Let's just say, you're sitting around at tournament time. What should you be aware of? Of all the things going on, what is the on thing to look out for?
You guessed it-Temple. That's what they all say. "Come tournament time, you better watch out for Temple." You hear this from everybody. Dick Vitale, Digger Phelps, Clark Kellogg, Chris Fowler, Greg Gumbel, even Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit I think.
But where is Temple, and its unbeatable, impenetrable, two-three match-up zone? Sitting at home, just like Lamar, Winthrop, Jackson State and 44 other teams.
And the team to eliminate the Owls... none other than a Seton Hall team that lives and breathes through Shaheen Holloway. Oh yeah, Holloway went down in the opening minutes of the game and did not return.
The vaunted match-up zone, as it is called by many an analyst, was dissected by none other than Ty Shine, Holloway's replacement who torched the Owls for 27 points. Shine only averaged 7.7 points per game for the season.
ESPN analyst Greg Collins made the brilliant comment in his Temple tournament outlook, "An ill-prepared team (like a second or fourth round match-up) will not be prepared for the nuances to [Temple's defense] and could be frustrated."
Riiiight.
What round did the Owls go down? Oh yeah, the second.
So, why does everyone and their grandmothers expect Temple to make such a great run in the tourney every year? Let's look at the facts; that might help explain things.
Last season, Temple made a run to the regional finals before falling to top-seed Duke. In its previous five seasons in the tourney, the Owls put up a goose egg in the Sweet 16 column, not one appearance.
Of its last seven appearances in the tournament, Temple has made it through the gauntlet that is the second round just once. Moreover, John Chaney has compiled a tourney record of just 20-16.
But come March, whatever you do, beware of those Temple Owls.
You know the old children's tale from the sea, "Misery loves company?"
Many an NCAA disappointment does. So who else is meeting up in a bar with Temple to drink their sorrows away while watching the rest of the tournament on a big screen television?
Well, you can rest assured that "Huggie bear" is there curled up next to the fire in a black monogrammed turtle-neck. Cincinnati gets plenty of hype every year, but the hype usually ends around the second week of March.
Granted, this year had some extenuating circumstances, but what about the previous six seasons? One trip past the second round.
Maybe all the Bearcat players just hate missing too much class and want to get back for some quality time in the library.
And how about those goalpost-carrying Terps? Very impressive; a 5-5 mark in the tourney over the last five years, including an embarrassing 35-point loss to UCLA Saturday.
Too bad they didn't have Steve Francis. Oh, they couldn't advance too far with him either, could they?
Arizona and Lute Olsen, a controversial top seed. There was no need for controversy, Wisconsin proved that. It's one thing to fall in a heartbreaker, but the Wildcats were basically dominated by the Badgers for 40 minutes. I wonder if Wisconsin employs a two-three match-up zone? Probably not, that defense is a fluke anyway.
But Arizona made a solid run last season, falling in the opening round to Oklahoma. The year before that, the Cats received another No. 1 seed. Unfortunately that trip came to an abrupt halt after a 25-point smashing at the hands of Utah.
On the other side of the coin, there are some teams you have to tip your hat to. Gene Keady and the Boilermakers, these guys are making their third straight appearance in the Sweet 16.
Stanford makes a run to the Final Four two years ago and gets high seeds in each of the following years. Gonzaga just missed the Final Four by a few points last season, and what do they get? Another 10 seed. No problem. The 'Zags are taking care of business again this year, poised to take the next step. And why shouldn't they? Their center's name is Axel Dench.
And, of course, there's Duke. Enough said.
So, when next March rolls around, keep your eyes peeled. I beg of you, watch for Temple. I feel certain that the Owls will be ready for another upset-minded tournament spurt. If by some terrible chance you have to take on the Owls and their dominating two-three match-up zone, I suggest you go find yourself a Ty Shine to save the day. It worked for Tommy Amaker. Oh, and a little Axel Dench never hurt anybody either.
UPON FURTHER REVIEW is a weekly column written by a Chronicle sports columnist. It appears every Wednesday.
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