Temple University Athletics
Temple is Going Dancing; Owls to Face Iowa in NCAA First Round in Brooklyn
3.13.16 | Men's Basketball
PHILADELPHIA – Temple, seeded 10th in the South Region, will face seventh-seeded Iowa in the first round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., on Friday, March 18. Game time is set for approximately 3 p.m. on truTV, following the conclusion of Villanova-UNC Asheville at noon.
The Owls are making their 32nd NCAA Tournament appearance and first since 2013 after advancing to the semifinals of the National Invitation Tournament a year ago.
The Cherry and White (21-11) are under the direction of 10th-year head coach Fran Dunphy, named the American Athletic Conference Coach of the Year for a second year in a row in 2015-16. Dunphy is making his 16th NCAA Tournament trip (seven at Temple). The Owls, led by senior and unanimous American First Team selection Quenton DeCosey, enter the tournament winners of 10 of their last 13 contests.
DeCosey ranks third in The American in scoring with 15.6 points per game. He also ranks fourth in minutes played per game (34.4), is tied for sixth in steals per game (1.3), ranks 12th in free-throw percentage at .774 and is 18th with 6.0 rebounds per game.
Coming into the NCAA Tournament on a hot streak is senior Jaylen Bond, who led the Owls with 17 points in both of their American Tournament games, and was named to the All-Tournament Team for his efforts. Bond, who ranks fifth in the league with 8.3 rebounds per game, notched his 10th double-double of the season with 17 points and 10 rebounds in the Owls' semifinal loss to eventual tournament champion UConn.
Iowa comes into the tournament with an overall record of 21-10, having lost six of its last eight games including its first Big Ten Tournament game against Illinois. The Hawkeyes are coached by Fran McCaffery who is in his sixth year at the helm. Senior Jarrod Uthoff leads Iowa with 18.9 points per game, while junior guard Peter Jok averages 16.2 ppg. Senior center Adam Woodbury leads the Hawkeyes with 8.5 rebounds per game.
Last season, Iowa was also a seven seed and advanced to the round of 32, beating Davidson before falling to Gonzaga.
Iowa leads Temple 2-0 in the all-time series, winning in both 1955-56 and again in 1990-91. The first of those was in the NCAA Final Four, with the Hawkeyes winning 83-76 against the Owls. The teams played again in the 1990-91 season opener at Iowa, with the Hawkeyes edging the Owls 73-71.
In the other second-round match-up in Temple's bracket in Brooklyn on Friday, second-seeded Villanova will face 15th-seeded UNC Asheville.
Click here to watch video of the team's reaction.
Press Conferences: Fran Dunphy | Jaylen Bond and Quenton DeCosey | Josh Brown and Obi Enechionyia
The Owls are making their 32nd NCAA Tournament appearance and first since 2013 after advancing to the semifinals of the National Invitation Tournament a year ago.
The Cherry and White (21-11) are under the direction of 10th-year head coach Fran Dunphy, named the American Athletic Conference Coach of the Year for a second year in a row in 2015-16. Dunphy is making his 16th NCAA Tournament trip (seven at Temple). The Owls, led by senior and unanimous American First Team selection Quenton DeCosey, enter the tournament winners of 10 of their last 13 contests.
DeCosey ranks third in The American in scoring with 15.6 points per game. He also ranks fourth in minutes played per game (34.4), is tied for sixth in steals per game (1.3), ranks 12th in free-throw percentage at .774 and is 18th with 6.0 rebounds per game.
Coming into the NCAA Tournament on a hot streak is senior Jaylen Bond, who led the Owls with 17 points in both of their American Tournament games, and was named to the All-Tournament Team for his efforts. Bond, who ranks fifth in the league with 8.3 rebounds per game, notched his 10th double-double of the season with 17 points and 10 rebounds in the Owls' semifinal loss to eventual tournament champion UConn.
Iowa comes into the tournament with an overall record of 21-10, having lost six of its last eight games including its first Big Ten Tournament game against Illinois. The Hawkeyes are coached by Fran McCaffery who is in his sixth year at the helm. Senior Jarrod Uthoff leads Iowa with 18.9 points per game, while junior guard Peter Jok averages 16.2 ppg. Senior center Adam Woodbury leads the Hawkeyes with 8.5 rebounds per game.
Last season, Iowa was also a seven seed and advanced to the round of 32, beating Davidson before falling to Gonzaga.
Iowa leads Temple 2-0 in the all-time series, winning in both 1955-56 and again in 1990-91. The first of those was in the NCAA Final Four, with the Hawkeyes winning 83-76 against the Owls. The teams played again in the 1990-91 season opener at Iowa, with the Hawkeyes edging the Owls 73-71.
In the other second-round match-up in Temple's bracket in Brooklyn on Friday, second-seeded Villanova will face 15th-seeded UNC Asheville.
Click here to watch video of the team's reaction.
Press Conferences: Fran Dunphy | Jaylen Bond and Quenton DeCosey | Josh Brown and Obi Enechionyia
Players Mentioned
F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's BasketballTemple Men's Basketball | Babatunde Durodola Day In The Life
Saturday, September 13
Ep. 3: Temple Volleyball Head Coach Linda Hampton-Keith || Lacrosse Student-Athlete Jenna Facciolli
Friday, September 12
Ep. 2: Temple Football Alum Tyler Matakevich || Gymnastics Junior Amelia Budd
Friday, September 05
Elevate the Owls: Temple Athletics' Competitive Excellence Fund
Tuesday, September 02
