Men's Basketball Hosts No. 1/1 Villanova on Wednesday

PHILADELPHIA - For a third year in a row, Temple men's basketball will face a No. 1 ranked Villanova team as the Owls (6-2) host the top-ranked Wildcats (10-0) on Wednesday, Dec. 13 at 7 p.m. (ESPN2 / 1210 AM WPHT). Villanova is 3-0 in Philadelphia Big 5 play and has won 21 straight city series games, while Temple is 1-1 in Big 5 action so far this season.

Promotions
> Wednesday's game is a Cherry Out, and the first 500 students in attendance will receive a free cherry t-shirt.

Information for Fans
> The Liacouras Center Garage is expected to be full by 6:30 p.m. on gameday. Alternative parking lots are open on campus for Temple Basketball games. Please click HERE for gameday parking maps and prices.
> Fans will be able to enter the Liacouras Center beginning 2 hours prior to tip-off for games versusVillanova (12/13), UConn (1/28), and Wichita State (2/1). For all other games, doors will open 1.5 hours prior to tip-off.
> In an effort to increase patron safety at the Liacouras Center, metal detectors will be in use at all entrances. All bags will be checked upon entry into the Liacouras Center. Fans are encouraged to bring a clear plastic bag if possible. Due to these new security procedures, please allow extra time for entrance to the arena. Thank you in advance for your patience.

Facing No. 1
> Temple will play the No. 1 team for the 20th time in program history, and has a 2-17 record in those contests.
> This will be the third year in a row for the Owls playing the Wildcats as a No. 1 team, and the fourth time Temple will face a No. 1 team in the past three seasons (also North Carolina in the 2015-16 season opener).
> Temple has played a ranked Villanova team 14 times in the past, and is 5-9 in previous meetings with a ranked Wildcat squad.
> The Owls are 1-3 in such games played at the Liacouras Center.
> Villanova was ranked No. 1 the last time the teams met on North Broad Street, beating Temple 83-67 on Feb. 17, 2016. The Owls lost to a No. 9 Villanova team at home two years prior, but beat a No. 3 Wildcat squad 75-65 on Dec. 13, 2009.

Scouting Temple
> Temple went 2-0 in its first two home games last week and stands at 6-2 overall. The Owls are 1-1 in Philadelphia Big 5 play, while Villanova is 3-0 in the Big 5 and has won 21 straight city series games heading into Wednesday.
> The Owls played six games away from home before finally opening their home slate against Wisconsin on Dec. 6. Only six teams in Division I had the same or will have a later home opener later than Temple.
> After the Owls' back-to-back wins last week over Wisconsin and Saint Joseph's, Temple is now 11th in the NCAA Division I RPI (of 351 teams). Villanova is a few spots ahead in 6th, with both being the top teams in their conferences.
> Junior guard Shizz Alston, Jr. set a program record for consecutive free throws made with 52 in a row from Dec. 28, 2016 to Dec. 6, 2017. He leads the American Athletic Conference with a free-throw percentage of .962.
> Alston and sophomore Quinton Rose lead Temple with 17.3 points per game, tying for sixth in the AAC. Either Rose or Alston have led or tied for the team lead in scoring in all eight of Temple's games in 2017-18.

Scouting Villanova
> Villanova is undefeated at 10-0 overall, and jumped from No. 4 in the polls to No. 1 on Dec. 11.
> The Wildcats' closest games have been an eight-point win vs. Western Kentucky and a pair of nine-point wins vs. Tennessee and La Salle.
> Four players average in double figures in scoring for Villanova, led by Mikal Bridges at 18.1 ppg and Jalen Brunson at 17.2 ppg.
> Omari Spellman is the Wildcats' leading rebounder with 7.5 rpg, and Brunson is averaging a team-best 4.8 assists per game.

All-Time Series
> Temple and Villanova are meeting for the 92nd time in a series that dates back to the 1914-15 season.
> Villanova leads the series 48-43, but Temple has a 16-9 lead in games at home.
> The series record between Villanova and Temple is the closest of any of the Big 5 schools.
> The Owls have won three of the last eight meetings, but have lost four in a row. The last two losses have both come to a top-ranked Villanova team - 83-67 at home in 2015-16 and 78-57 at Villanova in 2016-17.
> Villanova has been ranked in the Top 25 for nine of the last 12 meetings. The Wildcats were ranked #3 in both 2005 and 2009, and were #1 in both 2015 and 2016.

Men's Basketball Hosts No. 1/1 Villanova on Wednesday

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Players Mentioned

Shizz Alston, Jr.

Quinton Rose

Temple University Athletics