Temple University Athletics
Photo by: Joseph V. Labolito/Temple University
Men's Basketball Picked to Finish Sixth in The American
10.24.16 | Men's Basketball
PHILADELPHIA – For the third straight season the Temple Owls have been picked to finish sixth in the annual American Athletic Conference men's basketball poll. The poll was voted on by the league's head coaches and announced Monday at the Conference's Basketball Media Day held at the Philadelphia Airport Marriott.
Temple fans are hoping that the Owls again prove this ranking wrong. In 2015-16, the team won the American Athletic Conference with a 14-4 league record while the previous season, also picked sixth, Temple tied for third with a 13-5 conference mark.
In a very tight poll, Cincinnati is the preseason favorite to win The American, earning six of the 11 first-place votes and 95 points. UConn is picked to finish second with five first-place votes. With 95 points, the Huskies are just one point behind the Bearcats.
SMU is next with 76 points. The Mustangs are followed by Houston (75), Memphis (63), Temple (56), East Carolina (39), UCF (37), Tulsa (34), USF (25) and Tulane (11).
Cincinnati senior guard Troy Caupain and Memphis sophomore guard/forward Dedric Lawson have been selected as preseason co-Players of the Year while UConn freshman guard Alterique Gilbert is tabbed as the preseason Rookie of the Year.
Besides Caupain and Lawson, the preseason All-Conference First Team is comprised of Gary Clark (Cincinnati), Ben Moore (SMU) and Danyean Dotson (Houston). The preseason All-Conference Second Team includes Shake Milton (SMU), Jalen Adams (UConn), Jahmal McMurray (USF), Rob Gray (Houston) and B.J. Tyson (East Carolina).
Temple returns three starters from last year's team that finished 21-12 and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the seventh time in two-time American Athletic Conference Coach of the Year Fran Dunphy's 10 years at the helm.
The Owls open the 2016-17 season on Friday, Nov. 11 at the Liacouras Center against Big 5 rival La Salle (7:00 p.m./ESPNews/1210 AM WPHT).
Temple fans are hoping that the Owls again prove this ranking wrong. In 2015-16, the team won the American Athletic Conference with a 14-4 league record while the previous season, also picked sixth, Temple tied for third with a 13-5 conference mark.
In a very tight poll, Cincinnati is the preseason favorite to win The American, earning six of the 11 first-place votes and 95 points. UConn is picked to finish second with five first-place votes. With 95 points, the Huskies are just one point behind the Bearcats.
SMU is next with 76 points. The Mustangs are followed by Houston (75), Memphis (63), Temple (56), East Carolina (39), UCF (37), Tulsa (34), USF (25) and Tulane (11).
Cincinnati senior guard Troy Caupain and Memphis sophomore guard/forward Dedric Lawson have been selected as preseason co-Players of the Year while UConn freshman guard Alterique Gilbert is tabbed as the preseason Rookie of the Year.
Besides Caupain and Lawson, the preseason All-Conference First Team is comprised of Gary Clark (Cincinnati), Ben Moore (SMU) and Danyean Dotson (Houston). The preseason All-Conference Second Team includes Shake Milton (SMU), Jalen Adams (UConn), Jahmal McMurray (USF), Rob Gray (Houston) and B.J. Tyson (East Carolina).
Temple returns three starters from last year's team that finished 21-12 and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the seventh time in two-time American Athletic Conference Coach of the Year Fran Dunphy's 10 years at the helm.
The Owls open the 2016-17 season on Friday, Nov. 11 at the Liacouras Center against Big 5 rival La Salle (7:00 p.m./ESPNews/1210 AM WPHT).
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