Make no mistake — this report card would’ve looked very different a few weeks ago.
Temple Men’s Basketball had a somewhat normal season with a new head coach taking over. The Owls suffered some serious lows, including its worst losing streak in 50 years, but it was to be expected when five of its top six scorers left the program in the offseason.
The team then found a way to pull off one of the most improbable American Athletic Conference tournament runs in its 10 years of existence. The Owls took down 11th-seed UTSA, sixth-seed SMU, third-seed Charlotte and second-seed FAU in four days, securing the most wins in a single AAC tournament.
The Owls made significant progress in a short time frame, but they will have plenty of work to do to compete again next year. The last few weeks of the year could be a good omen for the future of the program.
THE GOOD
The Owls had little success before the final month of the year. They could not find consistency on offense for most of the season and went ice-cold during their 10-game losing streak. When they beat UTSA on Feb. 18 to snap the streak, they somehow proceeded to play some of their best basketball in years.
Temple rattled off four wins in its last six games of the regular season and won the most games during an AAC Tournament run in the event’s existence. Guard Hysier Miller struggled for the majority of the season but went off in Fort Worth, Texas, scoring more points in one tournament than anyone who has ever put on an AAC team’s jersey.
The Owls didn’t just win – they dominated both SMU and Charlotte and controlled most of the game against UTSA and FAU.
Head coach Adam Fisher brought the most out of a team picked to finish third-to-last in the preseason poll. Regardless of the score, the Owls continued to battle against teams with more talent on the roster, like Ole Miss, St. Joe’s, VCU and Memphis. The team displayed chemistry in every contest, appearing to be on the verge of a breakout all year.
Then, they broke out. Guards Jordan Riley and Shane Dezonie emerged as scoring threats when needed. Forward Sam Hofman was the team’s defensive anchor, and he and forward Steve Settle III led the team to one of the best turnover margins in the conference.
Temple has several players with remaining eligibility, as Hofman is the only player without time left. The team has a chance to run it back with a roster that has the most momentum since last making the NCAA Tournament in 2019. There are questions surrounding who will return to the team next year, but Fisher has created a lot of optimism for the direction of the team.
THE BAD
Temple had a very tough regular season, especially during in-season conference play. The program lost many key pieces from last season and had a hard time filling in the gaps left by scorers like Khalif Battle, Damian Dunn and Zach Hicks.
In turn, the Owls could not find their footing. They won three straight games to open the season but took a turn when they lost to a 13-14 Columbia at home on Nov. 18. They qualified for the Big 5 Championship game on Dec. 2 but got blown out against St. Joe’s before ending their non-conference schedule with three losses in four games.
Then, there was the infamous losing streak, the program’s worst since the 1975-76 team lost 11 straight en route to a dismal 9-18 season with former head coach Don Casey. The Owls remained close in most games and showed flashes of their potential, but they seemingly could not get past their late-game struggles.
The Owls have supposedly left those issues in the past, but they proved to be streaky at times, relying on defense to supplement shooting woes. They were a scrappy bunch, but that energy did not matter when UAB went off for 43 first-half points in the AAC championship. The Owls fell behind and couldn’t keep up.
This Temple roster does not have the talent to play Fisher’s brand of basketball consistently. The team ranked 17th in the country in three-point attempts at the end of its losing streak but sat in the bottom 10 in effective three-point percentage.
Fisher’s squad found ways to win that played to their strengths, but their approach may not be sustainable next season. The coaching staff needs to find frontcourt rebounders and defenders that match up better with the AAC to pair with high-level scorers and shooters.
While they made leeway, the Owls did not have a great season, but they have the tools to learn from the low points and build a stronger program next year.
THE GRADE
This season was dismissed as a learning experience two weeks ago. Now, the outlook may be completely different thanks to Temple’s improbable run.
One still simply can’t ignore how much this team struggled to begin the season and its lack of talent compared to its conference foes. The Owls showed what they can do on a big stage, but they need a stronger number-one option and better physicality on the inside.
It’s hard to grade such a turbulent year, but it feels like Temple’s highs somehow outmatched its lows in 2023-24. For that reason, Temple earns a B- for its effort.
Be the first to comment