2010 Temple Football Position Breakdowns

It's been quite a while since we've discussed some football, when Temple this past season had its most accomplished season in 30 years.

After going (9-3)(7-1) during the regular season, he Owls earned an invitation to the 2009 EagleBank Bowl in Washington, D.C. to play against the UCLA Bruins. Although the outcome was a 30-21 loss, there were a number of accomplishments and a lot of anticipation for this upcoming season.

Well, here we are.

We've taken the week to preview each position on the team, providing a bunch of information for the 2010 squad. Click the link provided on each position to be taken its preview:

Offense Previews:

Quarterback
Halfback
Wide Receiver
Tight End
Offensive Line

Defense Previews:

Safety
Linebacker
Cornerback
Defensive Line

Special Teams

Here are a few useful links as you navigate through the previews:

- 2010 Temple Football Schedule
- 2010 Temple Football Roster
- 2010 Temple Football Recruiting Class

All in preperation for this year's exciting football season!

2010 Temple Football Position Breakdowns (ST)

Temple returns both its starting kicker and punter from last year for 2010, which is a great sign for this team. We saw improvement between the '08-'09 years, and now this upcoming season can only get better.

	0-19	20-29	30-39	40-49	50-99	XP
Brandon McManus	1/1	9/9	4/5	3/7	0/2	45/48

McManus showed a lot of promise in his first year as a Temple Owl, earning the starting position after just one Jake Brownell kick. He has a very strong and accurate leg which will only improve as spring practice continues on.

	Punts	YDS	AVG	LONG
Jeff Wathne	46	1709	37.2	53
Andrew Cerett	-	-	-	-

Jeff Wathne has been consistent, regarding holding the starting punter position. Wathne had a decent year, but could definitely strengthen his leg, as well as communication with the long snapper. The LS to punter situation needs to be squared off so that there's no problem there.

He will be challenged this year by freshman Andrew Cerett, who has a lot of potential. His size and strength make the case that Cerett could possibly have the starting spot next year (2011's a long way away, though!).

QB | HB | WR | TE | OL | S | LB | CB | DL | ST

2010 Temple Football Position Breakdowns (DL)

The Temple defensive line, despite losing Andre Neblett and Brian Sanford, have a lot of experience and talent returning for the 2010 season. This is going to be an extremely interesting year for the d-line, as we'll have both a lot of veterans on the field along with some promising younger players.

	SOLO	AST	TOTAL	FUM	INT
Muhammad Wilkerson	36	25	61	2	0
Adrian Robinson	31	15	46	0	1
Morris Blueford	18	8	26	1	0
Elisha Joseph	7	7	14	0	0
Kadeem Custis	2	1	3	0	0
Shahid Paulhill	-	-	-	-	-
Geoffrey Prather	-	-	-	-	-
Tyreek Spain	-	-	-	-	-
Levi Brown	-	-	-	-	-
Kamal Johnson	-	-	-	-	-
Dante Weaver	-	-	-	-	-
Aaron Hush	-	-	-	-	-
Taray Carey	-	-	-	-	-
Sean Daniels	-	-	-	-	-
Jaimen Newman	-	-	-	-	-

Adrian Robinson leads a younger defensive line, looking to once again dominate his counterparts. The team's leading sacker (13 in 2009) will take the helm of this unit, and hopefully continue what has been an excellent career. "A.D." has an extremely first step off of the snap, and is one of the quickest players into the backfield.

Muhammad Wilkerson is another veteran lineman that returns for his junior year after an extremely productive 2009 season. The 5th leading tackler on the team will use both his strength and height to knock down passes coming his way, and wrap up the running game.

Morris Blueford and Elisha Joseph were the other two players that saw decent playing time, and also played important roles in last year's successful season. Don't expect anything different for this year. Kadeem Custis, who showed promise in his freshman year, will continue to see an increase in his PT as he progress as a dominant force on the line as well.

Temple had a number of defensive linemen redshirt the 2009 season, which means there is a lot of talent and depth in this DL unit. Geoffrey Prather, Shahid Paulhill, Levi Brown, Tyreek Spain, and Kamal Johnson will have opportunities to get things going in their young Temple careers.

Look out for a few freshman like Taray Carey, Aaron Hush, and Dante Weaver to possibly make a push for some playing time in year one of their Temple careers as well.

QB | HB | WR | TE | OL | S | LB | CB | DL | ST

2010 Temple Football Position Breakdowns (CB)

Last year's pass defense was not the prettiest site, but there has been plenty of depth added to a defensive back group that couldn't exactly get into a groove. With a lot of pure DB's and experience added to the roster, there's no reason why this area of the defensive cannot greatly improve.

	SOLO	AST	TOTAL	FUM	INT
Marquise Liverpool	25	13	38	0	3
Maurice Jones	17	7	24	0	0
Kee-ayre Griffin	1	4	5	0	1
Zamel Johnson	-	-	-	-	-
Byron Parker	-	-	-	-	-
Matt Falcone	-	-	-	-	-
Brian Burns	-	-	-	-	-
Marquise Goods	-	-	-	-	-
Anthony Robey	-	-	-	-	-

The leading defensive backs coincidentally are both offensive players (runningbacks) that made the transition to the defensive side of the ball. The loss of Anthony Ferla will take a toll on the team, but there is plenty of depth to take over.

