Kansas Takes on #18 Temple in Philly

by Owen on Jan 2, 2010 8:00 AM CST in Kansas Jayhawk Basketball

Kansas vs. Temple

Kansas fans have been waiting and wanting a test. Today that test comes in the form of the Temple Owls on their own court in Philadelphia. The same court where the Owls upset previous #3 ranked Villanova. This game is a test and a stiff one for a Kansas team that should have been in this position much sooner. Thanks to an off year by Memphis and UCLA combined with unfulfilled expectations from Cal and Michigan, Kansas will finally face it's first ranked opponent of the season in Temple. This one puts two of the top defenses in the nation head to head as Kansas is allowing 58.6 points per game, and Temple is holding opponents to a mere 54.2 points per contest. The game also puts two of the top programs all time against one another as Kansas ranks #3 in all time victories and the Owls check in at #6. This should be a fun one, it's time to find out where this team stands in terms of toughness and it's time to see where improvements need to be made over the coming months. Rock Chalk Jayhawk.

	PPG	FG%	FT%	3P%	RPG	ORPG	DRPG	APG	TPG	SPG	BPG	FPG
KU	87.8	52.0	66.4	42.3	42.4	13.0	29.4	20.3	12.8	9.7	7.4	17.8
TU	64.1	42.1	63.7	33.3	38.0	11.6	26.4	14.8	10.5	4.8	3.4	15.3
KU Opponents	58.6	34.6	66.5	27.8	34.1	13.8	20.3	11.8	16.7	6.3	3.0	19.9
TU Opponents	54.2	36.4	68.2	24.0	34.4	10.1	24.3	8.6	12.2	5.3	3.2	16.7

Rank and Records	KU	TU
RPI	#12	#3
Strength of Schedule	#164	#22
Overall	12-0	11-2
Conference	0-0	0-0
Home	9-0	5-0
Away	1-0	5-1
Top 25	2-0	1-1
RPI Top 50	1-0	3-1

About Kansas

Top-rated Kansas extended the nation's longest home-court winning streak to 50 games with an 81-51 win against Belmont on Dec. 29. The Jayhawks, 12-0, average 87.8 points per game, are giving up 58.6 points and rank in the top five nationally with a +29.2 scoring margin. KU is shooting 52 percent from the field, while its opponents are shooting 34.6 percent.

The big story of the day will be the return of the Morris twins to their hometown to face the Temple Owls in their sophomore seasons. The Morri have arguably improved more than anyone on the Jayhawk squad in 2009 as Marcus Morris averages 17 points per game over his last three contests and 11.6 points and 5.6 rebounds on the year.

Markieff on the other hand has been coming off the bench for the Jayhawks and while he's putting together a modest 7.4 points per game he is shooting at a 63% clip to lead the team. Overall the Morri average statline for 2009 breaks down to 19 points and 11.2 rebound per contest. Solid production from the four spot that the Jayhawks sorely missed in 2008.

About Temple

Located in Philadelphia, Pa., with an enrollment of 34,000, No. 18/19 Temple is one of the hottest teams in the nation with its seven-game winning streak. The Owls returned to the national rankings on Dec. 21 for the first time since Nov. 2001. Included in the current win streak are victories over then-No. 3 Villanova, at Miami and at Seton Hall. The Owls are 5-0 at home (4-0 in the Liacouras Center), average 64.1 points on the season and have a +9.8 scoring margin. Strong defensively, Temple's opponents are shooting 36.4 percent from the field, including 24 percent from three-point range.

Senior guard Ryan Brooks leads the team with 15.8 points per game. He is second on the squad with 35 assists, 11 steals and a 5.5 rebound average. Sophomore guard Juan Fernandez leads the Owls with 32 three pointers and 46 assists to complement his 14.3 scoring average.

Junior forward Lavoy Allen provides a presence inside and is seeing doubles with his 10.6 scoring and 10.6 rebounding averages. Besides rebounding, Allen also leads Temple with 24 blocked shots.

Sophomore guard Ramone Moore comes off the bench to score 5.3 points per game, as does junior forward Craig Williams at 5.2 ppg. Williams is second on the team with 18 threes made.

