
Second Round
No. 15 Lafayette
No. 10 Seton Hall
W 73–47
L 65–67 OT
2001 No. 11 First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
No. 6 Texas
No. 3 Florida
No. 7 Penn State
No. 1 Michigan State
W 79–65
W 75–54
W 84–72
L 62–69
2008 No. 12 First Round No. 5 Michigan State L 61–72
2009 No. 11 First Round No. 6 Arizona State L 57–66
2010 No. 5 First Round No. 12 Cornell L 65–78
2011 No. 7 First Round
Second Round
No. 10 Penn State
No. 2 San Diego State
W 66–64
L 64–71 2OT
2012 No. 5 First Round No. 12 South Florida L 44–58
2013 No. 9 First Round
Second Round
No. 8 NC State
No. 1 Indiana
W 76–72
L 52–58
2016 No. 10 First Round No. 7 Iowa L 70–72 OT
2019 No. 11 First Four No. 11 Belmont L 70–81

NIT results

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The Owls have appeared in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) 19 times. Their combined record is 23–17. They are two time NIT champions (1938, 1969).

Year Round Opponent Result
1938 Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Final
Bradley
Oklahoma A&M
Colorado
W 53–40
W 56–55
W 60–36
1957 Quarterfinals
Semifinals
3rd Place Game
Dayton
Bradley
St. Bonaventure
W 77–66
L 66–77
W 67–50
1960 First Round Dayton L 51–72
1961 First Round
Quarterfinals
Army
Dayton
W 79–65
L 62–60
1962 First Round
Quarterfinals
Providence
Loyola–Chicago
W 80–78
L 64–75
1966 First Round
Quarterfinals
Virginia Tech
BYU
W 88–73
L 78–90
1968 First Round Kansas L 76–82
1969 First Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Final
Florida
Saint Peter's
Tennessee
Boston College
W 82–66
W 94–78
W 63–58
W 89–76
1978 First Round Texas L 58–72
1981 First Round
Second Round
Clemson
West Virginia
W 90–82
L 76–77
1982 First Round Georgia L 60–73
1989 First Round Richmond L 56–70
2002 First Round
Second Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
3rd Place Game
Fresno State
Louisville
Villanova
Memphis
Syracuse
W 81–75
W 65–62
W 63–57
L 77–79
W 65–64
2003 Opening Round
First Round
Second Round
Quarterfinals
Drexel
Boston College
Rhode Island
Minnesota
W 68–59
W 75–62
W 61–53
L 58–63
2004 First Round Rutgers L 71–76
2005 First Round Virginia Tech L 50–60
2006 Opening Round Akron L 73–80
2015 First Round
Second Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Bucknell
George Washington
Louisiana Tech
Miami (FL)
W 73–67
W 90–77
W 77–59
L 57–60
2018 First Round Penn State L 57–63

References

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  1. ^ "Temple University Logo Usage Guide" (PDF). April 29, 2021. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  2. ^ ESPN, ed. (2009). ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia: The Complete History of the Men's Game. New York, NY: ESPN Books. p. 546. ISBN 978-0-345-51392-2.
  3. ^ "Temple coach Chaney retires". ESPN.com. 2006-03-13. Archived from the original on 2017-07-20. Retrieved 2018-02-22.
  4. ^ Naismith Hall of Fame Welcomes Guy Rodgers at owlsports.com, 8 Aug 2014
  5. ^ Temple To Retire Men's Basketball Great Hal Lear's Jersey at owlsports.com, 12 Apr 2012
  6. ^ Mark of greatness! Looking back at Temple's 1991 at Inquirer.com, 14 Feb 2016
  7. ^ This Future Dentist Once Dropped 54 Straight. Then He Was Lost to Time by JOHN WALTERSMAR at SI.com - Mar 3, 2020
  8. ^ a b "(PDF)" (PDF). Temple University Athletics.
  9. ^ "List of Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year Winners".
  10. ^ "Defensive Player, Sixth Man, Most Improved and Sportsmanship Award Announced". theamerican.org.
  11. ^ "Temple's Fran Dunphy named AAC Coach of the Year". NBC Sports Philadelphia. 10 March 2016.
  12. ^ a b c "Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductees". NBA.com.
  13. ^ "Draft Finder". Basketball-Reference.com.