M. Hoops Temple "scouting" report

With the Penn v. Temple matchup rapidly approaching, I decided to do a little scouting on the Quakers’ cross-town rival---in the comfort of my own home. Luckily for me, my younger brother and fellow sports enthusiast, John, just completed his first semester at Temple. In between his multiple pickup basketball games over winter break and his nocturnal lifestyle, I managed to get a quick run down on the Owls’ personnel from my baby brother.

Keep in mind, this information is coming from a freshman that has made it on ESPN not once, but twice, with his chest painted in support of his team. (He would be disappointed in me if I didn’t mention the fact that one of these instances was in the pouring rain at Lincoln Financial Field). For obvious reasons, my parents could not be more proud of their first born son. So here goes nothing….

Fran Dunphy: Even with just one semester of Big 5 basketball fandom under his belt, my brother was quick to recognize Temple coach Fran Dunphy’s connection to the Penn basketball program. While it’s old news, it might bear repeating that during his 17 years as the Quakers’ head coach, Dunph led the squad to 48 straight Ivy League wins and four league titles from 1992-1996, three of which with current Penn coach Jerome Allen at point guard.

Juan Fernandez: The junior guard played for the U18 Argentina team during his high school years in Rio Tercero, Argentina. It was there that he led his team to victory over the United States in the World Championship game. Fernandez also worked out with the Argentine National squad this past summer. He is without a doubt my family’s favorite player and I do believe his jersey is a staple article of clothing in someone’s wardrobe.

Lavoy Allen: According to my brother, Allen declared to enter the NBA draft his junior year, but decided to come back to Temple and play out his senior season. While I’m sure this wasn’t his only motivation for returning, Allen needs 179 rebounds to break the school’s record. My mom wanted me to add that he is on a billboard along I-76 that reads, "Allen's town".

Ramone Moore: Moore was named the A10 6th man of the year last season. He is now Temple's leading scorer, with 15.4 points per game, 30 of which came in Temple’s triumphant win against the then-No. 9 Georgetown.

Cherry Crusade: Every home game, the Cherry Crusaders (members of an organization somewhat comparable to Penn’s Red and Blue Crew), are located at a specific spot on campus where they paint up the bodies of Temple students. Although he is not a member of the group, my brother is one of their top clients, which of course, can be seen in this image from the Georgetown upset.