Marquise Liverpool, now a senior, returns as arguably the team's best defensive back from last year. Liverpool made the switch from halfback to defensive back, and contributed right away to the pass defense with three interceptions. It's great to know there are good hands guarding the sidelines, and he will be dangerous.

Maurice Jones had a nice year as a freshman, and could possibly earn one of the starting cornerback spots for 2010. Jones is a tremendous tackler, who does not allow anyone to slip out of his grasp. It's going to be exciting to see him in his second year as an Owl.

Kee-ayre Griffin is the other returning defensive back with experience as an Owl. Griffin also made the transition from runningback to defensive back, and has done a nice job with the change. Griffin was also able to grab an interception of his own for a pick six last year, which shows the potential that he has with a bright future ahead.

Beyond these three, there is a lot of younger players that will need time to develop. Zamel Johnson and Byron Parker were both redshirts, and may see some playing time after getting a year to become acquainted with the system. Freshmen Marquise Goods and Anthony Robey could also make cases for time on the field as well.

QB | HB | WR | TE | OL | S | LB | CB | DL | ST

2010 Temple Football Position Breakdowns (LB)

The linebacker corps loses two starters in Alex Joseph and John Haley, which means there's a lot of youth that will have the opportunity. That being said, some of the upperclassmen will look to fill in those positions and continue that traditional Temple defense.

	SOLO	AST	TOTAL	FUM	INT
Elijah Joseph	38	25	63	1	0
Amara Kamara	28	16	44	0	0
Jordan Martin	17	7	24	1	0
Tahir Whitehead	21	9	30	0	0
Marcus Green	3	4	7	0	0
Kwame Johnson	6	2	8	1	0
Quinten White	-	-	-	-	-
Blaze Caponegro	-	-	-	-	-
Zach Kane	-	-	-	-	-
Gary Onuekwusi	-	-	-	-	-
Olaniyi Adewole	-	-	-	-	-
Wyatt Benson	-	-	-	-	-
Nate Smith	-	-	-	-	-

Elijah Joseph is the leader of the linebackers, as the returning starter from that trio. He is very athletic as both a terrific pass defender and run stifler. He will once again look to control the mid-field in this his senior year. As the team's second leading linebacker and fourth leading tackler overall, Joseph will look to pick up where he left off this past year and continue his excellence.

Amara Kamara returns to the linebacker position after serving his junior year as a defensive end. He will bring the intensity as a pass rusher to the group, as well as some experience as another senior. Kamara did a nice job of penetrating the offensive line to stop the run, and rush the quarterback. This is exactly what the Temple defense needs more of for this upcoming season.

Jordan Martin and Tahir Whitehead are also two more veteran linebackers that have made large contributions, and will continue to do so as potential starters.

We could also end up seeing redshirted players like Quinten White, Blaze Caponegro, Zach Kane, and Gary Onuekwusi earn some playing time over the course of the season. Maybe even a true freshman like Wyatt Benson or Nate Smith can earn time early on.

QB | HB | WR | TE | OL | S | LB | CB | DL | ST

2010 Temple Football Position Breakdowns (S)

Similar to the cornerbacks, the safety position will be an interesting position to monitor as we progress through spring ball.

	SOLO	AST	TOTAL	FUM	INT
Jaiquawn Jarrett	46	30	76	2	3
Kevin Kroboth	32	13	45	1	0
Justin Gildea	4	4	8	0	0
Deonte Parker	-	-	-	-	-

The safety corp loses the services of Dominique Harris, but has plenty of experience and talent that are ready and capable of stepping in. This will be an interesting year for the defensive backs as a whole, as the passing game is something that has needed to be tweaked and fixed.

Jaiquawn Jarrett is the returning veteran of this group, having been under Harris' wing in his first three years. This will be his time to take the helm and control of the safety position. Jarrett is athletic as it gets, having an unbelievable sense for where the ball is at all times. He is not only a terrific tackler, but a great pass defender.

Kevin Kroboth, after someone being forced to move to cornerback last year (lack of defensive backs), is back at his specialty position. He is a pretty fast player, and also has good hands when covering the pass. We might (most likely, I think) see Kroboth claim the starting strong safety position at the beginning of the season.

Justin Gildea, although just a sophomore, was given the opportunity to step in right away and get some playing time at the collegiate level. From what I saw of him last year, he did a nice job of defending the pass, which will primarily be his job. We'll get a better feel for Gildea as we get to see him progress.

Deonte Parker was redshirted this past year, but is expected to compete for a starting safety spot. Similarly to Justin Gildea, time will tell what we should expect from the junior defensive back.

QB | HB | WR | TE | OL | S | LB | CB | DL | ST

2010 Temple Football Position Breakdowns (OL)

The Owls lose just one major piece of the offensive line in lineman Devin Tyler, but have generated enough depth over the past few years that it should be no problem finding a quality replacement. This group has grown together and for the past year have created no concern.

