Temple University Athletics
Temple Men's Basketball Outlook 2000-01
9.15.00 | Men's Basketball
Now in his 19th year at Temple University, Head Coach John Chaney returns two starters among eight lettermen from a team that
won a third straight Atlantic 10 Conference East Division title, annexed its fifth conference tournament championship, marked a
school-record 11th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance and finished with a 27-6 win-loss mark, good enough for the No. 5
spot in the final Associated Press national poll.
However, the Owls will sport a new look in the 2000-01 season. Graduation claimed point guard Pepe Sanchez, whose honors
included both Atlantic10 Conference Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year; GTE second team academic All-America
and AP third team All-America honors. Additionally, forwards Lamont Barnes and Keaton Sanders completed their eligibility, while
leading scorer Mark Karcher departed after his junior season to pursue a professional career. Karcher, who averaged 15.8 points
and 4.6 rebounds per game for the Owls last winter, was selected in the second round of the NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers.
Also gone from the program is long-time assistant coach Dean Demopoulos, who accepted the head-coaching position at University
of Missouri, Kansas City. Chaney has elevated assistants Nate Blackwell and Dan Leibovitz to fill the void.
The good news is that the Owls return two key starters and two additional regulars from the accomplished 1999-2000 club.
Heading the list is senior guard Quincy Wadley, Temple's second-leading scorer (12.8 ppg), who successfully completed course
work this past summer to earn his undergraduate degree and a fourth year of eligibility. The hard-nosed Wadley, who also averaged
3.9 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.5 steals per game, was named the A-10 Tournament MVP as well as earning a spot on the
prestigious All-Philadelphia Big Five Team. Six-foot, nine-inch junior center Kevin Lyde, the Owls' leading rebounder (7.6 rpg) and
fifth-best scorer (6.4 ppg) last year, looks to assert himself as the premier big man in the A-10. Also back are veteran guard Lynn
Greer and massive 6-10, 290-pound center-forward Ron Rollerson, both juniors. Greer was the team's third leading scorer last
season (12.3 ppg) and had the club's top three-point shooting percentage (69-172, .401). Rollerson, who averaged 3.2 rebounds
and 2.2 points in just over 10 minutes of court time per game, is expected to see much more playing time.
Junior forward Alex Wesby, who averaged 3.4 points in 23 appearances last year, will also be counted upon to fulfill an expanded
role. Senior forward Rouldra Thomas, junior forward Mamadou Cellou Barry and sophomore guard Greg Jefferson will give the
Owls depth. Newcomers of note include sophomore guard Ron Blackshear (6-4, 190), who brings considerable offensive talents to
the program, and freshman recruit Carlton Aaron (6-8, 270), who will lend size and strength to an already powerful frontcourt.
In a typically rugged Temple schedule, the Owls will face no less than six NCAA Tournament teams, including Wisconsin (Final
Four), Duke (Elite Eight) and Cincinnati (second round); A-10 Conference foes Dayton and St. Bonaventure; and Philadelphia Big
Five rival Pennsylvania. In addition, the slate includes NIT Tournament champion Wake Forest and five additional NIT participants,
including A-10 members Xavier and Massachusetts, Villanova, Penn State and Delaware. Temple will open the campaign in the
Preseason NIT at home against Delaware, with New Mexico, George Mason, Indiana, Pepperdine, South Alabama and Marquette
completing the Owls' half of the bracket. Should Temple reach the final, the likely opponent would be Duke, Villanova, Texas or
California.
OWL NOTES
OVER 400 AND COUNTING: Temple Head Coach John Chaney pushed his Temple University win total over the 400 mark in the
1999-00 season, as the Owls posted a 27-6 season record ... The landmark 400th win was achieved in typical Chaney fashion, as
the underdog Owls defeated then No. 1-ranked Cincinnati on its home floor, 77-69, before a national-televison audience on Feb.
20, 2000 ... Chaney's 18-year win-loss mark at Temple stands at 407-166, a winning percentage of .710 ... For his 28-year
collegiate coaching career overall --including 10 seasons at Cheyney State (1973-82)-- Chaney's win-loss mark is 632-225, a
winning percentage of .737.
CHANEY AMONG WINNINGEST ACTIVE DIV. I COACHES: Coach Chaney enters his 19th season at the Temple helm
ranking sixth among active Division I coaches for career winning percentage at .737 (632-225) ... Only Roy Williams of Kansas
(.803, 12 years, 326-80), Jerry Tarkanian of Fresno State (.803, 29 years, 733-180), John Kresse of College of Charleston (.803,
21 years, 515-126), Rick Majerus of Utah (.745, 16 years, 357-122) and Jim Boeheim of Syracuse (.744, 24 years, 573-179) are
ahead on that list.
1,547 VICTORIES: Heading into the 2000-01 season, the Temple University basketball program ranks sixth nationally among
Division I schools in all-time wins with a 104-season total of 1,547 ... The Owls trail only Kentucky (1,770), North Carolina
(1,751), Kansas (1,709), Duke (1,609) and St. John's (1,603) on the all-time victory list ... Completing the top 10 are Syracuse
(1,522), Philadelphia Big 5-rival Pennsylvania (1,495), Oregon State (1,482) and Indiana (1,473).
HOME SWEET HOME: Temple will look to extend the nation's fifth longest home winning streak at the newly rededicated
Liacouras Center (formerly The Apollo of Temple) ... A perfect 13-0 mark in the 1999-2000 season extended the streak to 22
games ... The Owls have a way to go to catch Utah's top ranked streak of 52 consecutive home game wins ... The now four-year old
10,206-seat Liacouras Center was renamed for outgoing president, Peter J. Liacouras, who officially marked his retirement after 18
years on June 30.
DEE-FENSE: John Chaney's vaunted match-up zone was as stingy as ever in the 1999-2000 season, as Temple ranked second
nationally in both scoring and field goal percentage defense ... The Owls allowed just 54.8 points and a shooting percentage of just
36.2 percent per game.
SERVING TREYS: The 1999-2000 Owls ranked 18th in the nation for three point field goals made per game, averaging 8.3 ... The
team connected on 274 shots from beyond the arc, shattering the previous school record 227, set by the 1998-99 squad ... Although
the departing Mark Karcher accounted for a team high 82, returnees Quincy Wadley and Lynn Greer added 75 and 69 respectively,
for a combined total of 144, better than half the record-breaking total ... The trio helped the1999-2000 squad become the first
Temple team ever to produce three players to make 60 or more three-point field goals in a single season.
