Temple University Athletics
Five Honored at Men's Basketball Banquet
4.15.13 | Men's Basketball
PHILADELPHIA – Temple University honored its five players who exhausted their eligibility at its Owl Club Annual Awards Banquet held Monday, April 15 at Mitten Hall. Senior guard Khalif Wyatt picked up the top honor as he was named the recipient of the Jim Maloney Award which is presented annually to the men's basketball team's Most Valuable Player.
Wyatt, who led both the Atlantic 10 and Big 5 in scoring (20.5 ppg.), was named Player of the Year in both leagues as well as earning Associated Press Honorable Mention All-America status. His seven 30-point games tied Lynn Greer's Temple single-season record set during the 2001-02 season and his 204 free throws made broke the legendary Hal Lear's single season record of 189 set during the 1955-56 campaign.
The Norristown, Pa. native became the 12th Temple player to score 600 points in a season, and his 697 points ranks eighth on the Owls all-time single-season list. He tallied 1,576 career points, to rank 13th on the program's all-time list.
Senior forward Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson was named the recipient of the Tim Claxton Award for loyalty, dedication and attitude to the University and community. Hollis-Jefferson, who was named second team all-Big 5, averaged 8.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.7 steals per game.
Senior swingman Scootie Randall was honored with the Harry Litwack Award for sportsmanship, dedication, devotion and conduct on and off the court. Randall, who missed all of 2011-12 due to injury, returned to court and finished second on the Owls in scoring (11.3 ppg.) and rebounding (6.3 rpg.).
The Ted Quedenfeld Most Courageous Athlete Award was awarded to graduate student forward Jake O'Brien. The Boston University transfer, who missed the 2011-12 season due to injury, made an immediate impact, averaging 9.3 points off the bench while his 43.0 three-point percentage ranks fifth in Temple history.
Graduate student guard T.J. DiLeo was the recipient of the Owl Club Academic Award. A standout student, DiLeo, who is currently pursuing a master's degree in marketing, has earned a 3.81 cumulative grade point average. He graduated in 3 1/2 years (Dec. '11) and was named to the 2012-13 Capital One Academic All-District team as well as the Atlantic 10 Conference all-Academic squad and the Big 5 Scholar Athlete of the Year.
Three Owl Club members –Don Cox, Ted DeLapp and Steve Diamond- received the 2013 Joseph “Jack” Hutton Honor Roll Award.
