Temple University Athletics
Wednesday, February 8
Dallas, Texas
8:00 PM
Temple University
at
SMU
Photo by: Zamani Feelings
Men's Basketball Looks to Bounce Back at SMU Wednesday
2.6.23 | Men's Basketball
PHILADELPHIA – Temple Men's Basketball will look to get back to its winning ways Wednesday when it heads to Dallas to take on SMU (8 pm ET/ESPN+/1210 AM WPHT).
The Owls (14-10, 8-3 American) had their four-game win streak snapped with their loss Sunday to then #3 Houston. The Cherry and White are back to where they have had their most success this season, the road, as the Owls are 5-0 away from home since starting conference play. The last time a Temple team opened league play with five straight road wins was 1987-88. That team finished Atlantic 10 Conference play undefeated and ranked #1 in the nation.
SMU (8-16, 3-8) has lost its last two games and is just 2-3 in league play at home.
SCOUTING TEMPLE
> Khalif Battle leads the team and ranks fourth in the American Athletic Conference in scoring (18.0 ppg). He has scored 20 points in a team-best 11 games and ranks third in the AAC in threes per game (2.83, 39th nationally) and free throw percentage (.884, 22nd nationally).
> Damian Dunn ranks second on the team in scoring (14.7 ppg), assists (2.7) and field goal percentage (.427). He tallied a career-high 38 points, the most points by an Owl since 2004, against Vanderbilt. He leads the Owls (22nd in NCAA) in free throws made (113) and is second in three-point percentage (32-90, .356).
> Jamille Reynolds, who missed 10 games due to a thumb injury, is back. The 6-11 center ranks third on the team in scoring (10.8 ppg) while leading the team in rebounding (5.9 rpg).
> Zach Hicks (8.9 ppg, 4.9 rpg) leads the team in three-point shooting (57-157, .363) and Hysier Miller (8.3 ppg, 3.5 apg) are the only two Owls to start all 24 games.
> Jahlil White (5.4 ppg, 5.5 rpg), the team's top perimeter defender, is averaging 7.0 points and 6.8 rebounds while shooting a team-best 32-of-56 (.571) from the field in conference play.
> Nick Jourdain (6.0 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 1.3 bpg), who posted his first double-double of the season (16 pts, 10 rebs) against Memphis, has started the last 11 games.
> Kur Jongkuch (1.6 ppg, 3.4 rpg), who made the critical block in the final seconds of the win at #1 Houston, has started 12 games.
SCOUTING SMU
> SMU is under the direction of first year coach Rob Lanier, who took over the program this season after the last three years as the head coach at Georgia State.
> Zhuric Phelps leads SMU and is averaging a team-best 16.9 points (6th AAC). He is also averaging 2.7 assists and 2.0 steals (4th AAC, 47th NCAA).
> Zach Nutall is second on the team in scoring 13.8 points per game and is shooting 33.8% from three (13th AAC) and making 2.0 threes per game (11th AAC).
> Efe Odigie also tops double figures in scoring (10.6 ppg,) while Samuell Williamson (8.1 ppg) leads the Mustangs in rebounding at 7.4 rpg. (6th AAC) with Odigie (6.8 rpg) right behind him (8th AAC).
> Williamson is also averaging 1.3 steals (11th AAC) and 0.8 blocks per game (11th AAC).
SERIES HISTORY
> This will be the 19th meeting between the teams, SMU holding an 10-8 series edge
> SMU is one of only two AAC teams Temple will play just once. Wichita State, which plays at Temple on Feb. 16, is the other.
> Temple is just 1-6 at SMU with the lone win against the Mustangs in Dallas coming on Jan. 10, 2018.
> The Owls were the first team to defeat SMU in 2015-16 after an 18-0 start for the #8 Mustangs. Temple pulled off the upset at home on Jan. 24, winning 89-80.