NCAA Basketball

Meet the Opposing Coach

No that's not John Chaney on the sideline anymore for Temple, these days Fran Dunphy patrols the Owl court. Dunphy is 66-45 in his fourth season at Temple and is 366-206 in his 21st season overall. Dunphy is one of the all-time winningest coaches in Philadelphia Big 5 history as he had coaching stints at La Salle and Penn before taking over the Temple program from Hall of Fame coach John Chaney on April 10, 2006. Dunphy brought the Owls back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2001 in just his second season when he guided his team to the 2008 Atlantic 10 Championship. The following year, he again led the Owls to the A-10 title, becoming the first
conference team to win consecutive championships since 2001.

The Series

Kansas leads the overall series with Temple 6-3 as the teams last met last season in Allen Fieldhouse on Dec. 20, 2008, a KU 71-59 win. This series dates back to 1940 when the Owls defeated the Jayhawks 40-35 in Philadelphia. Five of the nine meetings have been played on neutral courts. This is the second Atlantic 10 team Kansas has faced this season.

In last seasons contest, Sherron Collins led Kansas with 19 points, while Cole Aldrich posted a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds in Kansas' 71-59 win. Tyshawn Taylor led Kansas with eight assists and four steals. He and Brady Morningstar each scored 11 points in the game. Dionte Christmas led Temple with 21 points. Current Owl Lavoy Allen had 10 points and a team high seven rebounds.

Last Trip to Philly

Kansas' last trip to Philadelphia was in 2004-05 and was a blizzard nightmare. The then-No. 2 Jayhawks were 14-0 on the season and lost to Villanova 83-62 at the Wachovia Center. Following the game the Kansas contingent spent an extra night in Philly as the airport was closed for the first time in 25 years due to a blizzard.

		GP	GS	MPG	PPG	FG%	FT%	3P%	RPG	ORPG	DRPG	APG	TPG	SPG	BPG	FPG
#4	S. Collins	12	12	30.333	13.75	46.1	79.3	41.4	1.917	0.25	1.667	4.25	2.083	1.333	0.0	1.417
#1	X. Henry	12	12	27.75	16.417	51.9	75.6	45.9	4.167	0.833	3.333	2.083	2.083	1.75	0.583	1.833
#45	C. Aldrich	12	12	25.75	11.167	56.5	70.4	0.0	10.083	3.0	7.083	1.25	1.583	0.75	3.833	2.0
#22	M. Morris	12	10	23.833	11.583	59.3	72.2	33.3	5.583	2.333	3.25	1.167	1.333	1.0	0.5	2.333
	T. Taylor	12	10	23.417	7.333	44.0	69.6	28.6	2.75	0.5	2.25	4.333	1.75	1.417	0.167	2.0
#14	T. Reed	12	0	15.25	4.75	44.4	75.0	40.0	1.5	0.083	1.417	1.583	0.417	1.0	0.083	0.833
#21	M. Morris	12	2	15.083	7.417	63.0	63.0	66.7	5.583	1.833	3.75	1.167	1.0	0.667	1.0	2.25
#0	T. Robinson	12	0	11.333	4.833	48.8	42.1	0.0	4.417	1.667	2.75	0.583	0.833	0.333	1.0	1.917
#15	E. Johnson	11	2	11.0	4.182	56.2	54.5	36.4	1.727	0.727	1.0	2.455	1.0	0.636	0.091	1.636
#12	B. Morningstar	3	0	19.667	4.0	50.0	0.0	40.0	2.0	0.667	1.333	4.0	0.667	1.0	0.0	1.0
#2	C. Teahan	8	0	6.75	2.375	50.0	66.7	42.9	1.375	0.75	0.625	0.75	0.5	0.25	0.125	0.625
#13	C. Henry	6	0	8.667	5.667	63.2	50.0	56.2	1.167	0.167	1.0	0.333	0.333	0.833	0.167	1.0
		GP	GS	MPG	PPG	FG%	FT%	3P%	RPG	ORPG	DRPG	APG	TPG	SPG	BPG	FPG
#2	R. Brooks	13	13	36.462	15.769	41.8	75.6	26.6	5.462	1.154	4.308	2.692	1.308	0.846	0.154	1.231
#24	L. Allen	13	13	34.462	10.615	49.6	62.5	27.3	10.615	3.769	6.846	2.538	1.462	0.538	1.846	2.385
#4	J. Fernandez	13	13	32.154	14.308	46.0	83.9	46.4	2.769	0.538	2.231	3.538	1.846	0.692	0.0	2.615
#10	L. Guzman	13	13	30.308	4.462	38.9	47.1	36.4	3.308	0.692	2.615	3.0	1.923	0.615	0.0	1.462
#32	R. Jefferson	13	0	17.692	4.077	34.7	57.6	0.0	3.308	1.385	1.923	0.846	0.769	1.0	0.538	2.0
#30	C. Williams	13	5	15.615	5.231	37.5	40.0	34.0	2.615	0.538	2.077	0.385	0.692	0.154	0.308	2.231
#23	R. Moore	13	0	14.692	5.308	42.6	45.0	11.8	2.769	0.692	2.077	1.308	1.231	0.615	0.0	1.231
#50	M. Eric	9	8	13.556	3.556	38.2	50.0	0.0	3.0	0.889	2.111	0.333	1.0	0.222	0.667	1.667
#11	T. DiLeo	10	0	5.8	0.8	23.1	50.0	0.0	0.9	0.2	0.7	0.2	0.4	0.1	0.0	0.4
#33	S. Randall	8	0	5.625	1.75	41.7	0.0	44.4	1.625	0.625	1.0	0.25	0.25	0.0	0.0	0.875
#1	K. Wyatt	4	0	2.25	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.25	0.0	0.25	0.0	0.25	0.0	0.0	0.25
#15	C. Bouchman	3	0	1.333	0.667	0.0	100.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.333	0.0

