The #24 Temple University Owls are heading out on the (tobacco) road to face the #1 team in the nation: the Duke University Blue Devils. The game will air on ESPN 2 at 7:00 p.m. this evening.
This is Temple's second meeting with a national number one in the last two seasons. Their last contest against the best in the country, a January 2, 2010 match up with the Kansas Jayhawks, saw Temple fall on its on own floor by a final score of 84-52. Much to the program's credit, however, Temple has not lost on its home court since that afternoon, a streak of twenty-straight wins at the Liacouras Center. Unfortunately, this game will not be played at home, but rather within the hostile confines of the famed Cameron Indoor Stadium. Do the Owls have a shot against the best this great nation has to offer? Find out after the jump...
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As much as it pains me to say it, the outlook is pretty bleak. Temple is without two key starters in Scootie Randall and Michael Eric, and suffer from a distinct lack of size and flexibility in their absence. Mike Krzyewski is an intelligent coach, and it won't take a neurosurgeon to game plan this weakened Temple team.
With Eric gone for the season and reserves Craig Williams and Anthony Lee unavailable due to season-long injuriesof their own, talented senior Lavoy Allen measures in as Temple's tallest at 6'9. From there, the height drops to the 6'6 Rhalir Jefferson. Every other member of the roster aside from graduate walk-on Dutch Gaitley plays at guard.
The strategy, as such, should be rather evident: go after Allen. I would expect a heavy dose of drives into the lane and dumps into the post early in an effort to remove Temple's best defender and rebounder from the game. A quick couple fouls for Allen could wind up forcing Temple into a four guard line up anchored by Jefferson at the 5. Though it's certainly an entertaining group to watch get up and down the floor, such a squad more than likely won't hold up over the long haul against Duke.
Then again, the Owls do have their hot shooting nights every now and then -- last Thursday's 56% effort against Richmond, for example. Still, that's not the kind of strategy you want to bank on heading in a game like this, or any, for that matter.
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As if being short-handed wasn't already enough of a challenge, the Dukies are just freakishly awesome at home. Aside from the small matter of winning 34 in a row when surrounded by Crazies, Duke has not lost an out-of-conference match up at Cameron Indoor since February 26, 2000, an 85 game streak over almost exactly eleven years.
Commenting on the history of the Duke program and the allure of their arena, Temple coach Fran Dunphy stated in his post game press conference last Sunday, "It's an honor to play that program with that coach and that storied tradition in that facility. I've taken a couple teams down there and it's a fabulous atmosphere, and it's an atmosphere the kids are never going to forget."
Responding to a question comparing Cameron to another building the coach is more than familiar with, Dunph agreed with a sentiment labeling the Stadium "the closest thing in the country to the Palestra." Coach went on to speculate that he was"pretty sure" the architects of the two buildings were actually "one in the same."
Unsurprisingly, it turns out Fran was right. A man by the name of Julian Abele is evidently responsible for both works of art. Here's to hoping he has a grand-kid or two interested in architecture.
Anyway, before wrapping up, it should also be noted that Temple has not won at Duke since 1949 and has dropped its last eight straight against the Blue Devils. The last meeting between the two occurred in January of 2008 at the then-Wachovia Center, a competitive game the Owls would ultimately lose by 10.
So, what does this all of this have in common? Well, none of it particularly inspires hope. Still, countless Temple fans, myself included, will be glued to their televisions tonight hoping our boys can pull off the shocker.
Any students, alums or otherwise believe Temple's got a shot tonight? T-minus four hours to game time. Leeggggoooo.