Written By: Nathan Skinner (@Canedude08)
Canes Rising Contributor
Opponent/Conference: Temple University (American Athletic)
Location: New York City/ Madison Square Garden (Capacity: 19,812)
Date/Time: March 31st/ 7PM ET
TV/Radio: ESPN/WVUM (90.5 FM)
Game Notes
Temple's Best Scorer-- Will Cummings (14.9 PPG)
Temple's Best Rebounder--Jaylen Bond (8.0 RPG)
Temple's Best Distributor--Will Cummings (4.2 APG)
Temple's Best Perimeter Shooter--Quenton DeCosey (36.0%)
Temple's Best Free Throw Shooter--Will Cummings (80.7%)
Team Notes
Temple's Record--26-10 (13-5)
Temple's NIT Seed--1
Temple's Biggest Wins--Kansas(77-52), Cincinnati(75-59)
Players to Watch
Temple has a proud basketball program, a program that is as tough and unforgiving as the city the University calls home . Former Temple coach, and Hall of Famer John Chaney took tough, scrappy Philadelphia athletes and molded them into outstanding teams, teams that made regular appearances in the NCAA Tournament. Current coach Fran Dunphy hasn't deviated from that winning formula, Temple is still a tough, scrappy team that plays good defense, and looks to get to the rim. Will Cummings is Temple's leading scorer, he's a guard that can slash to the rim, and finishes well around the basket. He isn't alone in the backcourt as Quenton DeCosey is another talented guard that can score, averaging over twelve points per game. Decosey is a rangy, athletic player in the mold of former Owl Eddie Jones. Temple's interior players aren't as talented as they were during the Chaney era, but they do rebound, and set screens. The best frontcourt player is Jaylen Bond, the team's leading rebounder. This frontcourt isn't overly large, with only two players standing over 6'10'', and neither of those player being major contributors.
Keys to Victory
1. Pack the Lane--Temple is a team that looks to get to the rim, this team doesn't shoot well at all. Only two players on the entire roster shoot better than 35% from deep, and the Owls rank 341st in overall field goal percentage. Therefore, it's imperative that Miami force the Owls to settle for perimeter jumpers, that's best accomplished by packing the lane. The 'Canes would be best served going to an active matchup zone, and forcing the Owls to shoot contested jumpers. Rebounding is difficult in a zone configuration, however the 'Canes have played zone enough to understand key rebounding concepts.
2. Play Big--The Owls aren't an overly large team, but are very athletic in the frontcourt. It's their athleticism that allows Temple to be a factor on the glass. Miami has some big bodies who aren't as athletic, but are significantly larger which means the 'Canes should be able to challenge the Owls on the glass. Richmond had a similar lineup, and the 'Canes' size advantage eventually wore down the Spiders. Miami should be able to do the same thing to the Owls, provided Miami's bigs are physical throughout . Tonye Jekiri and Joe Thomas should be crashing the boards, and Jekiri should be able to get any shot he wants. The key for Tonye is to FINISH around the rim, missed layups accomplish nothing. If Miami's halfcourt offense becomes stagnant, dumping the ball inside to Jekiri will be a viable option.
3. Start Fast--Miami hasn't been sharp early in games all season, that has to end. Temple isn't a team that will collapse coming down the stretch, they are too tough. The 'Canes will have to match Temple's intensity early, and then wear them down as the game goes on. Temple's fans will outnumber Miami supporters, so the 'Canes will have to approach this like a road game: start fast, take the crowd out of the equation. If Miami doesn't come out and play well from the opening tip, this game may get out of hand, and unlike the Richmond game, will stay that way.
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