> Prior to meeting as American opponents in 2013-14, the most recent meeting was in the 1956 NCAA Final Four when the Owls beat SMU, 90-81, in the third-place game.
> The first meeting between the teams was in 1937-38, with Temple earning a 53-41 win at the Philadelphia Arena.
The Owls (14-10, 8-3 American) had their four-game win streak snapped with their loss Sunday to then #3 Houston. The Cherry and White are back to where they have had their most success this season, the road, as the Owls are 5-0 away from home since starting conference play. The last time a Temple team opened league play with five straight road wins was 1987-88. That team finished Atlantic 10 Conference play undefeated and ranked #1 in the nation.
SMU (8-16, 3-8) has lost its last two games and is just 2-3 in league play at home.
SCOUTING TEMPLE
> Khalif Battle leads the team and ranks fourth in the American Athletic Conference in scoring (18.0 ppg). He has scored 20 points in a team-best 11 games and ranks third in the AAC in threes per game (2.83, 39th nationally) and free throw percentage (.884, 22nd nationally).
> Damian Dunn ranks second on the team in scoring (14.7 ppg), assists (2.7) and field goal percentage (.427). He tallied a career-high 38 points, the most points by an Owl since 2004, against Vanderbilt. He leads the Owls (22nd in NCAA) in free throws made (113) and is second in three-point percentage (32-90, .356).
> Jamille Reynolds, who missed 10 games due to a thumb injury, is back. The 6-11 center ranks third on the team in scoring (10.8 ppg) while leading the team in rebounding (5.9 rpg).
> Zach Hicks (8.9 ppg, 4.9 rpg) leads the team in three-point shooting (57-157, .363) and Hysier Miller (8.3 ppg, 3.5 apg) are the only two Owls to start all 24 games.
> Jahlil White (5.4 ppg, 5.5 rpg), the team's top perimeter defender, is averaging 7.0 points and 6.8 rebounds while shooting a team-best 32-of-56 (.571) from the field in conference play.
> Nick Jourdain (6.0 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 1.3 bpg), who posted his first double-double of the season (16 pts, 10 rebs) against Memphis, has started the last 11 games.
> Kur Jongkuch (1.6 ppg, 3.4 rpg), who made the critical block in the final seconds of the win at #1 Houston, has started 12 games.
SCOUTING SMU
> SMU is under the direction of first year coach Rob Lanier, who took over the program this season after the last three years as the head coach at Georgia State.
> Zhuric Phelps leads SMU and is averaging a team-best 16.9 points (6th AAC). He is also averaging 2.7 assists and 2.0 steals (4th AAC, 47th NCAA).
> Zach Nutall is second on the team in scoring 13.8 points per game and is shooting 33.8% from three (13th AAC) and making 2.0 threes per game (11th AAC).
> Efe Odigie also tops double figures in scoring (10.6 ppg,) while Samuell Williamson (8.1 ppg) leads the Mustangs in rebounding at 7.4 rpg. (6th AAC) with Odigie (6.8 rpg) right behind him (8th AAC).
> Williamson is also averaging 1.3 steals (11th AAC) and 0.8 blocks per game (11th AAC).
SERIES HISTORY
> This will be the 19th meeting between the teams, SMU holding an 10-8 series edge
> SMU is one of only two AAC teams Temple will play just once. Wichita State, which plays at Temple on Feb. 16, is the other.
> Temple is just 1-6 at SMU with the lone win against the Mustangs in Dallas coming on Jan. 10, 2018.
> The Owls were the first team to defeat SMU in 2015-16 after an 18-0 start for the #8 Mustangs. Temple pulled off the upset at home on Jan. 24, winning 89-80.
> Prior to meeting as American opponents in 2013-14, the most recent meeting was in the 1956 NCAA Final Four when the Owls beat SMU, 90-81, in the third-place game.
> The first meeting between the teams was in 1937-38, with Temple earning a 53-41 win at the Philadelphia Arena.
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