Prior to his injury, T. Strickland’s play in Temple scrimmages has been consistent with his limited stats his freshmen year at Wisconsin.

He’s a terrific three-point shooter, has a nice mid-range game, and although he has some nifty mods getting to the rim, but given that he’s not that tall l, he’s not consistent getting to the rim. Although he’s can garner assists, he’s also excessively turns the ball over.

I think it’s best that he not be used primarily as a PG, but rather as a combo guard who shoots both 2 and 3-point jump shots off his dribble, or on catch and shoot. His shooting form is nice to watch. as he doesn’t rush and has a nice arc on his shot.

It’s my judgment that he should shoot as many three’s as he can. I can see him at some point shooting 40 percent on 3’s , or 2-point jump shots, and should seldom go to the hoop in half-court sets. Do think he’s as good of 3-point shooter as Alani Moore was, but will commit way more turnovers as Alani did if given the primary responsibility of distributing the ball.

Do believe he’d be most effective shooting 70 percent of his field goal attempts as three’s. My fear is that he will take the majority of his shots as two’s, and such will limit his ability to be a force on the offensive end of the court.

Temple needs not only to replace Alani Moore’s excellent three-point shooting, but also to make a concerted effort to shoot way more three’s than they did last season so they once again don’t get outscored by conference opponents.

Last season, Temple shot 33 percent on 3’s, second best in the conference.which is the equivalent of shooting 50 percent on two’s. The only two’s in which Temple scored 50 percent is when they went to the rim. When Temple shot two-point jump shots, Temple shot in the low 30 percent range.


It’s due to Temple shooting two point jump shots at only in the 30-35 percent range thatTemple wiund up shooting just 43.6 percent in conference, much less than it’s opponents shot at 47.6 percent.

As such, Temple would be wise to move as many of it’s fga’s as they ban into shooting three’s or going to the hoop. With that said, Temple with the addition of D.Dunn and Quincy A., both excellent two-point shooters, will raise Temple’s two point shooting percentage on 2-point jump shots.,

I believe Temple not only has the players to shoot more three’s but also has the players who have the capability to increase Temple’s three-point shooting percentage on 3’s overall to 36 percent.

Dre Perry is one of those players who can raise both Temple’s shooting percentage on three’s and also increase the number of three’s Temple makes. Last season, Perry shot 41 percent on 3’s for the season, which dropped to 34 percent when he was at times injured. As with more playing time he should go from taking 2.5 three’s per game to averaging 8 three’s per game.

Since Perry shot 56 percent on 2’s in conference play, his taking 7-2’s per game would greatly incresse the number of points Temple scored in a game.on point shots.

I also see Quincy A shooting three’s somewhere above 35 percent. I’ve already mentioned T. Strickland as being an excellent three point shooter. D.Dunn, J.Williams, J.White, and K.Battle also shoot three’s.

Do want to see Moorman play at Center. Moorman shot 41 percent on 3’s his sophomore year, and only 29.4 percent this past season, He should play at Center over Forrester as Forrester is not a three point shooter nor is he a good 2-point jump shooter as he shot them at 33 percent on two l-point jumpers (48 percent of all his fga’s) as compared to Moorman’s 38 percent. Moorman is not as good as Forrester scoring at the rim but Moorman does commit far fewer turnovers or fouls, and opponents score fewer points when Moorman is on the court.

Also, with Moorman on the court, Temple can play a spread offense with 5-out, or 4-out with a player in the high post. Such would open driving lanes, keep the lane clutter free, and result in more scores at the rim, trips to the foul-line, and open three-point shots. Such offense would fit Temple’s personnel as it allows Temple to play players who can get to the rim and put 4 or 5 players on the court who can hit three’s.

All conference teams take a lot of 2-point jumpers and shot them in the the 30-35 percent range. By Temple creating an offense that allows for fewer 2-point jump shots being taken by Temple, such would create a distinct advantage over all other conference teams, as I see no signs that other conference teams are moving away from shooting a good number of 2-point shots at a low rate.