	Height	Weight	GP	GS
Pat Boyle	6'5"	316	17	4
Sean Boyle	6'5"	320	25	1
Steve Caputo	6'5"	319	19	11
Derek Dennis	6'5"	325	27	17
Colin Madison	6'4"	320	28	17
Darius Morris	6'4"	315	32	15
John Palumbo	6'5"	305	22	17
Wayne Tribue	6'4"	324	25	14
Jeremy Schonbrunner	6'3"	300	9	0
Jeff Whittingham	6'2"	302	4	0
Darryl Pringle	6'6"	325	-	-
Cody Bohler	6'7"	305	-	-
Evan Regas	6'4"	325	-	-
Joe Cenatiempo	6'7"	315	-	-
Adam Metz	6'5"	310	-	-
Martin Wallace	6'6"	295	-	-
Hershey Walton	6'4"	320	-	-

What's unique about the Owls is that this is a team that never goes with a traditional five linemen set. Coach Golden and company like to mix things up whether it depends on a defensive situation, or someone needs a breather.

As always, this is a BIG offensive line. Height-wise, there are only two players out of 17 that are below 6'4". This shoots up to an average of around 6'5", with a few 6'7 linemen. Basically all of these guys are over 300 pounds, which is perfect for where the coaches want them.

Because this team has grown up together for the past few years, they have become more and more unified and disciplined as a unit. Owls fans can recall many years where the line was prone to drawing flags, mostly for a lack of unity. Also, the passing and running games have benefitted extremely from the play of these guys, as the statistics have continuously climbed all throughout.

The line's production during the running and passing game as we said have improved dramatically from previous years, which is always a plus.

Expect for the most part to see the Boyle brothers, Wayne Tribue, Colin Madison, Derek Dennis, Steve Caputo, Darrius Morris, and John Palumbo for the majority of the season. The coaches in the last few years have gone nearly 10 deep on the offensive line, but for the most part these are the starters who see the most time. This is a veteran group of linemen.

Primarily the center will be John Palumbo. He did an excellent job last year stepping in as a freshman, and has rightfully earned the title.

There are a few linemen that saw action as freshmen like Jeff Whittingham, while others were redshirted. Darryl Pringle, Evan Regas, and Cody Bohler will all hopefully have the opportunities to step in and contribute.

As for freshmen Joe Cenatiempo, Hershey Walton, Adam Metz, and Martin Wallace, these guys are going to have to work hard during practice to make a name for themselves early.

QB | HB | WR | TE | OL | S | LB | CB | DL | ST

2010 Temple Football Position Breakdowns (TE)

The tight-ends take a major hit with the loss of senior Steve Maneri, who was really all you could ask for at his position. There were signs of emergence from some of the current players on the roster, as well as a lot of promise in the recruits.

	Catches	YDS	YPC	TD
Evan Rodriguez	13	145	11.2	3
Matt Balasavage	1	1	1.0	0
Chris Parthemore	-	-	-	-
Morkeith Brown	-	-	-	-
Alex Jackson	-	-	-	-
Lawrence Turner	-	-	-	-
Tyler Johnson	-	-	-	-

Junior tight end Evan Rodriguez comes into 2010 as arguably the team's top TE with the numbers he displayed in his first year with the Owls. Rodriguez, while he doesn't have the height like Maneri, has great hands and overall athleticism that make up for this. Every now and then he is also lined up at the fullback position to provide for some blocking.

Matt Balasavage, despite injury, has also made a case for being a talented tight end. With five starts last year, Balasavage has now had a chance to get into game situations and has the opportunity to make some big plays this year.

Morkeith Brown, formerly a great defensive line for the Owls, was converted into a tight end by the coaching staff some time last year. For the most part, he saw some action last year both on defensive and as a fullback at times. This year we're looking forward at getting an idea of the transformation Brown has gone through come September. Alex Jackson, a defensive lineman, and Lawrence Turner, a former linebacker, are in a similar position with the switch from offense to defense.

Tyler Johnson and Chris Parthemore are both freshmen that in time will have a chance to learn the system and hopefully contribute. Both have good size at 6'4"/6'5" and are quality tight end talents.

QB | HB | WR | TE | OL | S | LB | CB | DL | ST

2010 Temple Football Position Breakdowns (WR)

It's quite obvious that this off-season the wide receiver position was focused on on the recruiting trail. Not only do the Owls have returning talents, there are also a number of freshman and sophomores that will have their chances to make an impact.

Here's a look at the top wideout performers that are returning for the 2010 football season, along with a number of recruits:

	Catches	YDS	YPC	TD
Joe Jones	28	387	13.8	1
Michael Campbell	27	419	15.5	3
James Nixon	12	327	27.2	2
Delano Green	8	129	16.1	0
Dy'Onne Crudup	-	-	-	-
Vaughn Carraway	-	-	-	-
Deven Baker	-	-	-	-
C.J. Hammond	-	-	-	-
Nyles Bynum	-	-	-	-
Anthony Parker-Boyd	-	-	-	-
Antonio Belt	-	-	-	-
Desmond Coble	-	-	-	-
Deon Miller	-	-	-	-
Gerald Silvera	-	-	-	-
Darryl Shine	-	-	-	-
Rod Streater	-	-	-	-

Joe Jones just a few years ago was looked at as the possible starting runningback for Temple. His great hands and returning speed have made him a dangerous wideout, which has been displayed by his numbers. Many of his receptions came off of screen passes, and his halfback instinct allowed Jones to find the open holes for extra yards. He will once again have an opportunity to be a top playmaker with the loss of senior Jason Harper.

