Temple University Athletics
Temple to Face Cornell in NCAA First Round Friday in Jacksonville
3.14.10 | Men's Basketball
#17/17 and fifth-seeded Owls match up with 12th-seeded Big Red
JACKSONVILLE, FL - Temple, seeded fifth in the East Region, will face 12th-seeded Cornell in the first round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla., on Friday afternoon (12:30 pm/CBS/1210 AM WPHT). The Owls, who won their third straight and record ninth Atlantic 10 Championship on Sunday with a 56-52 win over Richmond, will be making their 28th NCAA Tournament appearance.
The Cherry and White (29-5) enters the tournament riding a 10-game winning streak, which is the Owls' longest win streak since the 2000-01 team also recorded 10 straight. Sophomore Juan Fernandez was named the A-10 Tournament's Most Outstanding Player after averaging 16.3 points per game over TU's three tournament wins. Junior Lavoy Allen earned All-Tournament Team selection by averaging 12 rebounds per game.
Senior Ryan Brooks leads the Owls with 14.3 points per game this season, while Allen averages a double-double of 11.5 ppg and 10.0 rpg.
Fourth-year head coach Fran Dunphy is making his 12th NCAA Tournament appearance, and was named the 2010 A-10 Coach of the Year and NABC District Coach of the Year.
Cornell (27-4) went 13-1 to win the Ivy League, losing only to Penn. The Big Red has won seven straight since then. Two of their other three losses this season were to #1/1 Kansas and #3/3 Syracuse. Cornell is receiving votes in both national polls, and the Big Red is currently the third team receiving votes in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll with 10.
Senior Ryan Wittman, the Ivy League Player of the Year, leads Cornell with 17.5 points per game. Senior Jeff Foote, the Ivy League's Defensive Player of the Year, averages 12.3 ppg and a team-best 8.2 rebounds per game.
Temple and Cornell will be meeting for the first time in the history of the two programs, but the head coaches have a long history together. Tenth-year Cornell head coach Steve Donahue served as Dunphy's assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Penn for 10 years. Donahue was named this season's Sporting News Ivy League Coach of the Year.
Fourth-seeded Wisconsin will meet 13th-seeded Wofford in the other East Region matchup on Friday.
The Cherry and White (29-5) enters the tournament riding a 10-game winning streak, which is the Owls' longest win streak since the 2000-01 team also recorded 10 straight. Sophomore Juan Fernandez was named the A-10 Tournament's Most Outstanding Player after averaging 16.3 points per game over TU's three tournament wins. Junior Lavoy Allen earned All-Tournament Team selection by averaging 12 rebounds per game.
Senior Ryan Brooks leads the Owls with 14.3 points per game this season, while Allen averages a double-double of 11.5 ppg and 10.0 rpg.
Fourth-year head coach Fran Dunphy is making his 12th NCAA Tournament appearance, and was named the 2010 A-10 Coach of the Year and NABC District Coach of the Year.
Cornell (27-4) went 13-1 to win the Ivy League, losing only to Penn. The Big Red has won seven straight since then. Two of their other three losses this season were to #1/1 Kansas and #3/3 Syracuse. Cornell is receiving votes in both national polls, and the Big Red is currently the third team receiving votes in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll with 10.
Senior Ryan Wittman, the Ivy League Player of the Year, leads Cornell with 17.5 points per game. Senior Jeff Foote, the Ivy League's Defensive Player of the Year, averages 12.3 ppg and a team-best 8.2 rebounds per game.
Temple and Cornell will be meeting for the first time in the history of the two programs, but the head coaches have a long history together. Tenth-year Cornell head coach Steve Donahue served as Dunphy's assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Penn for 10 years. Donahue was named this season's Sporting News Ivy League Coach of the Year.
Fourth-seeded Wisconsin will meet 13th-seeded Wofford in the other East Region matchup on Friday.
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