When a select group of players and coaches traveled to Fort Worth, Texas, for the annual American Athletic Conference media day prior to the season, something immediately stood out.
Temple, who won a share of the AAC regular season crown a year prior, was picked to finish eighth in the preseason coaches poll. The Owls were the only team out of the top three seeds to win a game in the AAC tournament last year but a repeat seemed doubtful after losing two of its top three scorers.
Fast forward to the end of the regular season and the Owls are in the same position they were last March — a double bye in the AAC tournament. Despite things looking shaky in the middle of conference play, Temple ended the year strong and will enter the tournament as the four seed.
“As a coach, [the preseason ranking] doesn’t really bother me,” said head coach Diane Richardson. “I think our players will probably use that a little bit. But last year we were ranked ninth and we ended up winning, so I’m not too concerned about the preseason. It’s the postseason that’s important.”
Temple will open up its AAC tournament slate on Monday afternoon. Here is everything you need to know as Temple prepares to make a push for its first NCAA Tournament bid since 2016-17.
HOW FAR CAN TEMPLE GO?
Talent-wise, Temple has what it takes to earn an NCAA Tournament bid. The Owls were an inbound pass away from making the AAC title game last season but Rice dashed those hopes in the semi-finals. However, the Owls’ struggles against the conference’s best teams may come back to bite them.
Temple is 0-4 against the top three teams in the conference despite holding double-digit leads against both North Texas and UTSA. The Owls will play either Tulsa or the winner of Florida Atlantic and Charlotte in the quarterfinals on March 10. If the Owls get past the first hurdle, then a rematch against UTSA likely awaits in the semifinals. Temple matched up better with the Roadrunners than the other top three teams, having them on the ropes before unraveling in the second half.
Temple’s chance at punching its ticket to the NCAA Tournament will come down to Tiarra East stepping up like she has to close out the season. The Owls’ leading scorer struggled in conference play, but Temple’s “equal opportunity offense” helped it get out of a rut. If East is able to find her form in Fort Worth, then the Owls have a shot at making the tournament.
“It’s not about how you start, it’s about how you finish,” said guard Tarriyonna Gary. “I feel like we’re on the track to possibly become champions. As long as we keep the same energy, effort, teamwork, everything, like defense, everything, collectively, working as a whole, I feel like we have a good chance.”
CONFERENCE PLAY ROLLER COASTER
The Owls kickstarted conference play by winning six of their first seven games and looked prime to be a mainstay atop the standings. However, they almost threw away their chance for another double-bye.
Temple lost four of its next five games and experienced significant issues holding leads and taking down other top teams in the AAC. The Owls blew double-digit leads against UTSA on Feb. 1 and North Texas on Jan. 29 and seemed to be heading into a downward spiral. By the middle of February, the Owls sat on the outside of a double bye and were 0-5 against the top four teams in the conference.
Temple then rattled off six straight wins to finish out the regular season. The hot stretch included a win at Tulane on Feb. 15, who was leading Temple for the final double-bye spot at the time. That win helped Temple climb past the Green Wave to secure the coveted four seed. The Owls now head into the AAC tournament as one of the best teams in the conference and have seemingly recovered from their midseason struggles.
CRASH THE GLASS
Following Temple’s loss to South Florida on Feb. 8, Richardson was critical of her team’s rebounding efforts. The Owls were outrebounded by nine and Richardson pinned her team’s struggles on the boards as a major factor in the loss. The head coach lauded her team for doing a better job on the glass recently, and the results have shown as Temple got back in the win column.
“I thought that we didn’t, as soon as the shot goes up, get into position,” Richardson said. “I thought we kind of waited for the ball to come off and you know, they were under the basket. We’ve got to do a better job of that. Understanding when the shot goes up is when you go to rebound, not when it’s coming off the rim.”
The Owls have outrebounded their opponent in five games during their six-game win streak and when they didn’t, against Rice on Feb. 28, the teams tied with 36 rebounds. Temple recorded 40 or more rebounds in three of the six games, headlined by a 54-rebound effort against Tulane.
Forward Jaleesa Molina has been Temple’s biggest force down low, averaging nearly seven rebounds per game and recording double-digit rebounds in eight conference games. Temple also relies on its guards to rebound the ball as East is third on the team in rebounds per game with five and Kaylah Turner has also shown a knack for grabbing boards, reeling in 11 against Tulane.
“Going into the tournament, this is the thick of it,” Richardson said. “Everybody’s kind of stepped up their game. We talk about playing together and winning together because that’s what’s going to take.”
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