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Temple had a come from behind victory by going on a 8-0 run in the last 24 seconds of the game to beat UCF on UCF’s home court. Temple picks up it’s first conference victory and now has a 6-6 overall record, 1-2 MAC conference record.

UCF had previously beaten Tempke by 17-points in a game played at Temple. Temple was led by freshman J.White who scored a season high 17-points. D.Dunn scored by 16-points, and J.Williams 13-points.

Temple has three straight conference wins and finds itself with a 3-2 conference record, and standing alone in 4th place in AAC play.

With high-scoring T. Battle going down due to a season-ending injury, it was thought that the season was not going to go well.

But aided by Asst Coach M. Ross leading Temple to it’s first two conference wins, there’s hope for a decent season this year.

It’s always been puzzling if this year’s team lacked good players or was McKie’s coaching the problem, or whether there’s a combination of both.

Now seems that Temple has some decent players in Jourdain, Dunn, White, and Williams, but Mckie plays a high-turnover offense that Temple’s own players have to overcome to in order to eke out conference wins. Some posters like to blame the players not the HC for Temple’s high number of turnovers. Not so, as Mckie’s offensive system requires lots of passes, and that’s a recipe’ for Temple players making excessive turnovers.

Hope Temple players can continue to win in conference play.

Temple beat Tulsa 69-64 at Tulsa, and now enjoys a 10-6 overall season record, and is 3-2 in AAC play.. temple has won it’s last three conference games.,

NicK Jourdain led Temple in scoring with his 21-points. D.Dunn scored 17-points.

Temple would have scored even more points but for it’s 19-turnovers.

Temple next plays Wichita State at home on Wednesday night .

Temple finds itself with a 16-10 overall record, and a 9-6 AAC record. Quite impressive given that Temple lost K.Battle, it’s best player, early in the season.

Temple’s offense was still sub-par as Temple is averaging just 67 ppg, just 1.1 more ppg than it’s opponents.

Temple had a good record because it’s defense helped win some close games.

Temple improved it’s negative turnover margin this season but still turned the ball over almost 1 turnover per game than it’s opponents.

Will be interesting to see who stays and who transfers out, and how good Temple’s new transfers and freshman recruits will be.

Temple finished with a winning season, 17-12, and 10-7 conference record. Impressive, given that Temple lost it’s best player K. Battle, early in the season.

Lot’s of discussion on Temple Cherry and White Message Board on whether Temple HC should be retained.

Regardless as to how good a team’s roster is, I first evaluate a HC on whether his team commits less turnovers and commit less fouls than it’s opponents. This season, Temple averaged 19.1 fouls per game, most in the AAC. Temple committed 1.6 more turnovers per game than it’s opponents. Both are terrible stats and are indicative of bad coaching. Once again, Temple averaged just 65 ppg under HCMcKie.

Under Asst. Coach Ross, Temple’s defense has been decent the last three years.

In conference play, Temple averaged so few ppg, due to excessive turnovers and personal fouls, coupled with overall bad shooting As Temple shot but 43 percent on two’s and 31 percent on three’s. Temple did not have overall good shooters, nor coaches that could improve a player’s shooting.

Temple struggled to score against good teams like Houston and Memphis. Scoring but 44 points against Houston does not bode well if Temple hopes to be an elite conference team.

With T.Strickland transferring, and without other players transferring, Temple will only be able to recruit one player. But the good news is that Battle will return.

I always maintained that Hamilton was a far superior player than Forrester, that Mckie should not have started Forrester over Hamilton, nor forced Hamilton to transfer-out. Playing for Kent State, Hamilton had a far superior season than Forrester had.

As Hamilton averaged 25 mpg compared to Forrester’s 16 mpg, and per 100 possessions, Hamilton’s offensive rating was 114 compared to Forrester’s 107, and his defensive ranking (the lower the better) was 94 compared to Forrester’s 101.

Hamilton would have helped Temple far more this season than Forrester did.

Dre Perry had a good year playing for Albany. He only played in 16 games as he suffered a season-ending injury. He’s finally got to start and average 32 mpg. He averaged 12.8 ppg and shot 50 percent on two’s and 34.7 percent on three’s.

