Temple Mens Basketball: Take It Slow

2005-12-23T09:43:00.000-08:00

THE CULPRIT

The fact is, No One Can See Mardy Collins. Its not an opinion. Its a fact. A fact is a truth. A truth is believed. Mardy Collins isn't quit the truth... but... neither is Paul Pierce. The truth is best described as this man...

Or in my opinion, this man...

The fact is there can be two truths... truth can be an opinion. Sight isn't an opinion, sight is a sense, and no one can see Mardy Collins.

However, this year Mardy has begun to come back in focus. His stats are down across the board. He has looked human and in some cases, dare I say, average! I dare not say, I take that back, he has looked just ok, for Mardy of course. While watching some highlights of my main man #25 I realized there has to be an explanation to this. Since no one can see Mardy C, it cannot be Mardy's fault that his numbers are down, can it? Well, I think not! In fact I have discovered the reason to the statline dip... there is a single culprit and it's his brand that was actually eluded to already in this post... LADIES AND GENTLEMAN THE REASON BEHIND MARDY'S LACK OF PRODUCTION THIS SEASON ISN'T YOUR IMPROVED VISION, NOR IS IT A PHILANTHROPY PROJECT BY MISTER COLLINS FOR THE REST OF THE NCAA BASKETBALL PLAYERS... THE REASON IS....

Thats right. Jumpman. Not Michael Jordan the player. Michael Jordan the CEO. Not the Jordan series of sneakers. The creative team surrounding the dub-zero's. (See the sneaker atop the post)

Mardy has worn the black and red dub-zero's in every game he has played this season and this needs to stop. NOW! Mardy! Someone is out to sabotage you! The sneakers are bringing you down! Please, for the love of god go back to the days of the cherry and white team shoe... I know you want people to be able to see you and your a nice guy who doesn't want to hurt defenders feelings, and coaches, and staff but MARDY... we need you! And in order for Mardy to be Mardy I'm gonna have to respectfully ask that you stop wearing the cursed dub-zero's...

Its Christmas Mardy! Grant every Owl fans wish and drop 40 on Villanova wearing the Temple team Nikes. It will save us, it will save you! I leave you with a picture of the old days, fists in the air... peep the feet, and say no more.

2005-12-23T08:10:00.001-08:00

Got All of North Philly Asking "Hows He Still So Good?"

Temple beats the 'Cocks (No Homo)

"As far as bouncin back... Wayne's like Ben Wallace on a rebound..."

In the NBA they say that everybody makes a run. Well Temple chose an opportune time to make their run last night in a home game against South Carolina. A 15-4 push that began around the six minute mark of the ballgame gave the Owls a much needed 63-50 win over South Carolina @ the LIA center. The Owls were sparked by Wayne Marshall's return and although his stat line wasn't that impressive Big Wayne was changing shots and keeping balls alive while giving Temple a much needed inside presence.

Although he was hampered by foul trouble Wayne was still able to impact the ballgame which was turned into another breakout game for senior Antwayne Robinson. 'Twizzy lived up to Chaney's billing that he was "One of the best shooters we've ever had" last night pacing the Owls with 18 points on 7 of 12 shooting. Antwayne cannot create his own shot but why is that important when he moves so well without the ball? I think its fair to say that he is the seasons biggest surprise and is quickly turning into everyone's favorite (And certainly most consistent) Owl.

Even though South Carolina hung close up until the door was shut by that late Temple run I never felt like the game was anything but Temple's to lose. USC had a hard time getting good shots and being an undersized team they weren't able to exploit the Owls inability in the middle. However they were a scrappy bunch and had won 6 of 8 going into the game so all in all its a nice win.

Mardy Collins fought off another abysmal performance with a few nice moves and easy buckets in the second half to finish with 15 points. One series of plays saw Mardy get a nice look from Mark for an easy layup, he then followed up a Tyndale steal for a dunk and got a steal of his own which he finished with two hands. 11 of his 15 came in the second half. Not to sound like a hater but my man Mardy C is gonna need to start knocking down some free throws if he wants that draft stock to rise. My man was one of four from the line last night. Yo MC, why not even your body up with the basket before you shoot? You seem to be off to the right or left of the rim each time you miss. Square those shoulders baby!

"MC... and ya don't stop"

Temple showed some fire last night in the win. Simon Gratz product Mark Tyndale was billed as a hothead coming into college but he has played with class thus far in almost every game I have seen him in. If a player is on the ground I have seen Mark extend a hand or pat a guy on the ass (No Homo) after a foul. Last night I saw some of that fire I had heard about but it was channeled in an excellent manner. After a big rebound Mark ran down the court and was setting a low screen for the shooter. As he did this he was screaming in the face of Bryce Sheldon of USC. Theres nothing wrong with that and it was nice for Mark to let Mr. Sheldon know he can't jump with him. Say no more. I see you Big Mark.

"Hope you brough an extra clip... it's young uzi"

Rick Brunson was at the game last night and I had a chance to talk with him for a second as he made his rounds. Nice guy, great player. Also refreshing to see a man come back and show love to his old team and neighborhood. Rick was definitely getting a lot of love from the North Philly old heads in the building. Shout outs to Fred Burton aka 38 Don't Hate for the introduction. Get well soon Mark, the Sonics need the backcourt help.

