Point-Counterpoint
| Will the presence of Wayne Marshall bring out the best in Keith Butler? | |
| Point: Of all the things Butler has lacked since his much-heralded start at Temple, the most glaring was the absence of another talented big man to challenge him in practice and on the floor. Butler is passive by nature, and having a partner in crime down in the paint should help motivate him when the Owls need a big contribution from their front line. | Counterpoint: In his first two seasons, Butler has yet to show the ability to dominate inside. At times, guards have out-muscled him for rebounds and despite his mammoth size he struggles to get into good rebounding position. Chances are, with a savvy player like Marshall down low, Butler could get in the way and his penchant for foul trouble will continue. |
| Besides Mardy Collins and Wayne Marshall, who will emerge as the third scoring option? Mark Tyndale, Dustin Salisbery, Keith Butler, or Antywane Robinson? | |
| Point: Salisbery showed promise as a scorer last season, but he’ll need to contribute in other areas to justify his being on the court for extended minutes. Teammates and coaches have raved over Tyndale’s stroke from three-point range. But it’s hard to ignore Robinson, who has improved at least one facet of his game every year he’s been here. Tyndale will get open looks, but Robinson will fill the Owls’ need for a midrange scoring threat. | Counterpoint: There won’t be one. Someone needs to supplant David Hawkins’ scoring load, but instead it will be a piecemeal operation, with different players stepping up at different times. Neither Butler nor Robinson are pure scorers, while Tyndale will need to work out the early growing pains. Salisbery has the prettiest shot on the team, but unless he picks up his intensity on defense, Chaney will be reluctant to put him on the floor. |
| Will they make the NCAA Tournament this season? | |
| Point: While the non-conference schedule is brutal, the Atlantic Ten has declined. If everything goes as planned, the Owls should win the East Division. Moreover, all they have to do is finish non-conference play with a .500 record, in which they will have to upset one top 25 team. A good seed in the A-10 tourney will get them at least to the title game, thereby giving them at best an at-large bid. | Counterpoint: Not with this schedule. The Owls play four teams ranked among the preseason top 25, and travel to the harsh road environments of South Carolina and Villanova early in the season. In the A-10, it’s hard to see the Owls topping UMass, which returns all five starters, for first place in the East Division. They also still have contests against conference powers Dayton and Xavier. |
Five Games To Watch This Season
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