When he played at Temple for HC McKie, he should have started over Moorman. Another botched coaching decision. Could have helped Temple this season.

Moorman played for UC Riverside this season. He shot 51.4 percent on two’s. He also shot his two’s well during his first two year’s playing for Temple HC Dunphy, but poorly playing two year’s for McKie at Temple. Another indication of how bad McKie’s offense was and still is.

Arashma Parks, J.Williams, T. Strickland, Jake Forrester, and Sage Tolbert. are all transferring. This is second transfer for Strickland Forrester, and Tolbert. Temple now has five bb scholarship openings.

Villanova beat Houston 50-44 yesterday in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament. Houston has been primarily a defensive team as Houston averaged just 71.3 ppg in conference game, and opponents averaged just 61.1 ppg in conference play.

Houston shot a woeful .54 percent on three’s (1-21) Can’t win doing that.

Villanova shot but 25 percent on three’s (5-20)., but did manage to score 15 points on three’s, compared to Houston scoring but 3-points on three’s. Houston couldn’t overcome that even though it shot it’s two’s at a higher percentage, 43 percent to 34 percent than Villanova did.

Houston shot two’s at 54 percent in conference play and shot three’s at 31.7 percent or the equivalent of 46 percent on two’s in conference play. Knowing that, why Houston chose to shoot 21 three’s is a head-scratcher.

Three different Houston players shot 0-8, 0-5, and 1-5 on three’s. Houston would have won handily if most of those shots were mostly two’s. Each of those players should have stopped jacking up three’s after the missed their first 3-three’s. Head Coach should have told them that.

Houston found itself scoring but 20 points in the first half just as it did last year against Baylor in the Elite Eight game.

Villanova is a far better three point and foul shooting team,. Villanova scored 4 more three’s and six more foul shots than than Houston did, which offset Houston shooting two’s slightly better than Villanova.

Houston has far to much talent to play the way it did, ,

Some Temple fans are upset that J.Williams entered the transfer portal.

Williams problem is that took to many three’s and two point-jump shots and didn’t drive to the hoop more.

He stupidly took 52 three’s and shot them at only 23 percent or the equivalent of shooting 38.5 percent shooting two’s. He also took 70 two-point jumpers that he at 41 percent which is not bad.

But he would have been far better off taking driving to the hoop as he shot 58 percent at the hoop but only 58 of his fga’s were at the hoop. He should have taken far more.

In Williams defense, he was hampered by McKie’s half-court sets which made it difficult for players to get to rim, and and Temple not fast-breaking enough.

Sage Tolbert has entered the transfer portal.

Temple’s 10-7 conference record is very misleading as Temple scored less points than their opponents in conference play.Temple had a positive win-loss record due to Temple winning quite a few close games.

Temple’s offense should be far better with K Battle returning next year as he was Temple’s best shooter on two’s and three’s before he suffered a season ending injury early in conference play. But losing both Williams and Forrester Temple’s only other players who shot well on two’s will need to be replaced.

The only good three point shooters returning are Battle, Hicks, and Miller. Temple needs to add other good three point shooters.

Losing both Tolbert and Forrester will adversely effect Temple’s interior defense unless good transfer bigs are signed to replace them.

One has only to watch Temple’s lackluster low-scoring offense to know it’s not good. Seems some players realize that as well given the fact that so many players have transferred out in each of McKie’s three seasons as Head Coach.

Temple needs to upgrade it’s front-court as it’s offense needs more scoring.

Temple’s best up-front defensive players returning next season are Jourdain, Hicks, and White. Forrester was a terrible defensive player. Team may have to play more small ball next season.

The quality of Temple recruits who will likely be transfers will give fans a better indication how Temple May fair next season.

Temple has lost three front-court players, as Tolbert, Forrester, and Parks, have all entered the transfer portal.


Given that Temple is coming off a winning season, Temple should be able to sign multiple transfers who upgrade front-court. Good front-players are are difficult to find.

The significant loss is J. Williams, who was a decent starting back-court player for Temple but was not an impact player. Will be interesting to see who Temple signs to replace him. .

Temple has to improve it’s offense next season. As Dunn, White and Jourdain, all shoot 2 ‘s and 3’s poorly.

K.Battle is Temple’s only good 2 and 3 point shooter, and he may not return. Hicks and Miller only shoot three’s well.