There are reports that transfer Sage Tolbert did not even apply for a waiver to play for Temple this season. If true, that’s a big loss. as Temple needs more depth in the front court. One can only hope that transfer K.Battle’s waiver request to the NCAA to play this season is approved.

National Presidential election is tomorrow. White House now on lockdown. Higher fence being constructed tomorrow to protect WH. DC National Guard being activated in DC tomorrow. What’s going on? Is President Trump going to declare himself the winner regardless of the outcome of the vote, and anticipating protests?

Last season, Temple shot 35 of it’s fga’s as three’s, and and 65 of it’s shots as three’s. Of the 2-point shots, 55 percent of all two’s were shot near the rim, and 45 percent were 2- point jump shots. Temple shot 56 percent (372-653) at the rim, and only 29 percent at two point jump shots (163-562). Temple shot three’s at 33 percent in conference play, the equivalent of 50 percent on two’s.

As a result, Temple only averaged making 43.6 percent on all two-point shots which ranked 10th in the conference play. Conference opponents shot 47.6 percent.

The above cries out for Temple to play small ball so the floor is spread and spaced, allowing Temple and shoot both take more shots at the rim and far more three pointers, and far less two l- point jump shots.

Since Temple shot the second highest 3-point percentage in the conference last season it should have taken more three’s than it’s opponents and not as few as Temple did.

It’s puzzling why HC McKie said Temple was not a good three-point shooting team. It was.

As Temple averaged 21.5 three’s per game. Temple should have averaged even more than the 25.9 three’s per game as SMU did. Actually,, Temple would be wise to take 29 three’s per game or half their fga’s as three’s, as two-point jump shots result in Temple scoring fewer points.

Temple would have shot and scored more three’s if Perry had played more minutes and shot more three’s, and more plays were created for Alani Moore to shoot more three’s. Both were 40 percent three-point shooters for the season and if so, Temple’s three point shooting percentage and made three’s would have risen. , Temple would have outscored opponents on three’s by a nice margin, and Temple would not have been outscored on three’s by opponents as they were.

By shooting more three’s Temple would have taken less 2-point jump shots.

This up-coming season, Temple has in Perry, Quincy A, and Strickland, and hopefully Moorman, Williams, J.White, and Battle (if declared eligible to play), players who can both shoot more three’s, and shoot three’s at a higher rate than last season.

Temple has to reduce the number of two-point jump shots they take by shooting more three’s, and by driving and scoring at the hoop. As Temple shot 56 percent (372-653) last season driving to the hoop. As previously mentioned, Temple has to help it’s new players in getting to the hoop by spreading the floor and thus opening driving lanes.

Even with Temple hopefully driving to the hoop more, Temple will still take a considerably number of two-point jump shots. I’m confident that Temple’s Quincy A and D.Dunn will shoot considerably higher than the 27 percent that both Rose and Nate shot last season. The only Temple player shooting above 38 percent on two-point jump shots was Scott who shot them at 44.7 percent.

Temple needs to drive to the hoop more. Rose. NPL, and Scott, all shot well at the rim. Temple will have spread the floor to open up driving lanes, and both Perry and Moorman need to drive to the hoop way more than they did last season. Temple will need to constantly play a pressure and disruptive defense so it’s players can both steal the ball and make easy lay-ups on the other end.

Conference opponents also shot poorly on two-point jump shots last season. Temple will need to set it’s defense this up-coming to cut down on scoring at the rim, and to force teams to shoot two-point jump shots.

I’ll discuss my suggestions for what Temple should do in a later post.

I think Dre Perry can have an explosive year for Temple.

His freshman year he finished shooting 68.2 percent ((15-22) at the rim, and shooting 36.7 11-30)?on three’s in conference play, At the time, I argued that he should have been played far more in conference play, and should have shot far more than he did. I was roundly criticized by posters asserting if he shot more he would have shot at a lower percentage as his sample was too small and opponent defenses would concentrated on him more as he shot more.