Also... shoutout to the Temple Women who were aided by the play of one Fatima Maddux who gave them 8 points and 6 rebounds in 22 minutes of play. This was Fatima's second game with the Owl's after transferring last year from New Mexico. We see you out there.

Candance Dupree is the female Chris Bosh. Early.

2005-12-22T12:42:00.000-08:00

Time for some new interns…

Check out this photo mistake by the Philadelphia Weekly:

And now for today's Philadelphia Weekly Do media minutiae: There's a correction in today's Inquirer that, at face value, seems pretty banal:

A photo of Temple basketball player Keith Butler was misidentified in Sunday's editions.
Now, a quick perusal of Sunday's paper will find no mention of Keith Butler (top center). But it will show his photo -- next to a story about Antywane Robinson, who Temple Coach John Chaney calls the "one of the great shooters that we've ever had here."

So, obviously, the paper accidentally ran Butler's photo. (An analysis couldn't determine if the guy in the photo was Butler or not, but it's safe to say it was.... Trust me... it is)

No big deal. Except that, well, Butler left the team after last season and is now sitting out the season after transferring to DePaul. So, you know, it's easier to find a photo of a guy who left the team than with one who's currently on it. I suppose that makes sense.

Taken from:

2005-12-22T10:10:00.000-08:00

Return of the Mack...

"Listen Wayne, I'm gonna need you to keep your ass outta foul trouble tonight. Or there will be hell to pay! You hear me! Keith is gone, the team is yours now! SONOFABITCH!"

Coach Chaney let the good word out last night... Big Wayne is back and will play this evening against South Carolina.

Judging from the cloudy reports around what was actually wrong with him its tough to say what kind of a contribution he will have. If his situation was indeed similar to that of Eddy Curry's it could be an ill-afforded long road to recovery but... I think anything he can do will help the Owl's at this point. I am most interested in seeing the rotation now that Wayne, Sergio, and Anthony can all play the five combined with how this affects the wing play of the TU guards.

I hope this move opens up the floor for my main man Mardy C. Collins will be looking to get the ball low to Marshall 'cause he knows by doing so he will open the floor up for himself. Rusty or not Wayne still has the ability to step out and knock down some shots, use the up and under for some EZ hoops and hit his free throws when he gets to the stripe.

I'm excited about this development and although this wont be Wayne being all Wayne can be its a step in the right direction for a group desperate for a win against the gamecocks...

2005-12-20T09:52:00.000-08:00

The spirit of Charles Barkley watches from the rafters as the real Charles Barkley mocks from the sidelines...

"Either Auburn is that good, or Temple is that bad... What do you think Kenny?"

If Auburn had managed to convince Sir Charles to suit up once again for the Tigers I may have let this slide... However he was at ringside to witness the knockout.

As the loss to Auburn resonates I am still unable to accept what happened but I am now willing to admit that it did happen and that what took place on the my television wasn’t a punishment from the Lords of Rebound.

"YOUSONOFABITCH!"

I refuse to recap the game. For those that demand a recap let me first say that my viewing of the game was halted due to the 4 overtimes played by La Salle and Central Connecticut that caused me to miss the first half of play. By the time the buzzer sounded and CSN switched over to the Owls the score read 45-23. The first words out of the announcers mouth was something along the lines of… “What on earth has gotten into Mardy Collins? He is totally off his game so far today.” Just what I was looking to hear. Truth.

I watched the second half with a heavy heart. No one got it going and a mediocre Auburn team put a beat down on Temple that those guys should remember for long after the horn sounded. Coach Chaney had this to say after the loss:

"JESUSCHRIST MARDY!"

“Our players feed off of scoring and that is the tragedy of our team. When they are not making baskets, they are not playing basketball.”

As crazy as Coach Chaney can be with some of his post game comments he was right on point this time. This is a group of guys that feel they can really stroke the ball when the reality of it is they just can’t. With the exception of Dustin, I would list every other Temple player as a mediocre at best three point shooter but they continue to jack long ball after long ball. When the shots go clank it becomes very tough to watch. Even when the shots are falling I often wonder when the hot hands will begin to draw cold… Look no further then the big win against Alabama. Great game, solid win, but without that amazing first half from downtown I wonder if they would have had enough to stay in the game?

My point is this. We are the Temple Owls. We are a grind it out, hand in the face, chest to chest team that will never become an overpowering offensive weapon. We need good shots to win and we need to limit opponent’s good shots to stay in the game. I know the game of basketball is making a transition back to the high scoring days and if we had the weapons to get into that kind of fight I would be with it but we would be bringing a knife to a gun fight, paint gun to a shootout with real gats and so forth.

Let’s strap up and return to the days where 50 points was an opponent’s goal against Temple. Any game we try to match a team bucket for bucket not only are we playing into their hand but that’s a hand outside of a few games in the A-10 that will most likely be a loser….

On Thursday we got the Gamecocks at the Liacorous Center. This will not be a pushover. South Carolina knows our scheme and will be prepared to do battle. This is a must win game for Temple and we will finally see if as far as bouncing back… they are like Dwight Howard on a rebound.

