M. Hoops hosts second straight top ten team

Temple, seventh in the country, is fresh off a last minute upset over Michigan State on Friday. The title No. 7 doesn't mean much in a league with only five teams, as Temple coach John Chaney will readily remind you. "You have to understand that the players and teams in this city, when they play against each other, they go out and give you the purest, truest form of basketball that can be found anywhere in the country," Chaney said. Tonight at the Palestra, Penn (0-1) has the thankless task of facing a Temple (4-0, No. 7 AP) team that overcame horrid shooting (36 percent), second-half free throw woes (2-of-9) and a 10-point deficit with three minutes remaining in a dramatic 60-59 upset of Michigan State (No. 5 AP) Friday night at the Apollo of Temple. "When Fran [Dunphy] and his team went out to play Kansas last Tuesday, he did not go tell his team 'we're overmatched, let's go out and give our best effort, and go home with a loss'," Chaney said. "No coach does that, especially early in the season." One key fact to consider is the familiarity both teams have with each other. The Quakers play the Owls every year, plus most of the players workout with each other during the offseason. "It's about bragging rights in the summer," Penn tri-captain Michael Jordan said. "When I work out with the older guys who are in the pros from Temple, I have to hear them say how they used to thrash Penn and how Penn never beat them." One big question arising from last week's events is whether the Owls can come down from the euphoria of a clutch victory on national television. "When I saw the schedule, and I saw we had Michigan State followed by a game at Penn, I was really concerned about first beating Michigan State, and then going to the Palestra and not playing as well as in years before," Owls guard Pepe Sanchez said. An aspect of Penn's game that has always concerned Temple is long-range threats, a general problem that resurfaced when the Owls allowed 50 percent three-point shooting in Friday night's first half against the Spartans. "We've never been successful against that outside shot," Chaney said. "Often, it causes us to change our defense around and we've done that in many cases, especially when Penn had Maloney and the three-guard set a few years ago. "The coaches in this city know how to get their best shooter a lot of touches on the ball. So you better recognize who their better shooters are. Penn happens to have more than one on their ballclub." One of those players emerged in the opener against Kansas. Penn forward Frank Brown exploded for 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting, including 3-of-4 from three-point range. Seemingly at ease with his shooting from long distance, Brown expects to do more of the same while improving the other aspects of his game. "Last summer, I practiced my shots and my legs are stronger now," Brown said. "So, I get better arc on my shots, and now just have to work on my defense and rebounding." The Quakers as a unit, however, will need to put an about-face on their shooting from beyond the arc. Excluding Brown's marksmanship, three other Quakers combined for 4-of-18 from outside. Other areas receiving attention are ball handling and defense. Jordan indicated that he will need to do better than the six turnovers he committed against Kansas. Dunphy concurred, suggesting that the solution is not all that complicated. "Jordan is way smarter than I will ever be on the basketball court," Penn coach Fran Dunphy said. "I trust in him extensively. All I want him to do is just slow down a little bit and make better decisions." Also, the Quakers will need to shut down shooting opportunities to avoid a repeat of what turned out to be a woeful second half at their own end. "We cannot shoot the same percentage as we did against Kansas," Dunphy said. "We certainly cannot turn the ball over like we did against Kansas. We cannot allow 75 percent shooting in the second half like we did against Kansas. "All of those things will kill us." Another threat to Penn's well being is having to contend with a bigger team. Temple possesses the size to dominate inside with freshman center Kevin Lyde as well as forwards Lamont Barnes and Mark Karcher. At 6'9", Lyde has already contributed from the paint, with 5.0 rebounds and 8.3 points per game. Barnes, a 6'10" junior, is averaging 10.3 points and 7.7 rebounds per contest. Karcher, a sophomore playing with freshman eligibility, is averaging half of Barnes' numbers but is not afraid to drive to the basket like a football fullback. Chaney has the chance to rotate between three bonafide guards, adding the backcourt tandem of Sanchez and Rasheed Brokenborough with reserve Quincy Wadley. Sanchez came through at the most opportune time, hitting 5-of-5 free throws in the last minute on Friday. Brokenborough chips in 13.0 points and 2.5 assists per game. Finally, junior guard Wadley shoots over 43 percent from the field. "We haven't really played well -- we've played well enough to win," Chaney said before last Friday's dramatic victory. "At this early stage, we're looking for growth in our players. And, hopefully in January, our team will be better." Both teams should be better in January, but the intensity won't get any better than tonight. Despite its early season arrival, this 48th meeting between Temple and Penn squaring off within the hallowed Palestra can bring out the best in every player who understands the history of Philadelphia basketball.