What: Towson (4-5) at Temple (6-1)
When: 7 p.m. Wednesday
Where: Liacouras Center, Philadelphia, Pa.
TV/Radio: None/WPHT 1210-AM
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When freshman guard Quenton DeCosey committed to play basketball at Temple University on Sept. 14, 2011, Owls head coach Fran Dunphy knew he had landed a stud, but DeCosey’s role was pending.
When it comes to freshman players getting minutes for the Temple University program, it is a rare occurrence, especially under Dunphy. But DeCosey has emerged as a viable option off the bench this season for the Owls.
“I didn’t know what to expect coming in, I just knew I had to work hard for any minutes I was going to get,” DeCosey said. “In practice, I’m just continuing to work hard and learn from the older guys, so I think he has more confidence in me. And that’s where my minutes are coming from.”
Coming out of St. Joseph’s-Metuchen High School in New Jersey, DeCosey’s stock was one that was worth bidding for, but many institutions thought there were options on the market that would be more advantageous in the long run.
According to ESPN.com, DeCosey was just a two-star recruit and did not see a multitude of offers from top-notch basketball programs during the recruiting process.
It makes you wonder, considering DeCosey’s numbers during his senior year were exceptional as he averaged 24.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game en route to an all-state selection.
Most of the headlines were taken by now UCLA freshman Kyle Anderson, but while Anderson was balling out, so was DeCosey.
DeCosey finished his high school career second on the school’s all-time scoring list behind Duke star and former Chicago Bull, Jay Williams and ahead of current Sixers center, Andrew Bynum, who spent his junior and season at St. Joseph’s-Metuchen.
At 6-5, 180 pounds, DeCosey moves gracefully and fluently on the floor and when watching tape of the young guard, he can effectively conquer anything during the midst of the game on the offensive side of the ball.
Could his game improve? Certainly, but as a freshman, it is expected that such an inexperienced player is going to commit some mistakes here and there.
True freshmen usually never see consistent minutes on North Broad Street, if any at all, but Dunphy’s confidence in DeCosey has grown and the man they call “Q” is getting his name called more and more off the bench.
When DeCosey hears his name called, he is quick to jump off the bench, showing no hesitation as he makes his way to the scorer’s table to check in and when on the court, you can see DeCosey has an abundance of confidence.
DeCosey’s teammates clearly see the confidence and potential that he possesses.
“[Quenton] is a great guy, very talented and coach has a lot of confidence in him. He’s got a lot of confidence in himself and I think that’s gonna take him a long way and those big threes that he hit gave us a boost on the offensive end,” senior Scootie Randall said. “I think he’s still got a lot to learn. He’s got a long time to be a lot better than he is now.”
DeCosey has what the younger generation likes to call “swagger.”
He is quick to pull the trigger when a defender gives him open space, or when a lane appears. Many times this season, when DeCosey has hit a three he looks back to the Temple bench and gives them an assertive salute. That is what you call swag, people.
In Saturday’s 90-67 loss to Duke, the Owls were struggling and Dunphy needed any type of boost he could get, so he turned to DeCosey. He hopped off the bench immediately, threw down his warm-ups and was ready to roll.
“Coming in I just wanted to come in, be aggressive,” DeCosey said. “When coach Fran put me in there he said, ‘Just be aggressive, don’t worry about anything’ and I just wanted to try and help my team out anyway possible,” DeCosey told the media after the loss to Duke.
It turned out that against the nation’s No. 2 ranked team, it was DeCosey who was the lone bright spot for Temple, scoring 13 points on 5-6 shooting, including three 3-pointers.
“Q’s really gonna be a very good basketball player. He has no fear, he thinks he can just score against anybody at every time,” Dunphy said after Saturday’s game. “I think he’s really a good basketball player. He’s learning. He had some mistakes on the defensive end that he has to clean up, but he’s arriving as a college basketball player. He’s figuring that out how hard this stuff really is.”
DeCosey’s precision has a shooter is eye-popping, especially considering that he is only a freshman. On the year, DeCosey is shooting 59.1 percent from the floor, plus a 60 percent clip from beyond the arc.
In just 51 minutes so far this season, DeCosey has proven that a budding star might be evolving before our eyes and with the way he has been playing as such an inexperienced player, one would think that DeCosey will start getting more opportunities as the season progresses.
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-Home sweet home: Temple hosts Towson for the first of three consecutive games at the friendly confines that is the Liacouras Center. The Owls will not play again until next Wednesday when they welcome Canisius into town. This Wednesday will be a celebration of the Liacouras Center being home to the Owls for the 15th straight season. The first 1,500 fans will receive a Liacouras Center tee-shirt as part of the celebration.
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-Scouting Temple: Temple entered last week having played some weak opponents. The Owls put on a strong showing against the Villanova Wildcats, then got beaten up by a Duke team that should very well contend for a national championship in April. … Randall and senior guard Khalif Wyatt were held to just 12 combined points against the Blue Devils. When that happens, it will be tough for Temple to win any game. … Foul trouble plagued the Owls on Saturday, giving Duke scoring opportunities on the most simplistic shot in basketball. … Temple’s post and perimeter defense was very poor on Saturday, but after a few days off and plenty of tape to watch, the Owls should improve in those areas against Towson. … Senior forward Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson played with so much energy vs. Duke on both ends and is due for another solid game. His athleticism could cause problems against Towson.
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-Scouting Towson: Towson (4-5) comes into Wednesday’s game after putting up a fight against No. 15 ranked Georgetown on Saturday. Towson held the Hoyas to just 46 points and lost by only six points. … The Tigers are second in the Colonial Athletic Association and can rebound the ball very well. Temple has gotten outrebounded in just one game so far; so keep an eye on that stat line. … Towson is led by 6-8, 245 pound, junior forward, Jerrelle Benimon. Benimon transferred to Towson from Georgetown and is averaging 15.7 points and 10.6 rebounds per game. Benimon is coming off a fantastic weekend was selected as the CAA Co-Player of the Week. Temple has had a lot of trouble with big, physical post players this season, so that is an area of concern for the Owls. … Freshman guard Jerome Hairston is Towson’s second-leading scorer. Hairston can play the one or two spot and is a versatile guard that can shoot, pass and take the ball to the cup. Hairston is averaging 9.6 ppg.
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Sound Off: Will Khalif Wyatt return to form?
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