Temple University Athletics
TOUGH COMPETITION AWAITS TEMPLE MEN'S BASKETBALL IN 2005-06
9.6.05 | Men's Basketball
PHILADELPHIA -- Temple University has announced its 2005-06 men's basketball schedule and Hall of Fame head coach John Chaney has again put together one of the nation's toughest slates. Chaney has the Owls taking on seven teams that qualified for postseason play during the 2004-05 season. Temple will also compete in the 2005 Preseason NIT, facing Army in the first round at the Liacouras Center, November 15.
The Owls non-conference schedule includes three teams from the SEC (Alabama, Auburn and South Carolina), three teams from the ACC (Duke, Maryland and Miami), two Philadelphia Big Five teams (Penn and Villanova) as well as Rutgers (Big East) and Princeton (Ivy). Five of the teams (Alabama, Duke, George Washington, Penn and Villanova) competed in the 2005 NCAA Tournament with two (Duke, Villanova), advancing to the Sweet 16. Four teams played in the 2005 NIT, including NIT Champion South Carolina and Final Four participants Maryland and Saint Joseph's.
Five of Temple's games will be televised nationally. ESPN will televise the Alabama (12/10), Massachusetts (1/21) and Duke (2/25) games while the Owls game against Maryland (1/28) and Saint Joseph's (2/14) will be carried on ESPN2.
Chaney, who enters his 24th season at Temple one win shy of 500 at the school, returns nine letterwinners and four starters from last year's squad that posted a 16-14 record and earned a berth in the NIT. It marked the 22nd straight season that the Owls have reached a postseason tournament. Senior All-America candidate Mardy Collins, who led the Owls in scoring, rebounding and assists, leads the veteran team.
