Temple University Athletics
Friday, November 11
Liacouras Center
7:00 p.m.
Temple University
vs
La Salle
Photo by: Joseph V. Labolito/Temple University
Men's Basketball Opens 2016-17 Season at Home Against Big 5 Rival La Salle
11.7.16 | Men's Basketball
PHILADELPHIA - The week of the season opener has arrived for Temple men's basketball, as the Owls will host Philadelphia Big 5 rival La Salle on Friday, Nov. 11 at 7 p.m. (ESPNews/1210 AM WPHT). Temple will play three of its first four contests at the Liacouras Center, celebrating its 20th anniversary season in 2016-17.
Tickets for all Temple men's and women's home games can be purchased via phone at 1-800-298-4200, online at comcastTix.com or in person at the Liacouras Center Box Office.
The Owls are coming off a 21-12 season that saw them win the American Athletic Conference Regular Season Championship, and make an NCAA Tournament appearance for the seventh time in head coach Fran Dunphy's 10 seasons. Tenth-seeded Temple, who earned an at-large berth, narrowly missed advancing to the second round after a 72-70 overtime loss to seventh-seeded Iowa. After Dunphy's Owls were picked to finish sixth in the American, but instead won the league's regular season with a record of 14-4, he was named the American Athletic Conference Coach of the Year for a second straight season.
Gone from the 2015-16 squad are two senior starters – Quenton DeCosey and Jaylen Bond, as well as senior sixth man Devin Coleman and senior front court reserve Devontae Watson. Dunphy also enters the campaign with uncertainty surrounding one key returnee and has another who is redshirting the season. Senior point guard Josh Brown, who led the team in assists (161), minutes played (36.2 mpg) and tied for top honors with DeCosey in steals (41), suffered an Achilles injury in May. His status is listed as day-to-day for the start of the season. Sophomore guard Trey Lowe, who had a solid freshman season (4.8 ppg), will redshirt while continuing to rehab from a February 2016 car accident.
The Owls do have two healthy returning starters back in the fold in junior Obi Enechionyia and redshirt senior Daniel Dingle. Enechionyia was the Owls' second-leading scorer (11.0 ppg) and three-point shooter (56-145, .386) while topping the squad in blocks (30) for the second straight season. Dingle (4.4 ppg, 2.8 rpg) started 13 games down the stretch for the Owls before suffering a hand injury that limited him in the team's NCAA loss to Iowa. Senior Mark Williams and sophomore Ernest Aflakpui are the team's other two returnees to the frontcourt while sophomore Shizz Alston, Jr. and senior Mike Robbins are the lone healthy veterans returning in the backcourt.
Four newcomers and a redshirt freshman will round out the Cherry and White. Likely to make the most impact from this quintet is 5-10 freshman Alani Moore. The crafty point guard out of Friendship Collegiate Academy in Washington, D.C., could be handed the keys to the Temple offense if Brown is unable to start the season. Ayan Nunez deCarvalho should help provide depth in the backcourt after redshirting last season. Quinton Rose is a prolific scorer from Bishop Kearney in Rochester, N.Y. where he earned Second Team All-State accolades as a senior. Another shooting guard, junior Isaiah Lewis, was a late addition to the program. The former New York prep standout played last season at Casper (Wy.) Community College. The Owls also strengthened their front court with 6-10 center Damion Moore out of Callaway High in Mississippi. The developing big man had a breakout senior year and should be able to help bolster the Temple interior.
For Dunphy, Friday's game will mark the 35th time he has coached against his alma mater. He is 27-7 all-time against the Explorers, with a 14-3 record while at Temple. The Owls are 94-26 all-time in season openers, and had won seven straight before falling to #1/1 North Carolina last year. The season-opening game against La Salle marks just the second time Temple has opened the season at home against a Big 5 team. The other was Nov. 21, 2003 with a midnight tip-off against Villanova.
Led by head coach Dr. John Giannini, La Salle returns all five starters from last season's 9-22 squad. Leading the Explorers is senior Jordan Price, a Preseason Atlantic 10 All-Conference selection who led La Salle for a second year in a row in 2015-16 with 19.2 points per contest. The Explorers, now four seasons removed from their magical run to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen, were picked to finish seventh of 14 teams in the Atlantic 10's Preseason Coaches Poll.
Temple and La Salle are meeting for the 117th time, with the Owls holding a strong, 75-41 advantage in the series. The Owls beat the Explorers 62-49 at the Palestra in last year's meeting on Jan. 20, 2016. In the 2013-14 season, La Salle got its only win in the past 10 meetings. The Explorers earned a 74-68 victory on Jan. 18, 2014 to break an eight-game losing streak against Temple. Overall, the Owls have won 18 of the last 22 meetings, including eight straight from 2010-2013. Dunphy, a 1970 La Salle grad, is 27-7 against his alma mater (14-3 while at Temple).