Michael Campbell is expected to emerge as one of the team's top wide receivers. Campbell most likely will receive more starts in this his final year as an Owl with the ability to blow up the stat sheet. The senior wideout compiled the most receiving yards on the team in the 2009 season. At 6'2", Campbell has great jumping abilities that allow him to make more athletic receptions down field.

James Nixon has lived up to his expectations in both years so far as a Temple Owl. He is arguably the fastest receiver on the team, which is the main reason that he is so dangerous downfield. A few less overthrows and Nixon could easily have had several more scores. His speed allows him also to be tough to bring down when the Owls run reverses. Along with being a top wideout, Nixon also returns kickoffs for the team. Look for James to once again come out as one of the primary receivers in the corps.

Delano Green in his senior year will once again look to mix it up as both a receiver and a kick returner. The majority of his highlights do come in special teams, but Green will definitely be a pretty reliable short yardage receiver one can his across the middle.

Wide receiver Dy'Onne Crudup rejoins the Owls for his senior year after not playing in the 2009 season. His talent and presence will only help this team move forward. We're excited to have him back.

Vaughn Carraway, Deven Baker, and C.J. Hammond are all in their second (third--all redshirts) years will the team, and should be ready to make impacts on the field. All three of these guys are nicely sized wideouts at 6'2" 190. Carraway, in particular, was heavily looked at out of high school, and received time in his freshman year.Any of these sophomores can make some noise as spring practice progresses, and we move towards Cherry and White Day.

There are a number of freshman wide receivers that are making cases for becoming impact players here at Temple. The six additions are Antonio Belt, Desmond Coble, Gerald Silvera, Deon Miller, Darryl Shine, and Rod Streater. Miller is a 6'6" monster wide receiver that will cause a number of problems for defensive backs, given his size. The majority of the other receivers can be labeled by their speed. Several of these guys (Coble, Belt) can make a case to also see some time as defensive backs and kick returners.

QB | HB | WR | TE | OL | S | LB | CB | DL | ST

2010 Temple Football Position Breakdowns (HB)

The runningback position was arguably the most improved position on the offensive side of the ball. The additions of freshmen Bernard Pierce and Matt Brown created a number of problems for opposing teams, and a number of new options for the Temple offense.

Between recruiting and redshirting, the Owls have a full arsenal of game-ready halfbacks for the 2010 season:

	Rushes	YDS	YPC	TD
Bernard Pierce	236	1407	5.8	16
Matt Brown	89	529	5.9	5
Kee-ayre Griffin	80	366	4.2	3
Ahkeem Smith	-	-	-	-
Myron Ross	-	-	-	-

Bernard Pierce shocked Temple fans in his debut as a Temple Owl, and did not look back. As a freshman, B.P. stepped in and made a name for himself in record books at Temple as well as across the country. Despite several injuries, many expect solid conditioning during this off-season to put Bernard at his top-game.a Pierce is expected to be named the main starter in the backfield come September.

Matt Brown also made his presence felt last year after being moved from wide receiver to runningback. The "Bug", as he is known, created a one-two punch in the backfield that gave defenses double the trouble in the running game. He will once again be an electrifying halfback alongside of B.P this year. On top of his carrying duties, Brown also made a name for himself in the kick returning game.

Ahkeem Smith was redshirted this past season, but definitely shows a lot of promise in this his sophomore year. A few years in the system have given the former Liberty High School standout a chance to get an understanding, and hopefully in 2010 raise heads.

Myron Ross is one of Temple's speedsters in this recruiting class, which is what makes him an exciting potential halfback candidate. Ross also has the ability at 6'1" 205 to also play a linebacker position, so we know he's versatile. Time will tell what the newest Owl back will have in store.

QB | HB | WR | TE | OL | S | LB | CB | DL | ST

2010 Temple Football Position Breakdowns (QB)

For the 2010 football season, the quarterback position for the fourth straight year is under question. For three years, it was DiMichele/Charlton/Stewart. Now, with the additions of Chris Coyer (redshirted in 2009) and Connor Reilly, there is more scholarship quarterback depth in a while.

Last year, Vaughn Charlton and Chester Stewart shared snaps behind center. Here are a few of their statistics from this past season:

	Comp./Att.	Per. (%)	YDS	TD	INT
Vaughn Charlton	107/213	50.2%	1,390	10	11
Chester Stewart	26/65	40%	514	3	3
Chris Coyer	-	-	-	-	-
Connor Reilly	-	-	-	-	-

Vaughn Charlton earned the starting job last year, and did an excellent job running the offense. He is a pro-style quarterback who loves to sit back and air the ball out. Charlton has a strong and accurate arm, and of the quarterbacks has the most in game experience. One thing that the senior must improve is some of his judgements when deciding to air it out-- many of his interceptions (11) came on poor judgement on his part.

Chester Stewart also has a terrific arm, but at times has needed to make adjustments to be more accurate. He compliments his passing with his ability to run the ball (last year Temple incorporated some option offense when Stewart was in the game). Stewart became the starter around mid-way through the season, and helped push this team into bowl eligibility. One thing he must improve on is his control of snaps. Too many times last year there was some miscommunication at center, and the ball was fumbled.

