Wednesday preview: Undefeated Temple travels up to Buffalo

What: Temple at Buffalo

When: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday

Where: Alumni Arena

TV/Radio: CSN/1210-AM

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Khalif Wyatt and Temple look to improve to 4-0 on Wednesday at Buffalo. (Philahoops file)

With Sunday’s 80-75 victory over the University of Delaware at the Liacouras Center, the Temple Owls moved to 3-0 on the young season.

You can take the undefeated start how you want. Players and coaches will take a hot start any way they can get it. Heck, there’s nothing better than starting on the right foot amidst a strenuous 30-plus game college basketball season, but three wins over Kent State, Rice and Delaware may not be eye-popping to many college basketball experts out there. What I will tell you, though, is that with three W’s in the left side of the record column and a zero to the right, Temple has conquered something that hasn’t happened in over a decade.

Coach John Chaney rings a bell to almost any avid college basketball fan, but how about Lynn Greer, David Hawkins, Kevin Lyde and Quincy Wadley?

Let’s take a second to rewind back to the 2000-01 season.

Bill Clinton’s eight-year tenure as President of the United States had just come to a conclusion, giving way to George W. Bush who took office in January of 2001.

The New York Yankees had just defeated the New York Mets in the Subway Series for their third straight World Series title. The Baltimore Ravens took down the New York Giants in Super Bowl XXXV on January 28^th. The Los Angeles Lakers would go on to defeat the hometown Philadelphia 76ers 4-1 for their second of three consecutive rings and the Colorado Avalanche would raise Lord Stanley’s Cup by defeating the New Jersey Devils.

The New Millennium was under way and I was just 9 years old enjoying my days in elementary school.

Under Chaney’s guidance, the Owls moved to 3-0 with wins over Delaware, New Mexico and Memphis. After taking down Indiana to move to 4-0, the Owls dropped seven straight games and the season looked to be going the wrong way down Broad Street.

Eventually, Temple got its act together en route to a 24-13 record, finishing second in the Atlantic 10 and earned a No. 11 seed in the NCAA Tournament. It was a nice feat given where the team was earlier in the season.

After beating Texas 79-65 in the first round, the Owls steamrolled Florida 75-54, followed by an 84-72 win over Penn State putting Chaney’s unit in the Elite 8 against the No. 1 seeded Michigan State Spartans.

Temple dropped that game 69-62 and wouldn’t make it back to the tournament until 2008 under current head coach, Fran Dunphy.

Now, as we sit here on November 26, 2012 the Owls currently sit at 3-0 on the year for the first time since that magical 2000-01 ride, looking to move to 4-0 for the first time since that same season as they head up north to take on the Buffalo Bulls of the Mid-American Conference at 7 p.m. Wednesday.

“I’m happy to be 3 and 0, I’d like us to be playing a little bit better basketball right now but we’ll take it and we’ll move on to Buffalo on Wednesday,” Dunphy said after Sunday’s win.

Buffalo currently sits at 2-5 on the year with wins at Evansville and home vs. Mansfield, which came on Saturday to end a three-game losing streak.

The Bulls have just two seniors on the roster but eight players are averaging at least 14 minutes per game, so head coach Reggie Witherspoon, who is in his 14^th year as UB’s headman, has a lot of options.

Temple leads its opponents in every major category, but as always coach Dunphy is never satisfied and sees room for improvement after three games.

“Everything, everything,” Dunphy said, when asked what the Owls need to do better. “Yeah, I think we need to defend better, I think we need to shot select better, and I think we have to be a little bit more understanding of what our roles are. I think those three things.”

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-Scouting Buffalo: Junior forward Javon McCrea is Buffalo’s leading scorer averaging 17 points per game and 6 assists. In fact, the 6-foot-7, 250-pounder is the only player on Buffalo averaging double figures. … Junior guard Jarod Oldham is Buffalo’s best all-around player averaging 9.3 ppg, 6.0 rpg, and 3.7 apg. … Will Regan (9.1 ppg) and Tony Watson (8.8 ppg) round off the Bulls scoring attack.

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-Scouting Temple: Temple’s depth was in full force on Sunday and that should be the case again on Wednesday. Buffalo isn’t the biggest team, so look for big minutes from Jake O’Brien, Anthony Lee and Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson. … You have to expect seniors Scootie Randall (21.7 ppg) and Khalif Wyatt (14.7) ppg to pace Temple’s scoring attack. … Will Cummings enters the game averaging just over 16 minutes per game, but look for Dunphy to utilize Cummings more to try and get the sophomore point guard more in tune with the pace of the game. … If Temple gets a healthy lead, don’t be surprised if freshmen Quenton DeCosey, Daniel Dingle and Devontae Watson get some run.

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Sound Off: Who is your breakout player for Wednesday’s game?

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