K.Battle has entered the NBA draft.

Before he was injured, Battle put-up outstanding numbers playing in just few games. Didn’t do that his first two seasons.

His decision-making is still questionable as to when to take a jump shot and when to drive to the hoop. His dominating the ball makes him a difficult player to play with.

If Battle does not return, Temple will be taking a big hit as Williams has already departed. Mckie will have little to show for his decision two season’s ago to cast aside good players, and instead chose to be build the team.


As of right now, Temple has but five players returning-Dunn, Hicks, Jourdain, White, Opono, and Miller. All have weaknesses, some glaring.

If Battle is not drafted, he’d be far better off playing in the G-league as pro ball is a far different and advanced game than college ball is played and does not prepare him for playing pro ball. Moreover if he returns to Temple, he won’t be challenged by practicing with really good players. The sooner he gets a pro education the better. It’s a waste of his time for him to play for Temple again.

But he still has the option to withdraw from the NBA draft, and choose to return to Temple.

Last season, no Temple player who played in AAC games, shot both two’s and three’s at a decent rate. Such explains why Temple’s offense averaged but 66.8 ppg last season in conference play.

K.Battle shot both 2’s and 3’s well was K. Battle who played in but five games, and there’s a possibility he may not return to play next season. So, Temple desperately needs to bring in 2 or more players who can shoot both two’s and three’s well.

Temple also needs to bring in players who can shoot two-point jumpers at a decent rate, as returnees Miller, Jourdain, White, and Hicks, all shot two-point jumpers in the low 30 percent range. Can’t get much worse than that.

Temple needs more good three-point shooters as Hicks is the only good returning three-point shooter (37 percent). Miller is marginal as he’s a 33 percent three-point shooter. His two point shooting was bad and he mistakenly shot more two’s than three’s.

Miller’s lack of size has limited him to shooting but 47 percent at the rim. and only 35 percent on all two-pointers. While many fans look forward to Miller starting at PG next season, his weak 2-point shooting coupled with Temple having no other PGs, requires that Temple signs a decent in-coming PG. A large hole at PG has been left by both Williams and Strickland transferring.

With Williams having delayed, and if Battle does not return, Temple’s only good backcourt players will be gone.

Temple’s front-line is also decimated with the loss of Forrester, Tolbert, and Parks. Temple needs to upgrade and sign better front-court players. Temple’s cupboard is bare with only Okpono, Jourdain, and White available to play in the front-court.

I’m for a college athlete making as much money as hec can, and having the absolute right to transfer as many times as he wants. Know that’s tough on alumni and fans, but sure they wished to be in the athlete’s shoes.

Don’t see many college bb coaches telling players that playing defense to make shooters to take bad shots, and when they do so, not to foul. So many players foul opponent players on shots that opponent has little chance of making. Seems like HC’s area not aware that players shoot a far higher percentage at the foul-line than from the field.

For me, the only good shot is a lay-up.

Former Temple guard Monty Scott is now playing professional ball for the Gigantes de Carolina team in the Puerto Rican basketball league.

He’s played in all 5 games averaging 20 mpg coming off the bench, and 7.6 ppg. He’s also averaging 2.2 offensive rebounds per game, and 4.6 total rebounds per game.

He!s averaging the same number of minutes playing for the Gigantes as he played for Temple, yet has increased his offensive rebounding from .3 OR’s at Temple to 2.2 OR’s per game in the pro’s.

As a result, he’s providing his team with 1.4 more scoring opportunities per game, and opponents 1.4 less scoring opportunities per game, when his OR’s are added to his steals, and his turnovers are subtracted out.

In his last two games, he’s averaged per game giving his team 3.5 extra scoring opportunities, and opponents 3.5 less scoring opportunities, by his securing 6 offensive rebounds, 3-steals, and committing but 2-turnovers. As such, Scott’s producing a 7-9 point positive scoring margin for his team without even shooting the ball.

Mckie didn’t get that from Scott at Temple. Should have.

In his last three games, he’s shooting 42.8 percent on three’s. He’s played well on both sides of the ball.

He makes his starting debut this Saturday night joining Jordan Crawford and Tremont Waters. Both were formerly selected in the NBA draft.