There are video highlights of Chris Coyer in his senior year of high school football, and the impression of him is that he is the "total package". He has great size at 6'3"-210 and is very scary when he breaks out of the pocket on a run. In 2009, Coyer was redshirted and for the most part was dressed in uniform on the sidelines helping call out plays. Although he has yet to see playing time at the collegiate level, many Temple fans are anticipating that #11 could possibly be the 2010 starting quarterback.

Connor Reilly is the newest addition to the quarterback depth, and word is that this kid also has a heck of an arm. Provided is a link to Reilly's page on Rivals.com, where you can get an idea of who was considering getting C.R. Along with Coyer, we're looking to hear and see more of Connor Reilly as we approach this year.

Also on the roster is Mike Gerardi, who received some playing time in last year's Cherry and White game.

QB | HB | WR | TE | OL | S | LB | CB | DL | ST

2010 Temple Football Pro Day Highlights

Video from the OwlSports YouTube with highlights and interviews during last Thursday's Pro Day:

2010 Temple Football is Underway!

It's hard to believe, but Coach Golden and the 2010 Temple Owls are already beginning practice for the upcoming season.

We'll be providing a number of updates as we head towards the opening game this September, beginning with the annual Cherry and White Day scrimmage.

Here are a few useful resources as we begin our coverage of this year's anticipated season:

Temple Football Page: This is the page on our site dedicated to everything Temple football. Find recent football articles, updated results, recruiting classes, and more all from here!

Temple Football Forever: The one and only sports blog on the internet that LIVES Temple Football. Be sure to bookmark Mike Gibson's blog for the latest on Temple Football.

Message Boards: If you're interested in Temple Football related forums, be sure to check out the following websites. OwlScoop.com, OwlsDaily.com, and NCAAbbs.com.

Here are a few useful Twitter and YouTube pages as well:

Twitter: Owlified, OwlScoop, OwlSports, Temple Update

YouTube: TUOwlsNest, 4thMealIsGood, madkins17, TUFB Video

Be sure to check back at The Owl's Nest for news and updates on the latest Temple Athletics happenings!

2010 Temple Basketball: A Year in Review

The 2009-2010 basketball season came to an abrupt ending with its loss to Cornell, but that doesn't diminish the number of accomplishments this team has achieved.

We take a look back at what has been arguably Fran Dunphy's best season as the head coach of the Owls.

This year's Temple record was 29-6 overall, and 14-2 in the Atlantic 10 Conference.

11/14	at Delaware	W 76-56	1/20	Xavier	W 77-72
11/17	at Georgetown	L 46-45	1/23	at Fordham	W 62-45
11/21	Siena	W 73-69	1/27	at Charlotte	L 74-64
11/24	Ball State	W 66-46	1/30	La Salle	W 64-52
11/27	vs. Virginia Tech	W 61-50	2/03	Duquesne	W 76-60
11/28	vs. St. John's	L 55-48	2/06	at Richmond	L 71-54
12/01	at W. Michigan	W 76-70	2/13	Rhode Island	W 78-56
12/05	Penn State	W 45-42	2/17	at SBU	W 73-55
12/08	at Miami (OH)	W 64-42	2/20	at St. Joe's	W 75-67
12/13	Villanova	W 75-65	2/24	Dayton	W 49-41
12/19	at Seton Hall	W 71-65	2/28	at La Salle	W 65-53
12/28	Bowling Green	W 63-39	3/03	at Saint Louis	W 57-51
12/30	at N. Illinois	W 70-60	3/06	GW	W 70-57
1/02	Kansas	L 84-52	3/12	vs. SBU	W 70-57
1/06	St. Joe's	W 73-46	3/13	vs. Rhode Island	W 69-51
1/10	at Rhode Island	W 68-64	3/14	vs. Richmond	W 56-52
1/13	at Penn	W 60-45	3/19	vs. Cornell	L 78-65
1/16	Massachusetts	W 76-64

The Owls had five winning streaks this year:

- 3 (11/21 - 11/27)
- 7 (12/01 - 12/30)
- 6 (1/06 - 1/23)
- 2 (1/30 - 2/03)
- 10 (2/13 - 3/14)

Temple swept the Big Five city series, with wins over Villanova, (2) St. Joe's, (2) La Salle, and Penn. The overall record was (6-0).

Temple was ranked in the AP and ESPN/USA Today Top 25 for nearly three straight months. The team was ranked between 12-21.

Here are some individual accomplishments of the players during this year:

Ryan Brooks:

- Became the 45th Temple Owl to score 1,000 points in his career
- Named to Second Team All-Atlantic 10
- One time OwlSports.com Athlete of the Week
- Big 5 Player of the Week

Lavoy Allen

- Became the 46th Temple Owl to score 1,000 points in his career
- Named to First Team All-Atlantic 10
- Three time OwlSports.com Athlete of the Week
- First Owl to average a double-double since Ollie Johnson ('70-'71)
- Big 5 Player of the Week

Juan Fernandez

- Named Honorable Mention Atlantic 10
- One time OwlSports.com Athlete of the Week
- Big 5 Player of the Week

Ramone Moore

- Named Atlantic 10 Sixth Man of the Year
- Big 5 Player of the Week

Temple earned a school record field goal shooting percentage, breaking a previous statistic (68.4%) from 1973 in a game against Richmond.

The Owls made the NCAA Tournament for the third straight year under Coach Dunphy, earning its highest seed (5) since the 1999-2000 squad that ranked ranked 2.