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Comments

Definitely looking forward to this game, however I do believe it is going to be ugly.

Temple plays about as slow as possible with the shot clock, they average only 63 possessions per 40 minutes. Score in the 60’s and keeps their opponents in the 50’s.

Glad I came, just wish I hadn't stayed so long.

by Warden11 on Jan 2, 2010 9:37 AM CST reply actions

Couple points

First the Villanova win looks really good but Villanova started high in the polls and has only lost one game against a pretty weak (well, probably better than KU’s) schedule – Kenpom only has Nova as the 35th best team in the country.
Second, they are a very good defensive team, but they are not a good shooting team. And I don’t mean threes, I mean overall. That’s one of the biggest keys in a game. The other is 2pt FG defence, which they are excellent at (#5 in the country, compared to us at #2).
Third, they are a bad offensive rebounding team, which combined with the fact that they are not a great shooting team, means that if we can keep them off the boards we could pull away.
Finally, the only offensive category they are really good at is not turning the ball over (#14 in the country), so if we can get some steals and get out in transition we could stretch the lead out, and they don’t have the firepower to get back in it if we can keep up the defense.
Basically its going to come down to patience on the offensive end and crashing the offensive glass when we do take shots. We do that, we should be able to win going away.

by 2.1 seconds left on Jan 2, 2010 9:46 AM CST reply actions 1 recs

Colors.

Bringing the meat! I like it. Good stuff, 2.1

"Here are our top priorities: recruit, beat Missouri, recruit, win the North, recruit, win the Big 12, and in most cases if you win the Big 12 then you're playing for a National Championship. And then we're going to recruit."

by KennyGregoryRockThaCradle on Jan 2, 2010 12:54 PM CST up reply actions

Thanks

much appreciated

by 2.1 seconds left on Jan 2, 2010 12:59 PM CST up reply actions

Damn, the game just ended

and this pretty much hit it right on the head. Good call, 2.1.

lol can't have a CKC without KC - Nicholai Khabibulin (LN21)

by Andy Edwards on Jan 2, 2010 6:36 PM CST up reply actions

Kenpom don't lie

by 2.1 seconds left on Jan 2, 2010 6:57 PM CST up reply actions

You better watch out, buddy.

RC gonna come around the corner and kiss you if you keep referencing KenPom.

lol can't have a CKC without KC - Nicholai Khabibulin (LN21)

by Andy Edwards on Jan 2, 2010 8:38 PM CST up reply actions

They are god awful offensively

so as long as we do anywhere close to our thing defensively and get one little spurt we should win fairly comfortably.

