Temple University Athletics
Wadley Leads Owls Into Sweet 16
3.21.01 | Men's Basketball
Texas in a first-round NCAA South Regional game. |
By JENNIFER BROWN
Associated Press Writer
PHILADELPHIA (AP)(March 20) - Temple never expected to reach the NCAA tournament after its seven-game, midwinter losing streak - the school's worst in 20 years.
Then, shooting guard Quincy Wadley returned from a shoulder sprain and the Owls won five straight and began to look like a tournament-type team.
"I definitely said to myself, 'It's time,'" Wadley said after his team's 75-54 win over Florida sent the Owls into the round of 16 against Penn State. "I think I'm a
player that likes to step up when my name is called. Right now, my team needs me to step up. I'm just trying to do a good job of leading."
Wadley's presence could mean the difference for 11th-seeded Temple in Friday's matchup with the seventh-seeded Nittany Lions. Wadley was out with a left
shoulder injury in December, missing Temple's 66-60 loss to Penn State on Dec. 9.
But Wadley has been warming up. The 6-foot-4, 200-pounder has averaged 22.4 points per game in the last five games as Temple won the Atlantic 10
championship and advanced to the NCAA regional semifinals. He is shooting 35-for-62 (56.5 percent), and 21-for-34 from behind the 3-point line (61.8 percent).
For the season, Wadley is averaging 15.6 points and 4.5 rebounds per game
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"We had an early exit last year, and we didn't want to repeat those steps," Wadley said.
It's been a tough year for Temple, which had two players kicked off the team by coach John Chaney and another injured in the final stretch of the regular season.
But Wadley - and others - say they are confident.
"We had a lot of ups and downs. But it built character, prepared us for this run," Wadley said. "Coach says a lot of things, and some of them I may not
remember. He's always told us that the 10 guys in the locker room are the ones who will always be there. I knew we had a good team. We're still one of the best
Temple teams out there."
Wadley almost didn't get to play this year. He graduated last summer with a degree in African-American studies, then took advantage of an NCAA rule change to
get an extra year of eligibility to play this year. He is now getting a second degree in sports and recreation management.
Wadley also is active with a neighborhood youth group from North Philadelphia's St. Malachy School. He began working with the kids - ages 10 to 12 - when he
noticed a handful of kids watching him practice a few years ago. Now, he helps with homework, takes them to dinner and invites them to rebound during practice.
A few times, Chaney has excused Wadley early from evening practice to escort the kids safely home.
"When you talk about the concept of the student-athlete, he's one of the guys who fits the definition," Chaney said. "The admirable thing is, he's not a young man
who had it all handed to him. He had to overcome some speed bumps, you know, but that didn't stop him. It just made him stronger, that's all."