2005-12-19T13:42:00.000-08:00

:-(

"Don't call me early, cause I'm late..."

There will be no post for the game against Auburn because the game against Auburn never happened… IT NEVER HAPPENED… instead enjoy this picture of Drunken Keith Butler. Who BTW would have been a nice addition off the bench in the game that didn't happen on Sunday...

On another note the Mardy Collins draft status fire sale continues on Chad Ford’s “Big Board” breakdown of the Top 100 prospects for the 2006 draft. Mardy has slipped down to #26 this week and has enjoyed positions as high as #11. Yikes!

2005-12-16T12:33:00.000-08:00

Where have you gone Keith Butler?

"Call me Aaron Burr, the way I'm droppin Hamiltons"

It might have been his impressive stature and above average leaping ability. It might have been his true seven foot status. Could it have been the recruiting battle that erupted between Cincinnati and Temple over Butler’s services? Perhaps it was a collection of things that were emphasized by his calm demeanor on the court and “I don’t give a fuck” presence in the paint. Of course by “I don’t give a fuck” I am not referring to the look on Samuel Dalembert’s face after he throws an adherent elbow or hurls a small guard to the floor on their way to the basket. I mean this in the literal sense of “I don’t give a fuck if you want me to hustle, rebound or block shots….”
Through his years with the Owls Butler never amounted to much. In all the games I saw him play only two standout. A home game against South Carolina in 2004 and last seasons win over Villanova at the Palestra. In both games Butler had a double double and the Owls looked like a totally different team with a presence in the post.
Keith was a disappointment without a doubt. He stayed getting mo’fouls called on him and always had a short leash with Coach Chaney. While his best attribute was his shot blocking he rarely was in good position to make great defensive plays and as a result appeared frustrated on the floor.
In Keith’s defense he wasn’t given many touches and the Temple offense is so horrendous how can you blame a big man for being frustrated? Do you think when Keith was spending his recruiting trip with Dave Hawkins the coaching staff sat him down and painted this picture?:
“Look Keith, we really want you here at Temple. We expect a lot of you as a player so we plan to consistently ignore you on the block, expect you to set hard screens without ever getting touches and keep that fire burning deep within your belly. Oh yea, you also have to wakeup at 4:45 each morning, listen to Coach Chaney bitch for four years and reside in North Philadelphia .Sound good?”
My guess is no. I don’t want to make excuses for Keith but the point of my ramblings is that Keith would be helping the Owls this season. I have written time and time again that I am an advocate of the smaller lineup for Temple and so far this season it has been working but Keith coming off the bench to provide some support in the paint would be a good look.
I also didn’t think it was fair when Mark Tyndale called out Keith this summer after his departure to DePaul. (For those of you who don’t know Keith transferred this past summer to DePaul University. He will sit out this season and play his final season of eligibility next year) In an article by Andy Katz of ESPN Mark referred to Keith as a “cancer” and implied the team will be much better off without him.

True, TU is off to an improved start this season but I think that should be linked to the improvements of Antwayne and Dustin and not to the departure of Keith. Look, I wasn’t in the locker room but I never heard a thing about him being a problem off the court. He was a waste at times on the court but off the court he seemed like a good guy. Either way I think its bad policy to talk about a guy after he transfers. Mark is a tough kid from a rough area and Simon Gratz high school has a reputation for no nonsense so I see where he is coming from. I’m just saying I think that was a pointless statement and kind of out of character of the program. To call a man a cancer is pretty harsh, I think a bum woulda been more appropriate.

2005-12-16T08:39:00.000-08:00

Trouble is afoot... and his name is Chad Ford

Chad Ford writes in his weekly blog about NBA prospects (I would link it but ESPN makes this information insider bullshit so I am gonna post it...)

"He's fallen ... can he get up? Temple's Mardy Collins came into the season ranked as one of the top point guard prospects in the country. Scouts loved his size, versatility and defensive ability. He was considered a legit first-round prospect after his junior season, but opted to return to Temple for his senior year, hoping to move his stock into the lottery.
Things got off to a slow start this summer at the Under 21s, where Collins didn't do anything to really impress scouts. Now Collins is having a shaky senior season. His numbers are down across the board: He's shooting only 37 percent from the field (23 percent from 3-point range) and averaging just 3.3 apg.

If the numbers continue to tumble, not only is the lottery out of the question but Collins could slide right out of the first round."

I can't say I disagree with what Chad is saying. I have faith that Mardy will recover and so will his stats but I don't think Mr. Ford is out of bounds with the questions he raises... I have been saying this from the jump (See the post, No Way Out of the RACk) I can't call it concerning the USA Summer stuff he writes about but that is consistant with what I heard about his performance.

2005-12-15T14:41:00.000-08:00

Wayne Marshall's Return to the Court... Take It Slow

Before I saw him, I heard about him. “Prep to pro”, “One and done.” Confidence was high on North Broad Street.

Those comments were referring to Temple’s new man in the middle, Wayne Marshall. A product of Martin Luther King high school in Philadelphia Wayne had created quite a buzz for himself amongst the student body at TU. No small task in North Philadelphia where hate is much easier spawned then praise.