This was Coach's best year (overall) as Temple head coach. He was named the 2010 Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year and NABC District 5 Coach of the Year, as well as a candidate for National Coach of the Year.

Temple won its third consecutive Atlantic 10 Tournament Championship, after winning both in 2007 and 2008.

We'll continue to take a look back on a terrific 2009-2010 season by the Temple basketball team as we move towards the offseason.

Temple Comes Up Short Against Cornell

For the third consecutive season, Temple was unable to get by the first round of the NCAA tournament as the Owls fell to Cornell 78-65.

Where to start with this game.

One of the great things about this NCAA tournament is that for the most part, your seeding and record don't matter. It's been demonstrated in this 2010 tournament through Ohio, Murray State, Old Dominion, and now Cornell that your conference does not dictate how good your TEAM is.

You can say the same thing about the power conferences: Georgetown, Notre Dame, Vanderbilt.

Getting back to this game, though.

I'd like to honestly say that in my life (merely 16 years) that I've never seen a team that shoots as well and consistently as this Cornell team. I'm not just referring to the three point line, but from mid-range as well.

This is a team that I refer to as "4 Kyle Korvers and a Yao Ming". Four solid shooters are on the floor at all times, with the unbelievable rebounding and put-back scoring of center Jeff Foote.

Any team would want a Ryan Wittman, who can hit from almost any part of the floor and go on an absolute rampage. Any team would want a Jeff Foote, who sees the floor better than almost every big man (maybe literally, he's 7'0") in collegiate basketball.

	PTS	REB	AST	TO	PF
Louis Dale	21	1	7	5	3
Ryan Wittman	20	5	0	0	1
Jeff Foote	16	7	1	5	0
Chris Wroblewski	7	2	1	0	4

Such a fluent offense, which seemed to be similar to the Princeton offense with its share of back door cuts and pick and rolls, allowed for great looks. A team would be so concerned with a shooter on one wing and a big man in the paint, that one would forget that there are three other 43% three point shooters on the floor. This inside-outside game that many offenses run is taken to the next level when backdoor cuts are incorporated on kickouts.

It's an offense that I believe could take out Wisconsin/Wofford and Kentucky in a few days.

Temple managed to shoot 52%, which is a wonderful accomplishment. Cornell shot 56%. There's a reason that the Big Red have earned the title as "best three point shooting team in the country".

	PTS	REB	AST	TO	PF
Ryan Brooks	14	0	3	2	1
Juan Fernandez	14	2	2	1	4
Lavoy Allen	11	5	4	1	1
Luis Guzman	9	3	3	1	4

Ryan Brooks finished his fantastic Temple career with a team high 14 points. This team is going to miss such a terrific offensive AND defensive performer.

Lavoy Allen (11) and Juan Fernandez (14) both contributed double digit points in the final game of the 2009-2010 season, but it was not enough to match the scoring abilities of Cornell.

Luis Guzman finished on a higher note, scoring 9 points and 3 rebounds in his final game as an Owl.

The Owls' biggest lead was 3 within one minute of the game starting. Beyond 5-4, Temple did not lead at any point during the game.

Turnovers are what allowed Cornell to gain the lead, as the Owls accumulated almost 5 turnovers in the first 10 minutes of the first half. At least 15 points came from Temple's forced passes. Sometimes, you can be too unselfish, and that's something that really hurt us.

Missed opportunities-- it's like passing up free water ice on the first day of spring. You give up something that's given to you (the basketball), and miss out on the good stuff (scoring). Thats exactly what Temple did.

All the credit goes to Cornell. They are a very dangerous team..forget that Penn loss. Who knows what happened, but it has no reflection on the talent and danger this team presents to the East Region of the tournament.

Thank you Temple Basketball 2009-2010. You gave us one of the most entertaining seasons to follow.

Live Blog: (5) Temple vs. (12) Cornell

[PODCAST] Temple vs. Cornell Preview

Getting to Know Cornell (Q&A)

For every matchup, we like to give opposing blogger's a chance to tell us about their team and find out their input on that upcoming game.

Today, we had the opportunity to talk with the writers of the best Cornell blog out there, Cornell Basketball, a few questions about his Big Red in what has been an extremely successful season.

The Owl's Nest: First off, congratulations on once again reaching the tournament! What is the feeling to the players, fans, and on campus being that you're dancing for the third consecutive year in a row?

Cornell Basketball: We have the same wishes to Temple and its community of supporters. While all Cornell fans are happy to see the Big Red program crowned Ivy League Champions for the third consecutive season, most supporters want to see this team take the next step by advancing in the Tournament. The team has accomplished so much, but there are bigger goals for this program.

TON: What do you think the greatest achievement(s) has been of this 2009-2010 team?

CB: There are just too many to name. This team swept through the Legends Classic 4-0, won the MSG Holiday Festival, captured its third straight Ivy League title, spent two weeks in the ESPN Coaches' Poll Top 25, finished in the Top 50 of the RPI, spent most of the season in the Top 5 of most mid-major polls, and beat a bunch of tradition-rich programs along the way (Alabama, St. John's, UMass, St. Joseph's, La Salle, Davidson, Vermont, Drexel). Hard to single out any one particular accomplishment. This was certainly a season for the ages for an Ivy League program.

