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Temple
Road to the Final Four.............................................................................................
Up until Championship Week, John Chaney's Owls looked NIT bound. But with a couple of lucky draws in the Atlantic 10 tournament and a big win over UMass in the title game, Temple is back in the Big Dance for the 12th straight year. After opening with four wins, the Owls lost seven straight - the longest losing streak in Chaney's 18 seasons at the school. One of the losses came to then-No. 1 Duke 63-61 in the championship game of the Preseason NIT. "We were about a minute away from beating the No. 1 team, so you always look back to where you once were to try and determine where you should be," Chaney said. "You always have to say to the kids, 'We're not this bad. Just think back.'" And thinking back throughout the year provided Temple with the spark they needed to win 8 of its last 10 games, including three in the conference tournament, to earn an automatic bid. That late-season success has extended to the NCAA Tournament, where the Owls are a surprise entry in the Sweet 16. Temple has used solid defense and three-point shooting to upset both Texas and Florida. Player to Watch Center Kevin Lyde (12.6 ppg, 9.0 rpg, 2.0 bpg) is a force in the paint, but the guard combination of Lynn Greer and Quincy Wadley makes this team go. Both are great shooters and both can score at will. They like to shoot three-pointers (379 attempts combined) and usually get a lot of them because teams focus on the stopping Lyde. Alex Wesby can hit the three, too. With the Ball Despite the lack of a deep bench, Temple will push the ball if there is an opportunity. Greer and Wadley thrive in the open-court game, spotting up for threes and slashing through the paint for lay ups. But the Owls can play half-court basketball and usually do. This is where Lyde becomes so effective. The 6-9, 240 pound center is tough to defend in the post. His big frame frustrates defenders and his soft touch around the basket is often overlooked. Defending the Ball If you haven't heard of Temple's match-up zone defense, then you should think about becoming a croquet fan. For years, Chaney has taught his "amoeba" zone to his Temple student-athletes. And for years, opponents have had trouble figuring out how to attack it. Just like most zone defenses, getting the ball into the high post is most effective. Using gap dribbles and freeze dribbles draws two defenders to one player, freeing a shooter on the wing or baseline. But Temple knows the zone's weaknesses. Chaney stresses stopping penetration, guarding the high post and calling out cutters to the basket. This defense will cause problems for teams that don't have a three-point bomber. Seed Analysis Exceeding the Seed Playing to Expectation Falling Short BRACKETOLOGY SCORE: 1.032 (1.000 is playing exactly to a team's historical seeding) Bracketology Report1985-2000: The Owls are a perennial NCAA team making their 12th consecutive appearance in the tournament. Four times in the John Chaney era, Temple has taken a modest seed into the Elite Eight. On two occasions (1991, 1993), the Owls were fortunate in that the top seed in their sub-regional was upset in the second round. Those long tourney runs have obscured flameouts last year as well as in 1994 and 1987. Roster
 NCAA Basketball Championship Week It's March, which means the madness has started and invitations are being reserved throughout Championship Week.  Send this story to a friend | Most sent stories |  |
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Temple coach John Chaney had mixed emotions after the loss (Courtesy: NCAA Productions).
Comedian Bill Cosby makes an appearance on SportsCenter to talk Temple basketball.