Wayne came into Temple as a proposition 48 athlete. This means he had a fair share of trouble qualifying for college and would need to sit out his freshman season to get his grades right. That season he was out of shape and looked rusty with the ball in his hand but still guided his intramural team to a league championship in a fairly competitive recreation league at Temple University.

I watched him play a number of games that season for his team known as, “Wayne and Company” and he appeared uninterested and for the most part, far from dominant.
Not being of the hating nature myself I wanted to buy into the hype. Surely from the wreckage of the Philadelphia public league that is normally barren of big men Coach Chaney had pulled a diamond from the rough. I imagined the possibilities. A big men with good size who demanded a double team drawing in defenders, he was able to look over their outstretched arms and find a swingman spotting up on the arc. No more dribbling the clock down to nothing and hoisting a forced shot, no more undersized centers, and a return to glory for the Owls.

When I first saw Wayne daunting the cherry and white he looked in shape and appeared to have nice range and soft touch. I was impressed. He had a decent knack for the ball and seemed to get up and down the floor efficiently. His go to move was the up and under, time and again he would use it keeping the defender off balance with a series of head fakes.

I think the up and under is one of the most effective moves in basketball. With that said if it’s your only move the scouting report is going to reflect this and it’s going to become harder to execute. This was the case with Wayne in his first season with the Owls. Once the opposing coaches got a read on what he liked to do they were able to shut him down with ease because he wasn’t adjusting to the new looks they gave him.

But, fear not I thought to myself for he is young and with his mouth sucking from Chaney’s bosom he will return a new man with new moves. The one and done talk didn’t come from his mouth, he was simple a victim of the rare North Philadelphia hype machine.

Then I hear news that Wayne is suffering from dizzy spells that are commonly caused by heart problems. Immediately I think of Hank Gathers, Reggie Lewis, Eddy Curry and Jason Collier. Of course with news like that you have concerns for the player’s long-term health but as an Owl’s fan I also have a concern for the middle of the paint.

But now it appears that Wayne is once again practicing at full speed with the team. Now I am not saying this as anything other then pure speculation but isn’t it a bit of a coincidence that a player with a long history of academic trouble is all of the sudden poised to make a comeback after the new grades are in for the fall semester and eligibility is renewed? If Wayne had himself a bad summer session and failed a few classes perhaps that was enough to keep his heart beat a bit of balance… and perhaps not.

Truthfully it doesn’t matter, not to me at least. I believe being good at basketball is just like being good at math or English it’s just a less accepted form of intelligence… However, it warrants mentioning.

2005-12-13T14:17:00.000-08:00

Ring The Alarm... Alabama's Dying!

I had to hold my breath in fear that the student body wouldn’t storm the floor after the big win on Saturday evening in Philadelphia.

An enthused and crowded student section pounded on the chairs and chanted in support of their Owls as Mardy and company took down the Crimson Tide for Temple’s first win against a ranked opponent in a long while.

Temple came out of the gate with something to prove knocking down trey after trey to put the pressure on ‘Bama in a hurry. However, Alabama wasn’t shook and they hit a number of long balls of their own to keep things close.

Temple had another balanced box score that saw the man they call the “X-Factor” lead the way with 20 points. Dustin came out of the gates on fire like the Hot Boys knocking down four threes in the first half. He loves to pull up for the elbow three balls and he was hitting almost everything he saw in the first half. Antwayne chipped in 17 but more importantly had 11 boards. Mardy added 15 and Mark rounded out the double figure scoring with 10.

The Owls put up 68 points which is high by Temple standards but the defense and board work was the difference in the win. I already mentioned ‘Twayne’s work but Dustin’s 9 rebounds are nothing to sneer at. He also had the play of the game with a huge blocked dunk attempt that was quickly passed out to Mark who found Antwayne in the corner for three. He also added three steals to fill up the box score in a big way.

Can’t say enough about the difference in the swagger of the Temple team when they have another guy clicking the way Dustin was on Saturday. I was impressed not only in the three point shooting which has always been a strength but also in his ability to recognize when it was time to go to the hoop in the second half. In a game like this where Temple actually shoots well enough to really space the floor and a couple guys get hot you have to take advantage of spacing by taking the ball to the basket. Mardy does this on occasion as does Mark but it was nice to see Dustin recognize that the defense was sagging his way and make them pay by going hard to the hole.

I am a little puzzled by Mardy’s lack of production this season and I am not simple talking points. Against Alabama he scored 15 but only grabbed 3 rebounds and had no steals, usually his bread and butter category. He also was charged with an uncharacteristic two turnovers but when compared to his 7 dimes that is acceptable. Its possible this is all a result of teams making him the focal point of their defensive attack and having an increased awareness of his presence on the floor in guarding from takeaways but its worth noting. However I’m sure Mardy would argue that with the defense keying on him it’s allowing his teammates to get some open looks at the basket and the Owls are winning. Say No More.

The Liacorous center was rocking like the good old days. The game was televised on ESPN2 and the student section was as loud as I have heard it. Whoever is leading that group of kids is doing his or her thing but I did feel that the overrated chant was in poor taste and WAY to early. Come on! There were like 15 minutes left and this is Temple! You know that offense can catch a case at any time and shut down its operation. However, all is forgiven cause this is a good win.
Much respect to Steve Gengler who allowed me to use some of his original shots from the game. You can check out his site here: http://www.xanga.com/iisteve99. Hopefully he isn’t one of those wild men who was chanting overrated but even if he is, all is forgiven!