Then again this is a road game right after the holidays, so who knows if the good Jayhawks are going to show up.

Beadlemaniacs - Award winning* college basketball blog

by fetch9 on Jan 2, 2010 10:00 AM CST reply actions

I think this is a huge game for us

I’ve got kinda the same vibe as with the football team…we’ve won but something just isn’t there, at least yet. I have full faith in HCBS that we will build as the season goes along, but the team is soft, especially Aldrich.

"He once had an awkward moment, just to see how it felt...he lives vicariously...through himself- He is the most interesting man in the world"

by Home Run Tony Cogan on Jan 2, 2010 10:50 AM CST reply actions

How is Aldrich soft?

Double digit rebounds and 6 blocks in his first game without bronchitis seems pretty tough to me. I’m more impressed that he was able to keep his stats at a respectable level with all that stuff going on, and now that he’s fine he’ll be back to 15-16 points and 10+ rebounds every game.

by 2.1 seconds left on Jan 2, 2010 11:03 AM CST up reply actions

not scoring

he’s getting pushed out of position too much on the offensive end. he’s not playing well enough IMO. he’s got to do better. we shall see, i’m certainly rooting for him, don’t get me wrong but he’s not playing at the level we need if we’re seriously going to make a run this year.

"He once had an awkward moment, just to see how it felt...he lives vicariously...through himself- He is the most interesting man in the world"

by Home Run Tony Cogan on Jan 2, 2010 11:12 AM CST up reply actions

You ever try to sprint up and down a court with bronchitis?

I’d be shocked if that wasn’t affecting his scoring.

by KennyGregoryRockThaCradle on Jan 2, 2010 1:03 PM CST up reply actions

15-16 points a game is probably a little high for Aldrich.

I’m guessing his average from here out will be around 12-13. He’ll have a few 20 point games. Xavier, Sherron, and one of the Morris boys will be the scorers.

Glad I came, just wish I hadn't stayed so long.

by Warden11 on Jan 2, 2010 11:47 AM CST up reply actions

Yeah it is

I thought about it and did the math, and even if he improves his FG% and FT% to last years, and saw a return to about 30 minutes a game (all pretty reasonable expectations, I’d say) then he’s be at almost 14 per game. That sounds about right to me.

by 2.1 seconds left on Jan 2, 2010 11:57 AM CST up reply actions

Temple has 34,000 students? Seriously?

Wow place is pretty big, I always assumed it was small. Thats more than KU has

by Andrew Clark on Jan 2, 2010 12:14 PM CST reply actions

I always thought it was smaller, too.

I’m guessing that number is highly inflated with non-trads and commuters though, similar to Johnson County Community College.

Glad I came, just wish I hadn't stayed so long.

by Warden11 on Jan 2, 2010 1:01 PM CST up reply actions

It’s too bad this game couldn’t be played at the Palestra- one of the few arenas in the country that might have more history and ghosts than Allen.

by KennyGregoryRockThaCradle on Jan 2, 2010 1:00 PM CST reply actions

In other news

Syracuse just lost to Pitt. According to Seth Davis’ logic, we no longer have to lose right?
Tool.

by 2.1 seconds left on Jan 2, 2010 1:10 PM CST reply actions

That was surprising to me

Cuse has looked real good all year and Pitt is really down this year. Crazy

by Andrew Clark on Jan 2, 2010 1:42 PM CST up reply actions

(except against Le Moyne)

Glad I came, just wish I hadn't stayed so long.

by Warden11 on Jan 2, 2010 1:48 PM CST up reply actions

They did lose some really important guys

But they’ve only lost twice, and even though one of those was to Indiana the only other loss they have is to Texas. I bet they’ll finish out better than expected, but its going to be tough in the Big East

by 2.1 seconds left on Jan 2, 2010 1:49 PM CST up reply actions

Yeah I did really only watch them against Indiana

Since my brother goes there, and they looked crappy that game so I likely made a snap judgement. Jamie D is a good coach though, and they always play tough physical ball, so they likely are always gonna be able to knock off a few teams and be competitive in down years.

by Andrew Clark on Jan 3, 2010 1:22 PM CST up reply actions