Team Player

As the 2009-2010 Temple women’s basketball team charged through the postseason A-10 Tournament, former Owl Candice Dupree, CHPSW ’07, became a member of the 2010-2012 USA Basketball Women’s National Team. She was the first female player at Temple to be drafted by the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), and also was the first to be drafted by the Chicago Sky, the WNBA team for which she currently plays.

A-10 Tournament Update

The women’s basketball team pulled out a thrilling upset in overtime against No. 2 seed Dayton on Sunday evening to advance to the A-10 Championship today. The Owls take on nationally ranked No. 5 Xavier at 5:00 PM at Show Place Arena in Upper Marlboro, MD.  Support the Owls and come out to watch our women vie for the tournament title! Buy your tickets now.

Going to the game? Stop by the Temple alumni suite (Private Suite #3 inside the arena) for complimentary drinks and food. The suite opens at 4:00 and will remain open throughout the game.

Can’t make it to DC? Catch the Owls on TV on ESPN2.

In men’s basketball news, Head Coach Fran Dunphy was awarded the A-10 Coach of the Year title as the men look forward to this weekend’s A-10 Tournament. Atlantic 10 co-champions, the Owls face the winner of the Duquesne vs. St. Bonaventure game at noon on Friday, March 12. Temple Athletics will host a pre-game party at Bally’s beginning at 10:00 AM. Show your Owl pride – let’s turn Atlantic City into a Temple home town! Get your game tickets now.

Owls Update

The new year has ushered in high hopes for Temple Athletics. Our men’s basketball team has maintained its top-25 rankings in both the ESPN and AP polls, and the A-10 season opens against St. Joe’s tonight. The two-time A-10 tournament champs are looking for the sixth straight win against the rival Hawks. Get your game tickets here.

In football news, the Owls finished the year with their first bowl appearance in 30 years. Despite a heartbreaking fourth quarter loss to UCLA, we’re optimistic that a new era in Temple football truly has begun. Our coaches have made quite a splash this year too. Golden finished 7th in fan voting for Liberty Mutual’s Coach of the Year while Tom Deahn was named the National Football Operations Director of the Year by FootballScoop.com. 2010 season tickets are now available at www.owlsports.com.

Temple women’s basketball has been recognized by the Philadelphia Inquirer in its recent Philadelphia Women’s Basketball All-Decade team. Graduate Candice Dupree was named Player of the Decade while current seniors LaKeisha Eaddy and Jasmine Stone were both named to Temple’s 15-member Team of the Decade.

Golden Finishes 7th in Coach of the Year Fan Voting

Congrats to Temple Football Head Coach Al Golden, and thanks to all of the alumni and fans who voted for him in Liberty Mutual’s Coach of the Year award competition. With a total of 4,399 votes, Golden finished 7th in the online fan vote, ahead of Clemson’s Dabo Swinney, Cincinnati’s Brian Kelly and USC’s Pete Carroll. This is the first time that Golden has made the top-10 finalist rankings.

Temple alumnus Jason Read, SBM ’03, wrote in, “Coach Golden has inspired many of his athletes on the field, in the classroom, and whilst giving back to the community. His selfless commitment to these young men spans a far greater path than just barking directions on the football field.” We couldn’t agree more!

The Coach of the Year winner will be announced on Wednesday, Jan 6 at www.coachoftheyear.com.

Owls Earn Top 25 Spot

Temple Men’s Basketball is on fire. With a five-game winning streak, including victories over Big East giants Villanova and Seton Hall, the Owls have earned a spot in the top 25 rankings. The AP poll puts Temple at No. 21 while the ESPN/USA Today poll ranks the Owls No. 25.

The key to the Owls success is a stellar defense and great leadership. Their scoring defense currently ranks No. 3 in the nation while their 3-point scoring defense ranks No. 4. Temple’s team is well balanced, too, with several players stepping up to lead on the court, including senior co-captains Ryan Brooks and Luis Guzman.