Looking ahead Temple has Auburn @ their place and then the Gamecocks back home in Philly. These are going to be two tests for the Owls as both these clubs know how to play and are familiar with the match up zone. Last season the boys stumbled against both clubs in games I feel were very winnable. Its going to be a true test for Temple of not only their basketball ability but their mental and maturity as a squad. I also think if they can string together these two wins they will be making a push at the Top 25… It’s early but I feel good.

2005-12-08T14:24:00.000-08:00

Taking Out the Tigers...

The 2005-2006 Temple Owls are one of the more balanced clubs I can remember Chaney coaching. I thought this season was going to be a green light year for Mardy and young Uzi (Tyndale) to send shots racing; instead Chaney has gone with a much more balanced attack.
This held true last night against Princeton where the Owl’s once again saw Antwayne Robinson lead them in point tallied. Mardy, Mark and Dustin all scored in double figures. From an attacking standpoint this work well. Especially when Temple spreads the floor and works the ball atop the perimeter because teams won’t be able to key on just Mardy or just Antwayne or whomever.

With that said the Owls took care of Princeton last night 60-47 @ Jadwin Gym. Once again I have to admit that I didn’t watch the game, it wasn’t televised, I guess the program co-ordinators caught wind of last years battle and decided against it. Can’t say that I blame them.
I will however say I was very impressed with Temple’s game cast which is available on the Owl’s website. I half expected some rickety ms-dos based program and what I got was a nice java app with expandable box score, shot chart and more. This magic link to the Temple battle allowed me to watch the Owl’s take care of the Tiger’s in as easy a fashion as your going to see from Temple.

Of course the Owls did their best to blow the lead. Up 20 at one point in the second they allowed the Tiger’s back into the game. See if you can guess how Princeton fought back into it? That’s right. By exploiting the match up zone and reigning those three balls.
Luckily the Ivy League brats got cold from the floor after that and Temple got its first back to back win of the season.

One thing worth taking from the game is the minutes played by the Temple front line. Other than Dion Dacons the Owl’s got a total of 12 minutes and 2 points from Sergio, Ingram, and big Anthony Ivory (Actually the bucket was from Dacon’s dunk near the end of regulation) Yikes!
Of course Alabama comes to town on Saturday @ 5 p.m. and they are fixing to exploit the middle… Here’s to Wayne Marshall who is reportedly practicing at full speed and will be needed in order to beat the Crimson Tide. I will now end the paragraph right before I begin begging for Wayne’s return… I refuse to demand the presence of a guy who continuously uses one move at the D-1 level… the up and under is effective but not once scouting reports go out. Gotta respect the Temple big men though, it has to be one of the toughest offenses to shine at the true 4 or 5 slot in the country.

2005-12-06T17:36:00.000-08:00

Nothing comes easy for Temple Basketball. The owls squeaked out a win today at the Palestra in the Big 5 classic again Penn. Coach Chaney called the game “a tale of two halves…” to me it looked more like a tale of poor free throw shooting down the stretch. Temple did its best to allow Penn to stay in the game with Dion Dacons, Mardy Collins, and Mark Tyndale all missing big free throws that could have sealed the win. Penn also had a shot to tie the game but missed the front end of a one and one and the Owl’s got the rebound. Player of the game was Dustin Salisberry who remains as streaky as they come going 0-6 against Rutgers then leading the team in scoring against Penn. He also was able to convert on two big free throws and seemed to be the only Owl that didn’t want Penn to stay in the game.
24 scouts were on hand to see a mediocre performance by Mardy C. As a whole I would like to see Temple go to the basket more often but Mardy in particular seems to settle for a jump shot that has been less then spectacular this year. When you take a look at Mardy’s numbers they aren’t that impressive from a field goal % standpoint and I think that’s due largely to shot selection.

Temple was down seven at the start of the second half and rallied behind some different defensive looks and an all around active performance. Penn does a great job sending cutters through the lane and besides exposing Temple a few times for easy lay ups the Owls were getting hands up and contesting shots. No question this lead to the victory.
The announcers reported during the game that Wayne Marshall has been practicing with the team since Thanksgiving and much of the dizziness that he felt in the summer has subsided. That was some very good news because as much heart as Dion has a 6’6 center with no offensive awareness wont cut it against elite teams.

One thing worth noting about any game played during the Big 5 classic is how competitive they are. All respect to Penn but I think they play much better @ the Palestra during the tournament that puts the Philly schools out as showcase. Next up the Owls head over to Princeton to once again do battle among the ranks of the Ivy League. Who can forget last years game, one of the worst games I ever witnessed at any level, where Temple’s Dustin Salisberry had a game winning rejection that should have been called a goaltend. Glad the referee saw things differently. Anyway, after what happened at the Rack I’m not taking anyone for granted…