I’ve never put much weight in such argument for Perry is 6’6,” muscular, and quick, and is going to be able to get to the hoop and hit three’s even taking more shots. As Temple coaches will create plays that will open driving lanes for him, and create other plays for him that would result in his having open three point shots.

In his sophomore year, after starting season as a starter, later was injured and played injured.

This past season, even though defense lawyers didn’t concentrate on him he did take more two’s and three’s and shot both at a higher rate. As this past season he shot 70.3 percent (26-37) at the rim taking more shots. Such was best on the team. He shot 59 percent 28-51) on all two’s this past season.

Same happened on three-point shooting as this past season as he shot 41.3 (26-63).

Temple would have had a winning record if he had played as much as Rose did and had taken as many He doesn’t have glitz as his demeanor is reserved and he plays the right way. His defense is stellar.

Temple doing well this season starts with Perry. He must be the focal point of the offense, along with Quincy A, who I believe will be very good from the get-go Both must average 35 mpg and take at least 15 fga per game. Temple will shoot approximately 58 fga’s per game and Temple may well need both of them to take half off them.

Perry has a chance to the best forward in the AAC and to play pro ball oversea’s or at home.

Temple freshman J. White has undergone meniscus knee surgery, and is expected to be out 2-3 months. He joins transfer PG T.Strickland who’s recovering from shoulder surgery. High-energy freshman J. Williams is expected to start at PG when the season commences later this month.

In order for Temple to not once again be ranked 10th in the conference shooting but 43.6 percent on two’s, Temple needs to alter both it’s offense and defense.

The primary reason Temple shot so poorly was because almost half it’s 2’s were 2-point jump shots that it shot a 29 percent. Would be better off going to the hoop more often where it shot well over 50 percent, and shooting more three’s.

Temple won’t eliminate all their 562 2-point jump shots (an astounding 18.2 per game), but they need to move away from taking so many 2-point jump shots.

Temple does spread the floor and relies on it’s perimeter players to look for openings.. That’s not good enough. Temple could have gotten so much more out of talented Quinton Rose. No reason for him to have shot 171 two point jump shots at just 26 percent.

Running more back-cuts, pick and rolls, passing the ball inside from the high post, and doing alley-opp timing plays. Should install elements of Pete Carril’s Princeton offense that resulted in uncontested scoring at the rim. Should copy NBA plays run by teams like Golden State Warriors. One Illinois college team that’s did went undefeated.

Temple needs to run more three’s-point plays by placing Moorman, a good passer, in the low post and having him kick the ball out to the three-point line. Or have perimeter players penetrate and kick the ball out to the three point line. Villanova killed Temple in the second half by doing so.

Temple needs to play more it’s pressure half court defense so that players force more opponent turnovers that results in easy lay-ups. Temple did that the first two games last season as NPL had 5 steals in one game and 6 in the second game. The rest of the season Temple substantially curtailed it’s Temple’s pressure defense, that resulted in NPL mostly making 0, 1, or 2 steals in games.

Simply relying on signing better players is not enough. Virginia has success without recruiting 5-star players. Temple needs in install better offensive and defensive systems.

Posters often say that Temple had a bad season because they rebounded poorly. But one should keep in mind if a team shoots worse than it’s opponents, opponents are going to garner more defensive rebounds than their opponents. So before making a judgment on a team’s rebounding, first look to see how many fga’s each team missed.

I like to check a box score and compare the offensive rebounds of each team. If my team is missing more shots than it’s opponents that’s not a good sign as a positives offensive rebounding differential margin shoes how many more additional scoring opportunities one team had over the other.

Although I want my team to garner more rebounds I put little stock in rebounds, as they have far less of an impact on the outcome of a game as compared to the turnover differential margin and the shooting percentage differential margins between Temple and it’s conference foes..