You can catch the Owls in action during the university’s holiday break. Tickets are still available for these upcoming games:

• Dec. 28 vs. Bowling Green – It’s “Turn Back the Clock Night” with retro uniforms and admission and concessions prices
• Jan. 2 vs. top-ranked Kansas
• Jan. 6 vs. Saint Joe’s

For game tickets, visit www.owlstix.com.

Vote Golden

Liberty Mutual’s Coach of the Year voting is back, and Temple Head Football Coach Al Golden has made the final cut! Now, he needs our help to clinch the No. 1 spot and earn $50,000 for the charity of his choice and $20,000 for the alumni association. Visit www.coachoftheyear.com to vote today, and every day! (I’ve voted three times so far.)

Why vote Golden? Besides the fact that he’s lead Temple’s football team to its first bowl game in 30 years, Golden positively represents the university far beyond the playing field. He’s helped the Owls to make significant academic progress, showing that he cares about the student just as much as the athlete; he’s brought the team into the community to improve the quality of life in Philadelphia, visiting local children’s hospitals, hosting bone marrow drives and sponsoring a thanksgiving food drive each year; he’s brought pride back to Temple Athletics, drawing unprecedented crowds at the Linc and national recognition to the school.

Temple downs ‘Nova Wildcats

The Liacouras Center was packed with energy on Sunday afternoon as the Owls took on #3 Villanova in a much-anticipated Big Five match-up. Led by sophomore Juan Fernandez, who scored a career-high 33 points (that boy was on fire!), Temple defeated a top-five school for the first time since 2000. Already charged up with football’s bowl berth, students charged the floor after the game to celebrate what looks to be a whole new era in Temple athletics.

Chanting “We want Kansas!” as they celebrated at center court, the student section is already anticipating an upset of the #1 ranked team when they travel to Owl Country on Jan. 2. Don’t miss out on the action: You can buy a pre-game reception and ticket package through the Temple University Alumni Association for $65 per person. Or, if you already have your ticket, you can attend the reception for $30 per person. Registration ends on Dec. 18.

Coach of the Year Top 15

The fan voting has closed in Liberty Mutual’s Coach of the Year contest, and our own Head Football Coach Al Golden finished in the No. 13 spot, thanks to the voting of Temple’s loyal alumni and fans. Golden, who is leading the Owls to their first bowl game in 30 years, beat out Penn State’s Joe Paterno, Texas Tech’s Mike Leach and many other coaching greats with more than 7,000 votes.

Now, the top 15 coaches go through an extensive evaluation process before the finalist voting opens up again on Dec. 15.  On that date, check www.coachoftheyear.com to see if Golden qualifies for the next round and, if so, start casting your votes. You can vote once a day and share your pick on facebook.

The winner of Coach of the Year earns $50,000 to donate to the charity  his choice, as well as a $20,000 grant to donate to the university’s alumni association.

Bowl-Bound

The Owls will make their first bowl appearance in 30 years on Dec. 29 at the EagleBank Bowl in Washington, D.C. Depending on the outcome of this year’s Army vs. Navy game, Temple will face either Army or UCLA.

You can purchase your tickets, make travel plans and get the latest info at www.owlbowl.com.
Game tickets begin at $30.

Temple has more than 8,600 alumni in the Washington, D.C area, and thousands more within an easy drive. Let’s show our opponent the impact of Temple’s loyal fans. Watch your e-mail for more information about a pre-game party, bowl gear and more.

Don’t get Temple e-mails? Update your address at myowlspace.com/profile.

The Little Owl that Could

Freshman wide receiver Matt Brown may stand at a mere 5’5″ and 167 pounds, but don’t underestimate him. He’s a powerhouse. At Saturday’s game against Kent State, he repeatedly slid through the Golden Flashes defense for a total of 156 yards and two touchdowns, leading the Owls to a 47-13 victory.

This is now the ninth straight Temple win and, if the 20,000+ crowd at the Linc is any indication, a sign of great things to come for the Owls (I even saw ticket scalpers outside the Linc!).

The home season is over, but you can still catch the Owls in action against Ohio University this weekend and then, hopefully, at the MAC Championship in Detroit followed by a bowl game. Temple Athletics will be arranging postseason trips. Watch your inbox and our blog for more info.