2005-12-02T10:00:00.000-08:00

Temple Falls to Rutgers: No Way Outta the Rack

Mardy and Antwayne met after Sundays game against Miami and talked about how they wanted to build on the success of that win, they spoke on how in the past they haven’t taken advantage of the opportunities to win easy games and how this season they didn’t want any of that to take place… then they go out and shoot 29% against Rutgers and loose at the Rack. What a disappointing loss. I’m not even gonna speak on the one upside which was Antwayne scoring a career high 24 points and keeping his impressive season rolling because it might overshadow the fact that this is absolutely inexcusable. I’m not knocking the Scarlet Knights but Temple should win that game. Quincy Douby is gonna get his when you play Rutgers, especially in New Brunswick but that shouldn’t keep Chaney and the boys from getting a fuckin MUCH NEEDED win. Now Temple is in the position where if they stumble against Penn on Saturday they drop below .500 and the skeptics are once again in full force. I predicted Temple would win Wednesday and this Saturday. Now I am saying Temple NEEDS to win Saturday. A must win game early in the season might be a little harsh but in order to get back into the tournament with the schedule we play we just have to have those kinda wins.

I didn’t see the game. It wasn’t on TV and I had no way of getting out to Jersey so I can’t break it down but I read the recap that told me Mardy was held without points until the 38th minute of the game. Mardy!? What the fuck!? Temple rides with Mardy and he needs to lead us. Chaney commented after the game that he needs to understand that teams are gonna key on him. That’s fair but if you’re the elite player that I think you are you gotta be able to get yours no matter what. That’s just not cutting it. Your playing for redemption for your university and your playing for a guaranteed contract. Remember that. There are 30 teams in the NBA and if one of them don’t call your name your not guaranteed a fucking thing. I’m not questioning your heart I’m just saying get the fuck up for the game against Rutgers like you would get up for the game against Duke or Maryland.

Chaney said in the press conference that “we got nothing from the middle…” Well John what do you expect? 20 and 10 from Dion? 40 minutes from Ivory? It’s not gonna happen, make adjustments. It’s not Armageddon I just get pissed off when I hear shit from people about a loss like this when the birds should take a dump on Rutgers. Fuck dumb shit and fuck stupid losses. Without ‘Twayne the Owls shot like 16% from the floor. Get your asses into Mcgonicle and work on the stroke cause come Saturday the Palestra is gonna be loud and the kids from Penn are gonna be ready. They look at this game like yall are Duke or something and they will be waiting to know you off…. I’m out like like Quincy Douby on the fastbreak.

2005-11-30T09:09:00.000-08:00

Temple 2005-2006

Go to War and We Aint Making a Dime...

The Owls are off to a 2-1 start this season. Fallen are the good old boys at Army and Miami and UCLA is currently playing the spoilers to what was to be the perfect season. (!)

I am gonna take a look at this years schedule and make some predictions about where I see the see the Owls landing… Without further ado, lets go!

I expect wins at Rutgers, Penn and against Princeton. Any true TU fan can recall the days when these teams would whimper at the feet of Chaney and his crew but the reality is these teams have given Temple problems in the past couple years. Rutgers has owned Temple and play them extra tough at home. I think the game should be won by the Owls and if this team is gonna do anything this season they are going to have to dig in against a squad like the Scarlet Knights.

One of the worst beat downs I ever witnessed as an Owls fan came at the hands of Penn at the Palestra. Penn connected on what seemed like every three they attempted while the UPENN student section browbeat the Owls with signs like, “In the morning we’ll be sober, but you’ll still be going to Temple.” Rough game. Rough night. Last year Temple took care of Penn with relative ease but those guys know how to pick at the zone and if they hit their three balls they will give us problems. I still predict a win, even though the game takes us back to the Palestra… Fuck it. I am gonna call this a revenge game. Mardy and ‘Twayne should remember that beating, it was their freshmen year.

Heading into Princeton shouldn’t be tough but the motion and the discipline shown by these Ivy League teams seems to keep them in the game against Temple. Its funny but when the Owls play a big-time program I feel confident they may be baffled by the zone but a smaller school I feel will be more prepared. This is definitely the case with Princeton. Last year at home we needed a non-goaltending call at the buzzer to escape with the victory. I’m hoping for an easier time this season.

So this would put the boys at 5-1 on the year and have them off to their best start since I can recall… The rest of the season the non-conference schedule will be tough. I think the Owls get wins against South Carolina, Auburn, and Alabama. I see them losing to Duke at the Wachovia. I could sit here and bitch about Duke not playing Temple at the Liacorous Center, but I can’t see them winning that game. Coach K wont sleep on TU and I think the young bol McRoberts will present matchup problems as well as the Sherriff aka Sheldon Williams, but look for the Owls to hang tough with the Blue Devils. I also see that game as an important one for Mardy’s draft status. Last year the games against Wake and Duke helped him tremendously and this season with the eyes already on him he will need some nice numbers not only to keep Temple in the game but to help him out for next June.

The Maryland game is tough to call. I expected a win last season and was disappointed with the effort given. I am leaning towards a loss just because of the way last years game went. Temple wasn’t even close to matching Maryland’s intensity level. Hopefully the home crowd will swing things in the Owls favor... And what was up with Caner-Medley going off against TU? They need to put the clamps on that bol, he is suspect.

I think ‘Nova will be a loss. We beat them last year by one in what turned out to be the biggest win of the season for the Owls and clearly Butler's best game of last season. They wont forget that, especially with the hype around the big 5 in the Philadelphia area.

