The Sports Bank’s college basketball season previews undergo a face lift this season. Rather than counting down the top 111 teams in 111 days, we will go conference-by-conference. I’ve already counted down the Pac-12, Big 12, and SEC, and now turn my attention to the already new-look AAC.
The Temple Owls first season in the AAC was a train wreck as the program finished with their lowest win total since the 1975-76 season. With three key transfers joining the fray, Temple should bounce back and be knocking on the door of an NCAA Tournament berth.
TEMPLE OWLS
Last Season: T-8th, 4-14 in AAC, 9-22 overall
Predicted AAC Finish: 4th
Projected Depth Chart
C: Mark Williams (So)/Devontae Watson (Jr)
PF: Jaylen Bond (Jr)/Jimmy McDonnell (Sr)/Obi Enechionyia (Fr)
SF: Daniel Dingle (So)
SG: Quenton DeCosey (Jr)/Jesse Morgan (Sr)/Devin Coleman (Jr)
PG: Will Cummings (Sr)/Josh Brown (So)
Gone: F/C-Anthony Lee (transfer-Ohio State), G/F-Dalton Pepper
2014-2015 Outlook:
Fran Dunphy will lean heavily on his experienced guards, Will Cummings and Quenton DeCosey who you can argue make up the best starting backcourt in the conference. The duo combined to average more than 32 points per game a year ago but need to become bigger difference-makers on the defensive end which was an overall team weakness for the Owls.
There is quality depth at guard with returning reserve backup Josh Brown and the addition of transfers Devin Coleman and Jesse Morgan. Brown was relied upon defensively as a freshman and will resume that role behind Cummings. Morgan, a UMass transfer, has an interesting situation in that his eligibility runs out after the first semester meaning he and Coleman, who becomes eligible after the first semester, will ultimately switch roles in mid-December.
Returning from a torn meniscus that prematurely ended his 2013-14 campaign, Daniel Dingle is expected to start at small forward. He is versatile enough to play either forward position so he provides Dunphy with the flexibility in case Temple goes with a smaller lineup.
Up-front, the addition of Texas transfer and Philly native Jaylen Bond should provide a boost defensively and on the boards and offset the loss of Anthony Lee who left for Ohio State. Bond never found his niche with the Longhorns but brings physicality to the floor for the Owls. Mark Williams is expected to start alongside Bond in the frontcourt and brings an inside/outside ability to the floor. Devontae Watson and Jimmy McDonnell bring more size inside and top 100 recruit Obi Enechionyia is yet another club in Dunphy’s bag who will challenge for minutes off the bench.
Key Non-Conference Games:
11/17 vs. Louisiana Tech
11/21 vs. Duke (Coaches vs. Cancer)
11/22 vs. Stanford/UNLV (Coaches vs. Cancer)
12/3 at St. Joseph’s
12/6 vs. La Salle
12/14 at Villanova
12/18 at Delaware
12/22 vs. Kansas
OTHER AAC PREVIEWS:
#7 UCF KNIGHTS
#8 SOUTH FLORIDA BULLS
#9 HOUSTON COUGARS
#10 TULANE GREEN WAVE
#11 EAST CAROLINA PIRATES
SEC PREVIEWS:
#1 KENTUCKY WILDCATS
BIG 12 PREVIEWS:
#1 KANSAS JAYHAWKS
#2 TEXAS LONGHORNS
PAC-12 PREVIEWS:
#1 ARIZONA WILDCATS
#4 UCLA BRUINS
David Kay is a senior feature NBA Draft, NBA, and college basketball writer for the Sports Bank. He also heads up the NBA and college basketball material at Walter Football.com and is a former contributor at The Washington Times Communities. David has appeared on numerous national radio programs spanning from Cleveland to New Orleans to Milwaukee to Honolulu. He also had the most accurate 2011 NBA Mock Draft and the most accurate 2012 NBA Mock Draft on the internet (Yup, repeat champ… #humblebrag), and finished with the second most accurate 2013 NBA Mock Draft (nearly a three-peat.) You can follow him on Twitter at David_Kmiecik.