Temple University Athletics
Temple to Celebrate 25th Anniversary of 1987-88 Men's Basketball Team
3.7.13 | Men's Basketball
PHILADELPHIA – Twenty-five years ago Temple was atop the college basketball polls as the #1 team in the nation. Sunday, at halftime of Temple's game against #19/21 VCU, presented by Temple University Alumni Association, the University will honor its 1987-88 men's basketball team that finished as the Associated Press' #1 ranked team and advanced to the NCAA Elite 8 with a 32-2 overall record.
“This is arguably the greatest team in the history of Temple Basketball,” said Temple University Director of Athletics Bill Bradshaw. “No other team in the sixth winningest program in NCAA history won more games or was ranked higher that the 1987-88 Owls. So it is with great pleasure that we honor this star-studded team and Hall of Fame coach John Chaney on its silver anniversary.”
The 1987-88 Owls, under the direction of Chaney, opened the season with a win over UCLA at Pauley Pavilion. It was the first of 14 straight victories before the Cherry and White stumbled in a heart-breaking one-point loss at eighth-ranked UNLV.
Temple rebounded to win its next 18 games. Among those victories was a classic Big 5 game against #10 Villanova, 98-86, at McGonigle Hall, and a road win over #5 North Carolina, 83-66. The win over the Wildcats, a rare meeting between Big 5 schools ranked in the Top 10, came on February 10, two days after Temple earned its first-ever #1 ranking.
The Owls would go on to post a perfect 18-0 record in the Atlantic 10 Conference regular season, capturing the league's regular season and tournament championship. Temple would enter the NCAA Tournament on a 15-game win streak, and defeat Lehigh (87-73), Georgetown (74-53) and Richmond (69-47) before falling to fifth-ranked Duke (63-53) in the regional final.
Chaney earned his second straight USBWA National Coach of the Year award following the season while freshman guard Mark Macon was named to the Associated Press All-America Second Team. Macon was joined on the all-Atlantic 10 First Team by his backcourt mate, senior Howard Evans, and fellow senior forward Tim Perry, who earned A10 Player of the Year accolades. Junior forward Mike Vreeswyk earned second team all-conference honors.
Senior center Ramon Rivas rounded out the Owls starting five that season. Derrick Brantley, Duane Causwell, Jerome Dowdell, Shawn Johnson, Tom Katsikis, Darrin Pearsall, Ernest Pollard and Shoun Randolph rounded out the squad.
Nearly all of the players will be in attendance for Sunday's game, and will be honored at a halftime ceremony.
“This is arguably the greatest team in the history of Temple Basketball,” said Temple University Director of Athletics Bill Bradshaw. “No other team in the sixth winningest program in NCAA history won more games or was ranked higher that the 1987-88 Owls. So it is with great pleasure that we honor this star-studded team and Hall of Fame coach John Chaney on its silver anniversary.”
The 1987-88 Owls, under the direction of Chaney, opened the season with a win over UCLA at Pauley Pavilion. It was the first of 14 straight victories before the Cherry and White stumbled in a heart-breaking one-point loss at eighth-ranked UNLV.
Temple rebounded to win its next 18 games. Among those victories was a classic Big 5 game against #10 Villanova, 98-86, at McGonigle Hall, and a road win over #5 North Carolina, 83-66. The win over the Wildcats, a rare meeting between Big 5 schools ranked in the Top 10, came on February 10, two days after Temple earned its first-ever #1 ranking.
The Owls would go on to post a perfect 18-0 record in the Atlantic 10 Conference regular season, capturing the league's regular season and tournament championship. Temple would enter the NCAA Tournament on a 15-game win streak, and defeat Lehigh (87-73), Georgetown (74-53) and Richmond (69-47) before falling to fifth-ranked Duke (63-53) in the regional final.
Chaney earned his second straight USBWA National Coach of the Year award following the season while freshman guard Mark Macon was named to the Associated Press All-America Second Team. Macon was joined on the all-Atlantic 10 First Team by his backcourt mate, senior Howard Evans, and fellow senior forward Tim Perry, who earned A10 Player of the Year accolades. Junior forward Mike Vreeswyk earned second team all-conference honors.
Senior center Ramon Rivas rounded out the Owls starting five that season. Derrick Brantley, Duane Causwell, Jerome Dowdell, Shawn Johnson, Tom Katsikis, Darrin Pearsall, Ernest Pollard and Shoun Randolph rounded out the squad.
Nearly all of the players will be in attendance for Sunday's game, and will be honored at a halftime ceremony.
Ep. 12: Homecoming Recap; Women's Soccer's Tamsin Bynoe
Tuesday, October 14
American Tipoff - The Field of 68 with Adam Fisher, Babatunde Durodola and Aiden Tobiason
Tuesday, October 14
American Conference Tipoff - ESPN+
Tuesday, October 14
Ep. 11: American Conference Commissioner Tim Pernetti
Monday, October 13
