Temple University Athletics
Photo by: Zamani Feelings
MBB Outlook: Owls Look for Return to Normalcy in 21-22
11.5.21 | Men's Basketball
A return to normalcy is what Temple men's basketball coach Aaron McKie and his 2021-22 Owls are looking forward to this season. With normalcy should bring wins, as that is the norm for the fifth-winningest program at the NCAA Division I level.
"Last year was tough on our guys," said McKie, who is entering the third year at the helm of his alma mater. "We had no summer training and an abbreviated preseason due to health and safety protocols.  Then the season rolled around, and it was stop-start, start-stop. We never were able to get into any kind of rhythm as a team.
This season we have returned to a sense of normalcy, not just with our program and training, but with the country and the world.  We are truly excited to get back to doing what we do best – playing basketball."
McKie welcomes back nine letterwinners, including his top four scorers from last year's squad.  Sophomore guard Khalif Battle, who earned all-AAC and All-Big 5 accolades last season leads the team.  In his first season as an Owl, the Butler transfer averaged a team-high 15.0 points per game and matched junior Jake Forrester for the Owls' rebound lead at 6. 4 rpg.  Battle, who missed the first five games of the season due to injury, also was second on the team in assists per game (2.4 apg.) while making 80 percent from the line.
Redshirt freshman Damian Dunn was the only other Temple player in double figures in 2020-21, averaging 13.5 points per game while being among the leaders in the country in free throws made (6.1) and attempted (7.9) per game. A late season knee injury kept him from playing in three games, but he still averaged the third most minutes per game (27.8) on the squad.
Forrester and freshman Jeremiah Williams round out the Cherry and White's returning starters. The only two returning players to start all 16 contests last year, Forrester and Williams tied for third on the team in scoring at 9.3 points per game.  Additionally, Forrester led the Owls in field goal percentage (.567) and offensive rebounds (29) while also tying for rebound honors.  Williams, who joined All-American Pepe Sanchez (1996-00) as they only true freshmen to lead Temple in assists (4.1 apg), also topped the team in minutes per game (32.6 mpg) and steals (19).
The fifth spot in the starting lineup is up for grabs with the leading contenders being freshman Nick Jourdain and junior Sage Tolbert III. Jourdain, who played in 13 games last season, shined in his final three contests, all starts. He made five-of-seven three-pointers while averaging seven points and 3.7 rebounds to close out the year.  Tolbert III, who transferred from Southeast Missouri State, sat out all but the final game of 2020-21 while recovering from knee surgery. In 2019-20 at Southeast Missouri State, he started all 31 games, averaging 9.6 points and 7.0 rebounds.
Temple has three veterans on its bench all back after dealing with injuries. Freshman Jahlil White, a 6-7 guard out of Wildwood Catholic, missed all last year due to a knee injury while redshirt sophomores Tai Strickland and Arashma Parks, both have dealt with shoulder issues since their arrival at Temple. Â
Freshman Quincy Ademokoya, who played in 14 games last year, showed promise during his debut season with a season-high nine points in 15 minutes at Tulsa. Freshman center Emmanuel Okpomo, a transfer from Wake Forest, should help bolster the Owls' interior defense as he led the Demon Deacons in blocked shots (11) in 2020-21.
Temple also welcomes two freshmen, Zach Hicks and Hysier Miller to the team. Both local products, Hicks, a 6-7 forward, was a second team all-state performer at Camden (N.J.) Catholic, while Miller, a Philadelphia native and Neumann-Goretti product, earned Pennsylvania AAAA State Player of the Year honors in 2020-21.
Rounding out the squad are two walk-ons, graduate student Colin Daly, who is back for a final season, and junior Ryan Sayers, who made the team this season through the tryouts.
The Owls open play at home against Maryland-Eastern Shore on Nov. 10 at 7 p.m.Â
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"Last year was tough on our guys," said McKie, who is entering the third year at the helm of his alma mater. "We had no summer training and an abbreviated preseason due to health and safety protocols.  Then the season rolled around, and it was stop-start, start-stop. We never were able to get into any kind of rhythm as a team.
This season we have returned to a sense of normalcy, not just with our program and training, but with the country and the world.  We are truly excited to get back to doing what we do best – playing basketball."
McKie welcomes back nine letterwinners, including his top four scorers from last year's squad.  Sophomore guard Khalif Battle, who earned all-AAC and All-Big 5 accolades last season leads the team.  In his first season as an Owl, the Butler transfer averaged a team-high 15.0 points per game and matched junior Jake Forrester for the Owls' rebound lead at 6. 4 rpg.  Battle, who missed the first five games of the season due to injury, also was second on the team in assists per game (2.4 apg.) while making 80 percent from the line.
Redshirt freshman Damian Dunn was the only other Temple player in double figures in 2020-21, averaging 13.5 points per game while being among the leaders in the country in free throws made (6.1) and attempted (7.9) per game. A late season knee injury kept him from playing in three games, but he still averaged the third most minutes per game (27.8) on the squad.
Forrester and freshman Jeremiah Williams round out the Cherry and White's returning starters. The only two returning players to start all 16 contests last year, Forrester and Williams tied for third on the team in scoring at 9.3 points per game.  Additionally, Forrester led the Owls in field goal percentage (.567) and offensive rebounds (29) while also tying for rebound honors.  Williams, who joined All-American Pepe Sanchez (1996-00) as they only true freshmen to lead Temple in assists (4.1 apg), also topped the team in minutes per game (32.6 mpg) and steals (19).
The fifth spot in the starting lineup is up for grabs with the leading contenders being freshman Nick Jourdain and junior Sage Tolbert III. Jourdain, who played in 13 games last season, shined in his final three contests, all starts. He made five-of-seven three-pointers while averaging seven points and 3.7 rebounds to close out the year.  Tolbert III, who transferred from Southeast Missouri State, sat out all but the final game of 2020-21 while recovering from knee surgery. In 2019-20 at Southeast Missouri State, he started all 31 games, averaging 9.6 points and 7.0 rebounds.
Temple has three veterans on its bench all back after dealing with injuries. Freshman Jahlil White, a 6-7 guard out of Wildwood Catholic, missed all last year due to a knee injury while redshirt sophomores Tai Strickland and Arashma Parks, both have dealt with shoulder issues since their arrival at Temple. Â
Freshman Quincy Ademokoya, who played in 14 games last year, showed promise during his debut season with a season-high nine points in 15 minutes at Tulsa. Freshman center Emmanuel Okpomo, a transfer from Wake Forest, should help bolster the Owls' interior defense as he led the Demon Deacons in blocked shots (11) in 2020-21.
Temple also welcomes two freshmen, Zach Hicks and Hysier Miller to the team. Both local products, Hicks, a 6-7 forward, was a second team all-state performer at Camden (N.J.) Catholic, while Miller, a Philadelphia native and Neumann-Goretti product, earned Pennsylvania AAAA State Player of the Year honors in 2020-21.
Rounding out the squad are two walk-ons, graduate student Colin Daly, who is back for a final season, and junior Ryan Sayers, who made the team this season through the tryouts.
The Owls open play at home against Maryland-Eastern Shore on Nov. 10 at 7 p.m.Â
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