TON: One of the things that not many people know about Ivy League schools is the fact that there is an agreement that teams will not hand out athletic scholarships. What has been the key, knowing this, to a team like the Big Red giving someone like #1 Kansas a down to the wire game with this type of restriction?

CB: This is true. All financial aid in the Ivy League is "financial need based" and is not awarded based on athletic ability. There are no scholarships. Nevertheless, Cornell successfully recruits a lot of players that pass up scholarships at bigger conference programs that choose to play in the Ivy Leauge and at Cornell because they want to receive a world class education. But talent aside, these kids buy into the "team first" concept and they make up for any athletic or size disparities by playing cohesively as a unit.

TON: Plenty of college basketball fans and analysts believe that both teams (Cornell and Temple) were deserving of higher seedings than they were given. What are your thoughts on this, and what do you think played a role in deciding on this matchup?

CB: Coach Dunphy nailed it when he said the Committee wanted to create a compelling storyline by pairing him with Steve Donahue. This is after all about selling tickets and CBS viewership. The Committee took the same approach two years ago when Cornell was paired with Stanford. The media playfully dubbed it the "Brain Game."

Temple clearly deserved a 3 or 4 seed, and Cornell probably should have been on the 11 line.

TON: What makes this first round game unique from most of the others is that we'll former coaching mates at Penn in Temple's Fran Dunphy and Cornell's Steve Donahue will be facing off. How do you believe this will impact the game?

CB: Some think it will be a huge factor. In our opinion, it probably won't be much of an impact. Coach Donahue and Coach Dunphy haven't coached against each other in several years. Both coaches developed their own divergent styles and these teams haven't played one another anytime recently. Sure there is some familiarity because the coaches are good friends, but it is not like the two teams are familiar conference foes. Besides, the game is won on the floor between the players. This is not a game of one on one between Dunphy and Donahue.

TON: Tell us about the playmakers on this team. The two names that come to mind are center Jeff Foote and Ryan Wittman.

CB: Well, Ryan Wittman is a shot maker (in the Kyle Korver mode) and Jeff Foote is a traditional back to the basket inside 7'0" post player who can impact the game on both ends. Both kids were invited to Portsmouth and are legitimate pro prospects A third and often forgotten "playmaker" is the team's point guard, Louis Dale. He is one of the quickest players in the Ivy League and was actually the conference Player of the Year during the 2007-2008 season. Like Wittman, he can extend the defense, but he also has the ability to break the defense down with his dribble drive.

TON: As a whole, what would you say this team's strengths and weaknesses on both sides of the ball are?

CB: Cornell can be streaky shooting the basketball and when the shooters go cold, they sometimes force the issue by continuing to shoot from deep rather than looking to get to the foul line or getting the ball inside to Foote. Defensively, Cornell is very good when the play with intensity and challenge shots and box out for rebounds. But this team has been prone to get caught sleeping and laying back on defense, even against lower Division I teams with limited offensive options.

TON: Where do you feel that Cornell matches up the best with the Owls?

CB: There are not many areas where Cornell has an advantage except with Jeff Foote's size inside. At 7'0" he has looked quite comfortable in the paint against A-10 and BCS conference opposition and Cornell needs to establish him early to have any kind of chance in this one.

TON: Any pre game thoughts or predictions for Friday afternoon's game?

CB: Temple is a great team and this is no doubt one of the biggest, if not the biggest game in Cornell's history. No predictions from us, we are just enjoying the ride with Cornell's Newman Nation fan base.

Thanks for taking the time to answer our questions, guys. Please be sure to check out Cornell for all Cornell Big Red news.

2010 Tourney Preview: (5) Temple Owls

Team: Temple Owls
Conference: Atlantic 10

Overall Record: (29-5)
Conference Record: (14-2)
Neutral Court Record: (1-1)
Away Record: (12-3)

Here's a look at the Temple Basketball Roster:

#	NAME	POSITION	HT/WT
1	Khalif Wyatt	Guard	6'4" 210
2	Ryan Brooks	Guard	6'4" 200
10	Luis Guzman	Guard	6'3" 200
11	T.J. DiLeo	Forward	6'2" 195
15	Carmel Bouchman	Forward	6'8" 215
21	Rafael DeLeon	Forward	6'5" 200
23	Ramone Moore	Guard	6'4" 180
24	Lavoy Allen	Forward	6'9" 225
30	Craig Williams	Forward	6'9" 240
31	Jake Godino	Guard	6'0" 170
32	Rahlir Jefferson	Forward	6'6" 200
33	Scootie Randall	Forward	6'6" 205
45	Chris Clarke	Forward	6'8" 200
50	Micheal Eric	Center	6'11" 240

The Owls also have a decent sized team, the average height being around 6'5". This is a pretty quick team for its size, and the Owls love to run the floor on given fast break opportunities.

Check out some of the highlights of Temple's 2009-2010 schedule:

Best Win: #3 Villanova, 75-65
Worst Loss: Charlotte, 74-64

Temple has played one of the tougher schedules in the entire country, playing a fair share of teams from some of the power conferences. The highlight of the regular season came in a home game against rival Villanova, which arguably made the first case that this team was tournament worthy. The worst loss came against Charlotte, who just outplayed this team late into the second half.