So I have the Owls finishing at 19-9 This is a bit bold, I admit but I think we will split with St. Joes and I don’t see many stupid loses within the A-10. I have GW taking us out at their place, as well as Charlotte simple because I think Withers is gonna present matchup problems and they can shoot the ball extremely well. I don’t see La Salle, UMass, Richmond or Dayton presenting much of a problem. Fordham caught us at their place last year and that wont happen again.

I can’t see far enough into the future to call whether or not we can win the A-10. Lemme just go on record saying I am betting on the Owls and I think that’s a decent wager. GW is tough but they aren’t a goliath. St. Joes plays us well but we’re due and fuck the past ‘cause the goon thing changed everything anyway…. I am gonna predict a return to the tournament this year but lets wait till it get closer to March to reveal how much damage can be done against the 64 other winners… Fuck the haters, go Owls and B EZ

2005-11-29T13:45:00.000-08:00

Salmons Watches the Owls Knockoff the U.

Nice win for the Temple Men today... they knocked off the boys from Miami on a Sunday afternoon at the LIA center in big bad North Philadelphia.

The Owls were on point in a must win game so early in the season. Must win!? You scoff do you? Well please consider the road ahead. Things are gonna get a lot worse down the line and if the boys can’t take car of the U at home then we got some issues when we face Duke, Maryland, ‘Bama, and ‘Nova.

Miami isn't the team they once were, I'm sure the Hurricanes were looking in the direction of alumnus and current 76er Johhny Salmons who was at ringside to cheer on his 'Canes. Fall back. My man John plays for Philly now and truth be told he is closer to the Owls (NBA version of Mardy Mardy Mardy) then a Hurricane...

Ah, the game itself... The Owls used a barrage of long range jumpers to get outta the gate early and were boosted by the rare scoring punch of Twizzy (Antwayne) who dropped a barrage of treys on Miami. He was looking good from the gate and stayed aggressive. The shots were falling and he musta shot in the high 60-70 range from the field... F a box score…

Mardy had a coolish first half but it paid off in the end because he got his homies in the game (I see you Dustin) and took over down the stretch. He definitely got the better of Guillermo Diaz (Miami PG) who is also touted as a first round pick next year.

After the Owls squandered a 16 point lead giving the 'Canes some life down the stretch Mardy reminded the fellas from the U that they were on North Broad. He hit a string of buckets from distance, got to the stripe and sealed the game with a gorgeous crossover to the middle of the lane finishing with a tomahawk dunk. I’m not sure if it was cause I was near courtside for the game and the play happened on my end of the court but from where I sat it ranked up there with the best moves I have seen by an Owl. Could be a perspective thing though.

This all took place when the U coaching staff noticed their smaller guards were having trouble with #25. They switched their PF on Mardy, after he took off two steps inside the free throw line with that same PF left back at the three I think the coach felt the need for another adjustment...

Shoutout to Coach Chaney who stopped the game late in the second half to address the Temple fans who were apparently throwing things onto the court... "STUPID IS FOREVER" Chaney barked... as well as, "THAT KINDA BEHAVIOR IS SIMPLE NOT THE TEMPLE WAY!" The speech brought smiles and thunderous applause...

Notes: Mark Tyndale has some of the most boisterous fans outside of football leagues in Europe who wont hesitate to let oppossing players know they don't appreciate hard fouls on Mark. Salisberry looked real good today and took minutes from Dionte Christmas who was definitely wearing the original color way Jordan 5's. I see him carrying on the Mike Jordan torch for the Owls. Alex Wesby always kept some fresh J's on his feet. Johhny Salmons looked uninterested the entire game. Big Anthony Ivory started for the Owls and it appears he has real trouble leaving the floor, his conditioning is going to have to improve to be a factor this season. Something has gotten into Antwayne, on one fast break he was actually DEMANDING the ball from Mardy, we'll see if that keeps up. Anyway, good win for the Owls against a team they should beat but in years past it’s these games that have hurt them down the stretch.....

2005-11-29T09:29:00.000-08:00

My name is Mardy, last name Collins...

For whatever reason I waited until now to preview the 2005-2006 Temple Owls. Perhaps this is due to my workload but more then likely it was a nice excuse to take a look at the team in action, take a few notes, and draw some conclusions using broad strokes. I am gonna begin this post with a short review of the personnel we got and hit it up later with how I see the season turning out… Boom!

Coach Chaney is the type of leader who likes to keep his lineup tight and his rotation thin. A Temple team that uses more then 8 guys is fairly rare but this could be the case this year judging by the lack of a true center. Wayne Marshall would be holding down the middle for the Owls but he has apparently caught the same affliction that took the life of Jason Collier and caused the exodus of E-City from Chicago. His status is unknown and as far as how long he will be out depends on his medical clearance. Of course its worth noting that more then likely he isn’t running and keeping in shape if he has heart concerns so I don’t see a major contribution from Wayne this season. I can’t tell you how many people told me that Marshall was going to be a one and done guy. That seems a little far fetched at this point but lets hope he gets it straightened out because the Owls need some help in the middle and Wayne can get some buckets as well.