To support my position, I would point out that season, Temple rated 3rd in the conference in defensive rebounds and had a losing conference record of 6-12.The prior season, Temple had fewer defensive rebounds and rated 7th in the conference in defensive rebounds, and finished 13-5 in conference play. Temple losing this past season was do to their shooting percentage dropping from 49.8 on two’s in the prior season to 44.6 percent last season, and Temple going from having a positive turnover margin the season before, to having a negative turnover margin this past season in conference play.

One reason I prefer small ball. Rather have a smaller quicker player who can get to the hoop and hit three’s over a slower PF.

With Temple freshman J.White now out, and the date of T.Strickland’s return uncertain, Temple will be hurting to find a back-up PG to J.Williams who will likely start. Can see D. Dunn, a combo guard, running Temple’s half-court sets, but he will to lost getting back on defense as he has no wheels. Guess Quincy A. is next in line.

Temple’s backcourt now quite thin with J. Williams, D.Dunn, and Quincy A, unless transfers K.Battle’s waiver request to play is granted by NCAA. Agree with another poster, that his waiver request is probably on appeal given how long has passed.

With the season not having even started, Temple’s starting PG T.Strickland is recovering from shoulder surgery, and incoming freshman J.White is recovering from knee surgery.

It also appears that incoming transfer Sage Tolbert won’t be able to play this season, and with each passing day, it seems highly doubtful that transfer K.battle will receive a waiver to play this season.

Temple may well start the season with only 9-players ready to play.

Temple has no backcourt players returning from last season. Likely starters in the backcourt are J.Williams at PG, D.Dunn at SG, and Quincy A at SF. Both Dunn and Quincy A are good shooters and slashers who will have to provide Temple with it’s backcourt scoring. Both are untested so we’ll have to see how good they are.

Dre Perry and JP Moorman will have to provide Temple’s front court scoring. Perry is an excellent shooter who played limited minute last season. JP Moorman will need recover from shooting poorly last season, and one can only hope he shoots as well as he did his first two seasons.

Jake Forrester, Arashma Parks, and Nick Jourdain will all be in the rotation. To be even competitive, Forrester will have to reduce his excessive turnovers and fouls. Almost although Parks has some nifty low-post moves and USA force on the offensive glass, he did not shoot well and committed excessive fouls. One can only hope that freshman Nick Jourdain can shoot, play good defense, and rebound.All three need to play well if Temple is be competitive.

Given the present state of affairs, it seems that Scott, Hamilton, and JPL, could have greatly helped Temple if they had not transferred out.

On the positive side, Temple does have s good recruiting class coming in next season, and maybe even more, if some players decide to leave after this season.

Congrats to new President Joe Biden!!

Last season, Dunphy left HC McKie with a basket full of fruit. But after starting the season strongly, Temple quickly disintegrated in conference play and wound up with a losing record.

Disagree with those who say HC Mckie wanted his own players, as the players who departed he actively recruited.

McKie decided to start anew and good players transferred out. There was no need to take such a drastic step backwards. for he’s put himself in the position of starting with a bare cupboard, and then had to heavily recruit new players coming off a bad record. That resulted in Temple bringing in two transfers who likely will not play this season, and a very young and inexperienced recruiting class.

Temple fans will cut HC McKie some slack, but it’s unfortunate that they may well have to wait till next year to see if Temple can reverse itself from a likely poor record this season.

With Temple probably going to start the season with three guard (Williams, Dunn, and Quincy A) Temple won’t have much depth to start the season. Dre Perry will probably have to play in the backcourt as well as in the front court. Until Strickland returns, Temple will have a hard time playing an up-tempo small ball offense for extended periods of time.

With teams scoring their highest percentages at the rim and on three pointers, and far less on two point jump shots ( no more than mid-30’s), smart coaches (not many) set their defenses to force opponents to shoot two-point jump shots.

