Temple University Athletics
TEMPLE ANNOUNCES 2002-03 MEN'S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE
9.18.02 | Men's Basketball
Philadelphia -- Temple University has announced its 2002-03 men's basketball schedule which includes home dates against NCAA runner-up Indiana, along with an ABC televised game against North Carolina State.
Hall of Fame head coach John Chaney has once again put together a difficult schedule which includes eight NCAA and seven NIT tournament teams from the 2001-02 season. The opponents are Charlotte (NCAA first round), Illinois (NCAA Sweet 16), Indiana (NCAA runner-up), North Carolina State (NCAA second round), Pennsylvania (NCAA first round), Wake Forest (second round), Wisconsin (second round) and Xavier (second round). The seven 2001-02 NIT participants include South Carolina (runner-up), Villanova (quarterfinals), Richmond (quarterfinals), Dayton (second round), Saint Joseph's (second round), Rutgers and St. Bonaventure.
Temple will open the season at home against Big East Conference foe Rutgers,and then go on the road until December 28, when the Hoosiers visit to the Liacouras Center.
Temple, the sixth winningest program all-time, has consistently played non-conference schedules among the toughest in the country. Last year, the Owls non-conference schedule was ranked only behind Arizona, as the second toughest in the country.
The Atlantic 10 Championship Tournament has undergone a format change in 2003. First-round games will be played at campus sites March 10 with quarterfinal, semifinal and final round games taking place at the University of Dayton Arena March 13-15. All quarterfinal, both semifinal games and the championship, are scheduled to be televised.
The schedule will provide the Owls with the following home games in the 2003-04 season: South Carolina, Penn State, Villanova, Wake Forest and Illinois.
The Owls return two key players from last year's team who finished third in the NIT postseason tournament. Senior Alex Wesby, who recently graduated and received his fifth year of eligibility back returns along with junior, David Hawkins.