Temple's RPI rating is currently 8, and its Strength of Schedule ranking is 50.

Some statistics on the offense of Temple:

Points For: 64.9
Points Against: 56.1

Field Goal: 44%
3-Point: 34%
Free Throw: 68%

Temple's offense has been extremely consistent through its ten game winning streak, especially during the Atlantic 10 tournament. Basically every offensive play runs off of Juan Fernandez. The Owls run an inside-out type of game, where you'll see a lot of post ups with possible kickouts.

On defense, Temple is one of the best defensive squads in the entire country. The team does a tremendous job against the three pointers, and this will be a huge factor in limiting Cornell. When the defense is playing well, this also ends up generating some scoring for the Owls.

Here's a more specific look at the team's top performers:

	PTS	REB	AST
(G) Luis Guzman	4.8	4.3	3.3
(G) Ryan Brooks	14.3	4.5	2.4
(G) Juan Fernandez	12.4	2.4	3.7
(F) Lavoy Allen	11.7	10.9	2.3
(C) Micheal Eric	6.0	3.1	0.7

The leading scorer for Temple is Ryan Brooks, who has played phenomenally for the Owls after some struggles near the end of the season. The senior guard averages 14 points with 5 rebounds.

Juan Fernandez is the second leading scorer on this team, but has also picked up his game come tournament time. The sophomore floor general contributes 12 points and 4 assists for his team.

Lavoy Allen is the final piece of the three headed monster. Allen averages a double-double between scoring and rebounding, and his possible meeting with Jeff Foote will be extremely significant in this game.

As we mentioned with Cornell, Temple has won its conference championship three years in arrow, and has fallen in the first round in each tournament. This team is arguably Fran Dunphy's strongest team as Temple's coach, and could make a far run if they play to their potential.

2010 Tourney Preview: (12) Cornell Big Red

Team: Cornell Big Red
Conference: Ivy League

Overall Record: (27-4)
Conference Record: (13-1)
Neutral Court Record: (3-0)
Away Record: (13-3)

Here's a look at the Cornell Basketball Roster:

#	NAME	POSITION	HT/WT
1	Jeff Foote	Center	7'0" 265
3	Chris Wroblewski	Guard	6'0" 180
4	Aaron Osgood	Forward	6'9" 230
5	Errick Peck	Forward	6'6" 215
11	Max Groebe	Guard	6'4" 200
12	Louis Dale	Guard	5'11" 180
13	Andre Wilkins	Forward	6'5" 198
15	Geoff Reeves	Guard	6'4" 180
20	Ryan Wittman	Forward	6'7" 215
21	Peter McMillan	Forward	6'7" 220
22	Miles Asafo-Adjei	Guard	6'2" 170
23	Johnathan Gray	Guard	6'3" 175
24	Adam Wire	Forward	6'5" 228
25	Jon Jaques	Forward	6'7" 220
33	Alex Tyler	Forward	6'7" 235
34	Josh Figini	Forward	6'9" 200
40	Pete Reynolds	Forward	6'8" 220
42	Mark Coury	Forward	6'9" 240
55	Eltan Chemerinski	Forward	6'8" 195

The Big Red as a team are much taller than most teams, the average height being around 6'6". This is a team that can threaten you with a lot of depth and the forward and center positions.

Check out some of the highlights of Cornell's 2009-2010 schedule:

Best Win: @ St. John's, 71-66
Worst Loss: @ Pennsylvania, 79-64

The Big Red did not lose many games this season, and the majority of these (4) game against some pretty decent teams. The Big Red gave the #1 Kansas Jayhawks a scare AT Kansas when they lost by just 5 points, which is what makes this team so scary. The loss that sticks out like a sore thumb is the game against Pennsylvania, where they lost by 15.



Cornell's RPI rating is currently 46, and its Strength of Schedule ranking is 205.

Some statistics on the offense of Cornell:

Points For: 75.3
Points Against: 63.2

Field Goal: 48%
3-Point: 43%
Free Throw: 72%

Cornell is a very good shooting team from specifically the three point line, but overall across the field. This is a team that if you allow room to shoot (ex. Richmond), they are going to hurt you by knocking down shots. On top of that, if they're hitting shots, they're scoring more points (exactly where they'd like to be).

Defensively, this is a team that gives up a fair amount of points at 63 per game. As we keep stressing, this is a team that is more likely going to win by scoring more points than preventing more points.

Here's a more specific look at the team's top performers:

	PTS	REB	AST
(F) Ryan Wittman	17.5	4.0	1.9
(C) Jeff Foote	12.3	8.2	2.3
(G) Louis Dale	11.9	2.9	4.8
(G) Chris Wroblewski	8.9	2.7	3.3
(F) Jon Jaques	6.9	2.6	0.8

The leading scorer on this team is Ryan Wittman. He averages nearly 18 points, and shoots the ball extremely well for a player that's 6'7". Temple is going to have a tough time matching up with Wittman, as his size presents a mismatch as well as a number of other problems.

The big man on this team is 7'0" Jeff Foote. The senior center averages 12 points of his own, along with 8 rebounds. The definite height advantage out of any player.

Cornell is a very experienced team, having made the Big Dance the past two seasons (as did Temple). There is nobody that would like to finally get out of the first round more than the Big Red, and that's exactly what this team is set out to do.