Good defenses give up something and the best thing to give or force opponents to do is give opponents the two-point jump shot. Opponents are simply not going to beat your team shooting two-point jump shots.

Teams that try to stop everything usually stop nothing.

Teams can stop the three ball by playing three players on the perimeter.

Teams can stop scoring at the rim in two ways.

One by playing a big by the rim. Second, by playing a mobile big on front of him to be the first line of defense against any dribble penetration from the perimeter coming from ant direction- top, wing, or baseline.

Three perimeter players stay at home and are responsible for forcing three point shooters to dribble or give ball up.

If opponents plays four players out, the three players merely rotate rather than have the mobile big come out on the fourth man.

This defense is called an umbrella defense. Perimeter players are not responsible for stopping drives to the hoop. The two players inside are.

Most teams split their bigs inside on each side of the hoop or play man to man. Such should be done rarely and mostly to give opponents a different look.

I looked a at James Scott’s transfer to mid-major Portland State U located in Oregon, it’s seems clear the it’s much easier to recruit players to come to school in a beautiful area on the west coast, than to here in Pennsylvania.

I say that because PSU lost 7 players, and were able to recruit 7 transfers that include 3 from the PAC 10, and Scott from the. AAC. One of the players was junior college player of the year. They also recruited two good freshmen players.

Doesn’t see it’s as easy to get good players to come to Philadelphia. The harsh winter weather may play a roll in that.

While the recruiting class is stacked, the team won’t likely be have it’s first contact drills until later in the week as the Oregon governor has just lifted her order prohibiting contact drills. Temple first games are at the end of the month. Not much time to prepare for them.

How does one with a straight-face lose with the Presidency by 4.6 million votes nationwide and ask for a recount in three States?

Ken Pomeroy has ranked Temple as the 154th best team in the nation. It’s pre-season ranking is dragged down by it’s 220 offensive ranking. Will be interesting to see if Temple will score more than the 66.7 ppg they averaged in conference play.

Temple will have better starting shooters in D.Dunn and Quincy A., but they’re inexperienced. Temple also has it’s best shooter Dre Perry returning, and one can only hope he’ll be set free to score, and not be muffled like he was last season. Moorman will need to step-up as Temple needs his scoring.

Although some have said that Temple will be hampered if T.Strickland can’t start the season as PG, I don’t look upon him as a distributing PG as he’s turnover prone. I view Strickland as a really good three point shooter much like Alani Moore was.

J.Williams will be starting the season as Temple’s PG. He’s very athletic and tenacious At 6’5,” I suspect he’ll be a better defender than either Alani Moore was last season, or T. Strickland will be when returns. Unknown is whether Williams can exceed exceed the 8.4 ppg that Alani Moore averaged last season.

Zach Hicks has signed his letter of intent to play next season for Temple.

Under Covid protocols, if any Temple bb player or coach contracts Covid virus, there can be no practices nor games for 14-days. Games will need to be rescheduled.

Temple did not practice last week because someone contracted the virus.

Coming off last season, Ken Pomeroy rates Temple’s defense 112 in the nation. Last season, Temple was better defensively than they were the prior season when they had a winning record. In part, that may have been due to the AAC not being as strong offensively as it was the prior season. NPL and Rose were keys to Temple’s defense and they will be missed. But i’m confident that freshmen Quincy A. and J. Williams are good defenders. D.Dunn is not.

Returnees J.Forrester and A. Parks are both poor defenders. It’s for that reason, I’d rather see Temple playing small ball with JP Moorman and Dre Perry primarily playing the center position.

Temple’s first men’s bb game is Nov.25th against NJIT at 1 pm at Temple. Max. attendance set at 250.

Pomeroy ranks Temple 154th in the nation; NJIT-205. Temple’s best chance to pick-up an early non-conference win. Following games are against Virginia Tech, Rhode Island, and Villanova.

2021 PG recruit Hysier Miller has signed with Temple. Joins Zach Hicks.