Watch Live l Listen Live l Live Stats l Game Notes l Buy Tickets
Tickets for all Temple men's and women's home games can be purchased via phone at 1-800-298-4200, online at comcastTix.com or in person at the Liacouras Center Box Office.
The Owls are coming off a 21-12 season that saw them win the American Athletic Conference Regular Season Championship, and make an NCAA Tournament appearance for the seventh time in head coach Fran Dunphy's 10 seasons. Tenth-seeded Temple, who earned an at-large berth, narrowly missed advancing to the second round after a 72-70 overtime loss to seventh-seeded Iowa. After Dunphy's Owls were picked to finish sixth in the American, but instead won the league's regular season with a record of 14-4, he was named the American Athletic Conference Coach of the Year for a second straight season.
Gone from the 2015-16 squad are two senior starters – Quenton DeCosey and Jaylen Bond, as well as senior sixth man Devin Coleman and senior front court reserve Devontae Watson. Dunphy also enters the campaign with uncertainty surrounding one key returnee and has another who is redshirting the season. Senior point guard Josh Brown, who led the team in assists (161), minutes played (36.2 mpg) and tied for top honors with DeCosey in steals (41), suffered an Achilles injury in May. His status is listed as day-to-day for the start of the season. Sophomore guard Trey Lowe, who had a solid freshman season (4.8 ppg), will redshirt while continuing to rehab from a February 2016 car accident.
The Owls do have two healthy returning starters back in the fold in junior Obi Enechionyia and redshirt senior Daniel Dingle. Enechionyia was the Owls' second-leading scorer (11.0 ppg) and three-point shooter (56-145, .386) while topping the squad in blocks (30) for the second straight season. Dingle (4.4 ppg, 2.8 rpg) started 13 games down the stretch for the Owls before suffering a hand injury that limited him in the team's NCAA loss to Iowa. Senior Mark Williams and sophomore Ernest Aflakpui are the team's other two returnees to the frontcourt while sophomore Shizz Alston, Jr. and senior Mike Robbins are the lone healthy veterans returning in the backcourt.
Four newcomers and a redshirt freshman will round out the Cherry and White. Likely to make the most impact from this quintet is 5-10 freshman Alani Moore. The crafty point guard out of Friendship Collegiate Academy in Washington, D.C., could be handed the keys to the Temple offense if Brown is unable to start the season. Ayan Nunez deCarvalho should help provide depth in the backcourt after redshirting last season. Quinton Rose is a prolific scorer from Bishop Kearney in Rochester, N.Y. where he earned Second Team All-State accolades as a senior. Another shooting guard, junior Isaiah Lewis, was a late addition to the program. The former New York prep standout played last season at Casper (Wy.) Community College. The Owls also strengthened their front court with 6-10 center Damion Moore out of Callaway High in Mississippi. The developing big man had a breakout senior year and should be able to help bolster the Temple interior.
For Dunphy, Friday's game will mark the 35th time he has coached against his alma mater. He is 27-7 all-time against the Explorers, with a 14-3 record while at Temple. The Owls are 94-26 all-time in season openers, and had won seven straight before falling to #1/1 North Carolina last year. The season-opening game against La Salle marks just the second time Temple has opened the season at home against a Big 5 team. The other was Nov. 21, 2003 with a midnight tip-off against Villanova.
Led by head coach Dr. John Giannini, La Salle returns all five starters from last season's 9-22 squad. Leading the Explorers is senior Jordan Price, a Preseason Atlantic 10 All-Conference selection who led La Salle for a second year in a row in 2015-16 with 19.2 points per contest. The Explorers, now four seasons removed from their magical run to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen, were picked to finish seventh of 14 teams in the Atlantic 10's Preseason Coaches Poll.
Temple and La Salle are meeting for the 117th time, with the Owls holding a strong, 75-41 advantage in the series. The Owls beat the Explorers 62-49 at the Palestra in last year's meeting on Jan. 20, 2016. In the 2013-14 season, La Salle got its only win in the past 10 meetings. The Explorers earned a 74-68 victory on Jan. 18, 2014 to break an eight-game losing streak against Temple. Overall, the Owls have won 18 of the last 22 meetings, including eight straight from 2010-2013. Dunphy, a 1970 La Salle grad, is 27-7 against his alma mater (14-3 while at Temple).
Watch Live l Listen Live l Live Stats l Game Notes l Buy Tickets
Players Mentioned
C
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G/F
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
C
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
F/C
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's BasketballMBB Press Conference vs. Princeton (Adam Fisher)
Monday, December 22
MBB Press Conference vs.Princeton (Babatunde Durodola and Jordan Mason)
Monday, December 22
Temple Men's Basketball 2025-26 All Access | Game 12 at Davidson 12.18.2025
Sunday, December 21
Ep. 29: Last Episode of First Semester from David & Amelia
Wednesday, December 17
