Temple University Athletics
Christmas, Wyatt Sign NBA Contracts
9.16.13 | Men's Basketball
PHILADELPHIA - Friday, September 13 was a good day for the Temple University men's basketball team as the Owls tripled their number of players signed to current NBA contracts.
Dionte Christmas, who starred for the Owls from (2005-09), and Khalif Wyatt, who ended his career this past season, signed contracts with the Phoenix Suns and Philadelphia 76ers, respectively.
"We are very happy and very proud that two of our former great players, Dionte Christmas and Khalif Wyatt, signed NBA contracts on the same day," said Temple coach Fran Dunphy. "Both played major roles in our recent success and we wish them all the best in their professional careers."
Christmas, the only player in Atlantic 10 Conference history to lead the league in scoring in three seasons, earned honorable mention All-America honors as a senior in 2008-09. He became the fourth Temple player to score 2,000 career points, finishing his four seasons with 2,043 points. He also set new school records for three-pointers made in a season (107) and career (319). He is a two-time first team All-Atlantic 10 and All-Big 5 selection and is one of only two A-10 players to earn two Most Outstanding Player Awards at the conference tournament. The Philadelphia native is also the only Owl player to score 600 or more points in three straight seasons.
Since his Temple days, Christmas has played professionally in Israel, Turkey, Czech Republic, Greece, Russia, and Italy. He was with the Boston Celtics during the 2012-13 preseason.
Wyatt, who led both the Atlantic 10 and Big 5 in scoring (20.5 ppg.) as a senior in 2012-13, was named the Player of the Year in both leagues. He had seven 30-point games during the season which tied Lynn Greer's Temple single-season record set during the 2001-02 campaign. 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.
Dionte Christmas, who starred for the Owls from (2005-09), and Khalif Wyatt, who ended his career this past season, signed contracts with the Phoenix Suns and Philadelphia 76ers, respectively.
"We are very happy and very proud that two of our former great players, Dionte Christmas and Khalif Wyatt, signed NBA contracts on the same day," said Temple coach Fran Dunphy. "Both played major roles in our recent success and we wish them all the best in their professional careers."
Christmas, the only player in Atlantic 10 Conference history to lead the league in scoring in three seasons, earned honorable mention All-America honors as a senior in 2008-09. He became the fourth Temple player to score 2,000 career points, finishing his four seasons with 2,043 points. He also set new school records for three-pointers made in a season (107) and career (319). He is a two-time first team All-Atlantic 10 and All-Big 5 selection and is one of only two A-10 players to earn two Most Outstanding Player Awards at the conference tournament. The Philadelphia native is also the only Owl player to score 600 or more points in three straight seasons.
Since his Temple days, Christmas has played professionally in Israel, Turkey, Czech Republic, Greece, Russia, and Italy. He was with the Boston Celtics during the 2012-13 preseason.
Wyatt, who led both the Atlantic 10 and Big 5 in scoring (20.5 ppg.) as a senior in 2012-13, was named the Player of the Year in both leagues. He had seven 30-point games during the season which tied Lynn Greer's Temple single-season record set during the 2001-02 campaign. 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.
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