Temple University Athletics
Wednesday, December 5
Villanova, Pa.
8:30 p.m.
Temple University
at
Villanova
Men's Basketball Continues Big 5 Play at #21/21 Villanova on Wednesday
12.3.18 | Men's Basketball
PHILADELPHIA - The first nationally ranked team of the season awaits Temple men's basketball in its next game, as the Owls (7-1, 2-0 Big 5)Â take their hot start to #21/21 Villanova (6-2, 1-0 Big 5)Â for a Philadelphia Big 5 showdown on Wednesday, Dec. 5 at 8:30 p.m. (FS1 / 1210 AM WPHT).
Scouting Temple
> Temple is off to an impressive 7-1 start to the season, which is the Owls' best start since the 2012-13 team went 8-1 before dropping its second game.
> The Owls are facing their first Top 25 team of the season in #21/21 Villanova. Last season was the 11th in a row in which Temple defeated a Top 25 program, beating #16/16 Wichita State in overtime at home, 81-79 on Feb. 1.
> So far in Philadelphia Big 5 play, the Owls are 2-0 and gunning for their 28th all-time Big 5 title this season. Temple's most recent game was one of its Big 5 wins, a 77-70 come-from-behind decision at Saint Joseph's on Dec. 1.
> The Owls trailed by their largest halftime margin of the season at SJU (eight points) before coming back with a late run to pull ahead. They kept the lead thanks to their best free-throw shooting in two years, making 17-of-18 at the line.
> Earlier last week, four players scored in double figures as the Owls held off Missouri, 79-77, in their first true road game of the season. Junior guard Quinton Rose scored 18 points and tallied four steals, while senior guard Shizz Alston, Jr. added six assists to 15 points.
> Alston and Rose are averaging a team-best 17.1 points per game to tie for sixth in the American Athletic Conference.
> Senior center Ernest Aflakpui tied his career high with 12 rebounds at Missouri and ranks third in the AAC with 7.5 rpg. Sophomore Nate Pierre-Louis tied his career high with 13 boards at Saint Joseph's and ranks fifth in the AAA with 7.1 rpg.
> Rose and Pierre-Louis are averaging 2.4 and 2.3 steals per game, respectively, to lead the team and rank third and fourth in the conference. As a team, Temple ranks 12th in the nation with 9.5 steals per game.
Scouting Villanova
> The Wildcats are coming off a 36-4 season that saw them win their second NCAA Championship in three years. Three of the five starters and the four leading scorers from last year's team declared early for the draft and now play in the NBA.
> After starting the current season 2-2, the 21st-ranked Wildcats have won four straight including a 66-60 defeat of #14/13 Florida State.
> La Salle led Villanova by three at halftime in the Wildcats' most recent game, but they picked up the pace in the second half to win 85-78.
> Villanova has gone 4-0 in Big 5 play for the last five seasons. The Wildcats have won 23 straight city series games, last losing in a home game against Temple on Dec. 5, 2012.Â
> Redshirt senior guard Phil Booth and redshirt senior guard Eric Paschall lead the Wildcats with 16.9 and 15.8 points per game, respectively.
Series History vs. Villanova
> Temple and Villanova are meeting for the 93rd time in a series that dates back to the 1914-15 season.
> Villanova leads the series 49-43, with a 12-6 lead in home games.
>The series record between Villanova and Temple is the closest of any of the Big 5 schools.
> The Owls have won three of the last nine meetings, but have lost five in a row. The last three losses have all come to a top-ranked Villanova team - 87-67 at home in 2017-18, 78-57 at Villanova in 2016-17 and 83-67 at home in 2015-16.
> Villanova has been ranked in the Top 25 for 10 of the last 13 meetings. The Wildcats were ranked #3 in both 2005 and 2009, and were #1 in 2015, 2016 and 2017.
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Scouting Temple
> Temple is off to an impressive 7-1 start to the season, which is the Owls' best start since the 2012-13 team went 8-1 before dropping its second game.
> The Owls are facing their first Top 25 team of the season in #21/21 Villanova. Last season was the 11th in a row in which Temple defeated a Top 25 program, beating #16/16 Wichita State in overtime at home, 81-79 on Feb. 1.
> So far in Philadelphia Big 5 play, the Owls are 2-0 and gunning for their 28th all-time Big 5 title this season. Temple's most recent game was one of its Big 5 wins, a 77-70 come-from-behind decision at Saint Joseph's on Dec. 1.
> The Owls trailed by their largest halftime margin of the season at SJU (eight points) before coming back with a late run to pull ahead. They kept the lead thanks to their best free-throw shooting in two years, making 17-of-18 at the line.
> Earlier last week, four players scored in double figures as the Owls held off Missouri, 79-77, in their first true road game of the season. Junior guard Quinton Rose scored 18 points and tallied four steals, while senior guard Shizz Alston, Jr. added six assists to 15 points.
> Alston and Rose are averaging a team-best 17.1 points per game to tie for sixth in the American Athletic Conference.
> Senior center Ernest Aflakpui tied his career high with 12 rebounds at Missouri and ranks third in the AAC with 7.5 rpg. Sophomore Nate Pierre-Louis tied his career high with 13 boards at Saint Joseph's and ranks fifth in the AAA with 7.1 rpg.
> Rose and Pierre-Louis are averaging 2.4 and 2.3 steals per game, respectively, to lead the team and rank third and fourth in the conference. As a team, Temple ranks 12th in the nation with 9.5 steals per game.
Scouting Villanova
> The Wildcats are coming off a 36-4 season that saw them win their second NCAA Championship in three years. Three of the five starters and the four leading scorers from last year's team declared early for the draft and now play in the NBA.
> After starting the current season 2-2, the 21st-ranked Wildcats have won four straight including a 66-60 defeat of #14/13 Florida State.
> La Salle led Villanova by three at halftime in the Wildcats' most recent game, but they picked up the pace in the second half to win 85-78.
> Villanova has gone 4-0 in Big 5 play for the last five seasons. The Wildcats have won 23 straight city series games, last losing in a home game against Temple on Dec. 5, 2012.Â
> Redshirt senior guard Phil Booth and redshirt senior guard Eric Paschall lead the Wildcats with 16.9 and 15.8 points per game, respectively.
Series History vs. Villanova
> Temple and Villanova are meeting for the 93rd time in a series that dates back to the 1914-15 season.
> Villanova leads the series 49-43, with a 12-6 lead in home games.
>The series record between Villanova and Temple is the closest of any of the Big 5 schools.
> The Owls have won three of the last nine meetings, but have lost five in a row. The last three losses have all come to a top-ranked Villanova team - 87-67 at home in 2017-18, 78-57 at Villanova in 2016-17 and 83-67 at home in 2015-16.
> Villanova has been ranked in the Top 25 for 10 of the last 13 meetings. The Wildcats were ranked #3 in both 2005 and 2009, and were #1 in 2015, 2016 and 2017.
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Players Mentioned
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