Ring of Honor to Welcome Three More Members at Men's Basketball Game Saturday

PHILADELPHIA - For the final time this season, Temple men's basketball will honor some outstanding individuals with induction into the Ring of Honor when the Owls (10-8, 1-4) host Tulsa (8-7, 2-1) on Saturday, Jan. 14 at 4 p.m. (ESPNews / 1210 AM WPHT). The three inductees- John DiSangro, Essie Davis and Jim Maloney, who have a combined 86 years of service to the men's basketball program, will be honored at halftime and will have their names permanently displayed in the Temple Basketball Ring of Honor that adorns the walls above the upper bowl of the Liacouras Center.

The longest tenured member of John Chaney's staff, John DiSangro started his career as a manager on the Hall of Fame coach's team in 1983. He was deemed so valuable to the program that the position of Director of Basketball Operations was created to keep him on the staff the year before he graduated in 1988. John held this position for 19 years until Coach Chaney retired in 2006, doing all the behind the scenes work that helped the Owls to 17 NCAA appearances and five trips to the Elite 8. He is now an associate producer with Comcast SportsNet.

The longest-tenured employee in the history of Temple Basketball, Essie Davis started her remarkable career in 1972 and stayed 40 years before retiring in 2012. A beloved staffer to all and a mother-figure to the Temple basketball players, Essie has the distinction of working with four great Temple coaches in Harry Litwack, Don Casey, John Chaney and Fran Dunphy. During her time in the basketball office she witnessed over 800 Owl wins, 35 postseason appearances and countless student-athletes earn their degrees from Temple University.

Considered one of college basketball's finest strategists, Jim Maloney coached at Temple from 1973 until he passed away in 1996. A Temple Athletics Hall of Famer, he was an assistant coach under both Don Casey and John Chaney, helping guide the Owls to 466 wins, 13 NCAA Tournaments and three trips to the Elite 8. He was a key part of Chaney's 1987-88 staff that saw the Owls' end the regular season as the nation's top-ranked team. During his illustrious career, he developed outstanding guards like Eddie Jones, Aaron McKie, Mark Macon, Terence Stansbury, Nate Blackwell and Howie Evans.

Saturday's game marks Parent-Child Layup Day, and kids 14 and under can score a basket on the court following the game.

Tulsa and Temple are meeting for the seventh time, and fifth as American Athletic Conference opponents after the first two meetings being in 1995 and 1996. The Golden Hurricane have had the Owls' number, going 4-0 to start the series and leading it 5-1 overall. Temple earned its first and only series win on Feb. 4 of last season at home, coming back from 12 points down in the second half to win 83-79 in overtime. Tulsa responded with a 74-55 win on its home court less than 20 days later on Feb. 23.

Temple has lost four of five games to begin its American Athletic Conference schedule, falling in its first three straight before shooting 65.4 percent in the second half and beating East Carolina 81-62 on Jan. 7. First-half struggles have doomed the Owls in three of their league losses, against UCF, SMU and UConn.

Junior Obi Enechionyia leads Temple and ranks 10th in The American with 14.2 ppg. He scored in double figures in the first 10 games of the season and has done so in 13 games overall, with five games of 20 points or more. Over the last nine games, sophomore guard Shizz Alston, Jr. has scored in double figures eight times. He ranks second in The American in assist/turnover ratio (3.4, 17th in NCAA Division I) and third in steals per game (1.7) while ranking fifth in assists (4.4) and 16th in scoring (12.6).

Tulsa is 8-7 overall (2-1 in the AAC) and coming off an 81-71 win against Memphis on Jan. 11. The Golden Hurricane also beat UConn in overtime, 61-59 on Dec. 31 in their conference opener. Tulsa's lone league loss was by three points, 64-61 at Houston. Redshirt junior forward Junior Etou leads Tulsa with 12.0 points per game and 6.6 rebounds per game, while junior guard Jaleel Wheeler also averages in double figures with 11.4 ppg.

Ring of Honor to Welcome Three More Members at Men's Basketball Game Saturday

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Players Mentioned

Shizz Alston, Jr.

Obi Enechionyia

Temple University Athletics