Temple University Athletics
Saturday, December 17
Liacouras Center
2:00 p.m.
Temple University
vs
NJIT
Men's Basketball Hosts NJIT on Saturday; Inducts Three More Into Ring of Honor
12.15.16 | Men's Basketball
PHILADELPHIA - Temple men's basketball (7-4)Â is back home for its next three straight games, starting with a 2 p.m. contest against NJITÂ (5-7) on Saturday, Dec. 17 (ESPN3 / 1210 AM WPHT). It will be Dollar Dog Day at the Liacouras Center, and Santa Claus will be on the concourse to take pictures with fans.
Three new members will be inducted into the Temple Basketball Ring of Honor at halftime of Saturday's contest. These individuals, Bruce Drysdale, Bill "Pickles" Kennedy and Jay Norman, who are all members of the Philadelphia Big 5 and Temple Athletics Hall of Fames, will have their names permanently displayed in the Temple Basketball Ring of Honor that adorns the walls above the upper bowl of the Liacouras Center.
Drysdale, a product of Philadelphia's Lincoln High, starred for the Owls from 1959 through 1962. The 5-10 guard averaged 17.8 points over his three-year career helping lead the Cherry and White to the NIT each season. He also twice led his team in scoring, assists, field goal and free throw percentage. As a junior in 1960-61 he was named the Big 5's Most Valuable Player with a 21.3 scoring average which still ranks 10th on the school's all-time list. A two-time Associated Press Honorable Mention All-American and First Team all-Big 5 selection, Drysdale scored 1,444 points for his career.
Another product of Lincoln High, Kennedy teamed with Drysdale for one season, 1959-60, to form one of the best backcourts in Philadelphia college basketball history. One of the greatest multisport athletes in Temple history, Pickles also teamed with Guy Rodgers in the backcourt for the 1958 Final Four. Also an all-star centerfielder for the Owls, he was twice named First Team all-Philadelphia Big 5 and earned Big 5 MVP honors his senior season. That year, he averaged 22.2 points per game, tied with Hal Lear for the fifth highest single season total, and dished a team best 102 assist to earn Third Team All-American honors from the Associated Press. Kennedy, who was tragically killed in a car accident in 2006, scored 1,468 points and his 18.1 career scoring average still ranks fifth in Temple history.
A standout on the great Harry Litwack coached teams in the mid-50s, Norman helped lead the Owls to two NCAA Final Fours and one trip to the NIT. The Philadelphia native and Mastbaum High grad was the first player to grab over 1,000 rebounds and still ranks fourth all-time with 1017 boards. A two-time First Team all-Big 5 honoree, he once pulled down 22 rebounds in the Owls' 1956 NCAA Final Four win over SMU. Also a prolific scorer with 1024 career points, Norman starred in the Eastern League before serving as an assistant coach on the Temple staff for 21 years under LItwack, Don Casey and John Chaney.
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This trio joins Mike Bloom, Pepe Sanchez, Don Shields and Terence Stansbury, who were the first group inducted into the newly-formed Temple Basketball Ring of Honor on Nov. 20.
Temple finished as runners-up in Philadelphia Big 5 play this season with a record of 3-1 after a 78-57 loss at No. 1/1 Villanova on Dec. 13 in the Owls' most recent game. It was the third time in two seasons the Owls had faced the No. 1 program in the nation, and the third Top-25 team Temple had faced this season after defeating the other two. Junior Obi Enechionyia is the Owls' leading scorer, ranking fourth in The American with 17.6 points per game and ninth with 7.4 rebounds per game.
NJIT and Temple are meeting for the first time in program history. The Highlanders have lost three straight, all on the road, and stand at 5-7 for the season. Senior Damon Lynn is NJIT's leading scorer with 22.5 points per game, and has led the team in scoring in all but two games so far.Â
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Three new members will be inducted into the Temple Basketball Ring of Honor at halftime of Saturday's contest. These individuals, Bruce Drysdale, Bill "Pickles" Kennedy and Jay Norman, who are all members of the Philadelphia Big 5 and Temple Athletics Hall of Fames, will have their names permanently displayed in the Temple Basketball Ring of Honor that adorns the walls above the upper bowl of the Liacouras Center.
Drysdale, a product of Philadelphia's Lincoln High, starred for the Owls from 1959 through 1962. The 5-10 guard averaged 17.8 points over his three-year career helping lead the Cherry and White to the NIT each season. He also twice led his team in scoring, assists, field goal and free throw percentage. As a junior in 1960-61 he was named the Big 5's Most Valuable Player with a 21.3 scoring average which still ranks 10th on the school's all-time list. A two-time Associated Press Honorable Mention All-American and First Team all-Big 5 selection, Drysdale scored 1,444 points for his career.
Another product of Lincoln High, Kennedy teamed with Drysdale for one season, 1959-60, to form one of the best backcourts in Philadelphia college basketball history. One of the greatest multisport athletes in Temple history, Pickles also teamed with Guy Rodgers in the backcourt for the 1958 Final Four. Also an all-star centerfielder for the Owls, he was twice named First Team all-Philadelphia Big 5 and earned Big 5 MVP honors his senior season. That year, he averaged 22.2 points per game, tied with Hal Lear for the fifth highest single season total, and dished a team best 102 assist to earn Third Team All-American honors from the Associated Press. Kennedy, who was tragically killed in a car accident in 2006, scored 1,468 points and his 18.1 career scoring average still ranks fifth in Temple history.
A standout on the great Harry Litwack coached teams in the mid-50s, Norman helped lead the Owls to two NCAA Final Fours and one trip to the NIT. The Philadelphia native and Mastbaum High grad was the first player to grab over 1,000 rebounds and still ranks fourth all-time with 1017 boards. A two-time First Team all-Big 5 honoree, he once pulled down 22 rebounds in the Owls' 1956 NCAA Final Four win over SMU. Also a prolific scorer with 1024 career points, Norman starred in the Eastern League before serving as an assistant coach on the Temple staff for 21 years under LItwack, Don Casey and John Chaney.
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This trio joins Mike Bloom, Pepe Sanchez, Don Shields and Terence Stansbury, who were the first group inducted into the newly-formed Temple Basketball Ring of Honor on Nov. 20.
Temple finished as runners-up in Philadelphia Big 5 play this season with a record of 3-1 after a 78-57 loss at No. 1/1 Villanova on Dec. 13 in the Owls' most recent game. It was the third time in two seasons the Owls had faced the No. 1 program in the nation, and the third Top-25 team Temple had faced this season after defeating the other two. Junior Obi Enechionyia is the Owls' leading scorer, ranking fourth in The American with 17.6 points per game and ninth with 7.4 rebounds per game.
NJIT and Temple are meeting for the first time in program history. The Highlanders have lost three straight, all on the road, and stand at 5-7 for the season. Senior Damon Lynn is NJIT's leading scorer with 22.5 points per game, and has led the team in scoring in all but two games so far.Â
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Players Mentioned
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