Assuming Wayne is done that leaves the center by committee to Sergio Olmos, Nehemiah Ingram, Dion Dacons, Anthony Ivory and perhaps Antwayne Robinson. Out of that bunch Robinson could be most effective because he is long and athletic but his rebounding has been an issue in the past and Chaney hasn’t been shy about reminding him by sitting him down as a result. If ‘Twayne could find a way to control the glass or at least hold down the middle that would allow the Owls to play Dionte Christmas and Dustin Salisberry together with Mardy Collins at the two and Tyndale at the one.

But lets keep in mind this is Coach Chaney and that old dog doesn’t like new tricks. So far Chaney has been starting Ivory but the huge freshman is out of shape and although he posts up strong on the block he has trouble moving from side to side and seems limited within the zone and on the glass. When Ivory runs out of gas or gets in foul trouble Chaney will most likely go with Dacons or Ingram. Dacons stands about 6’6 and although he is tough as hell and uses his size well there’s not much to go around. Ingram has the size but seems to lack the toughness of Dacons. Coming off a stint with the football team we’ll see what he can contribute. In one game against the Hurricanes he looked slow to the ball and a little lost in limited minutes. Of course he has reached iconic status with the Owl faithful for the whole “Goon” incident. Perhaps this could serve as a needed lift for a guy who hasn’t done much outside that media circus.

Sergio has also got some minutes early in the year. He is rail thin but plays hard. His height can’t be taught but apparently his frame isn’t taking to the whole weight gain concept. I still like the spark he gives and the effort is unquestionable in the few minutes he has played. Against UCLA he had a decent up and under move as well as an offensive rebound. He gets a lot of fouls but they are usually loose ball or over the back calls which you can’t bitch about as a coach watching an undersized freshmen. In the game against Army he was working so hard to front the cutters coming into the lane. It was a sight to see but he was effective. Of course, it was Army and their tallest guy was about 6’6.

Chaney is placing Tyndale at the one so far this season. Mark is slow with the ball and careful. Obviously weary of turnovers and new to the position this will take time but it will also keep him from gunning every chance he gets and give Mardy a chance to do his thing within the offense. I’m still a little skeptical of this move. I feel Mardy is good enough to get his at the point guard position and is unselfish enough to distribute the ball to the other guys. Once in their offensive set the Owls like to spread the floor and work the ball along the perimeter and into Antwayne at the high post so the point guard duties became irrelevant. As long as Tyndale can eliminate careless turnovers and setup the offense I suppose this will do. I’m sure Mardy had to ok this transition to some degree and I would look for him to take over some point guard duties late in a close game... Tyndale's growth as a player and a leader will be a key for the Owl's this year.

A position battle is bound to develop between true freshmen Dionte Christmas and junior Dustin Salisberry. Mark and Mardy are in the good graces of Chaney and wont see the bench for more then a rest at any point in a game. Despite his trouble on the glass Chaney needs Antwayne on the floor as well as the center by committee to fill the five spot. This leaves another swingmen position open for these two to gut it out over. Christmas is the new guy and Salisberry has been up and down in his career at TU. I think this will be a changing spot in the rotation throughout the year with the hot hand getting the minutes while the other guard scowls from the bench. Of course if the strategy discussed above with ‘Twayne at the five goes into effect all is good and you would see Mark, Mardy, Dionte, Dustin and ‘Twayne on the floor for the Owls.

With Mardy and Mark in the backcourt I don’t see much time for Chris Clark. He looks like a decent point guard but size will always be an issue with him and he isn’t blazing fast like a lot of smaller point guards that make it work. Also, judging by the recruits the Owls brought in for next year he hasn’t done enough to ever receive a vote of confidence from Coach Chaney.
Camden product Semaj Inge is another highly touted recruit but what got into the youngin against Army? He looked STD on the court (Scared to Death) and airballed on at least two attempts. To early to call him Nile Murry (Who turned out to be a tough player for TCU btw) but I would be pleased to see a stronger performance from a kid who was supposed to make an immediate impact. He is from Camden though, so he has been through it no doubt and as long as he survives the initial browbeatings from Chaney will be just fine.

DaShone Kirkendoll needs some time to show people he can do more then just hit threes. He has to prove it to me as well but he is clutch from downtown and hits some big shots. He stuck a big one against UCLA and who can forget that tough shot last year against Wake? He doesn’t see much time in the rotation though and its not looking good with Dionte and Samaj in the mix. One thing about Kirkendoll this year is that you can tell he understands he needs more opportunities. Take the game against Miami for example. He hits his first three and then a few trips down the court fires another one. It was a bad shot and a bad miss. I think he takes that shot because he wants to make the most of his time in the game and get his. I’m not calling him selfish, I think its smart, he just realizes he needs to make an impact to see more minutes. Of course he was yanked after taking the poor jumper.

Next time I will have some predictions based on the schedule and game recaps. I am gonna skip the NIT tournament coverage but lemme touch on it briefly. Army might as well have been an intermural team. They made the Owls look like UNC last year if you added Carter and Jordan to that stacked roster. They had 12 points at the half. The UCLA game displayed everything that is wrong with Temple's offense and they were hurt on the glass. The zone was effective but of course production was a problem and Mardy didn't have one of his best games.... That was then and this is now... CHECK IT!