Jan 30 2044: 4-star prospect Colton McCoy committed.
Jan 02 2044: 5-star prospect Korey Whitmore committed.
Nov 11 2043: 3-star prospect Russ Bergman committed.
Oct 08 2043: Fernando Benitez was hired as the new assistant coach.
Oct 08 2043: Assistant coach Josiah Lee was let go.
Jun 30 2043: Douglas Mantovani was drafted round #2, pick #23 by Cleveland.
Jun 30 2043: Forrest Forster was drafted round #2, pick #3 by Portland.
Jun 30 2043: Reginald Braxton was drafted round #1, pick #24 by Denver.
Jun 30 2043: Owen Woods was drafted round #1, pick #7 by Seattle.
Mar 15 2043: Made the national tournament field.
Pts Ave: 78.4 - 75.9 Pts Diff: +2.4 Team Power Index: 156.9
Press Releases:
Oct 24 2043: It's Owl Good - by El jefe on February 14th, 2025
For the 4th time in 13 seasons, the Temple Owls ended the 2043 season perched atop Legends...this time also adding a dominant run through the conference tournament to hoist its 3rd Legends tournament trophy in that timespan. The 7 overall trophies represent a HW record in Legends.
The milestones continued with Temple regaining the #1 overall HW rating (10th season overall), winning 40 games for the 4th time, finishing #1 in RPI for the 2nd straight season, and finishing #1 in All-Time wins with 1208 for the first time.
Four players being drafted into the Pros, including All-Time 6th Man Forrest Forster, and a season long battle between Owen Woods and Black Manta for Temple rebounding records saw Manta end up on top and added individual intrigue to a great season. Doug Eads now takes the reins of the program and will look to maintain the momentum of this Owl resurgence.
Jan 17 2043: The Wisest of All....... - by El jefe on January 14th, 2025
2042 brought back memories of old as Temple made the Final Four for a record 7th time; its 6th appearance in 17 seasons. It was an emphatic response to critics for Taye McDaniel, who was heavily criticized for not realizing the potential of a talented roster in season's prior.
The Owls also captured their 2nd II.1 title, finished #1 in RPI for the first time, and won a school record 44 games. A potent offense led by SR sensation Dwight Agostini carried the load, averaging 104.1 ppg, while the tandem of Owen Woods and Black Manta held down the interior, averaging double-doubles with over 11 rpg. Off the bench came arguably the greatest 6th man in Hardwood history, Forrest Forster, who put up 13.2ppg with an incredible 70.4% eFGP.
McDaniel's achievements extended to the recruiting trail where his savviness secured future star Jim Prescott and a potential all-timer in 15 POT Doug Eads, who comes in with a profile not seen since Quentin Williams.
Mar 30 2041: For Whom the Owl Hoots - by El jefe on October 16th, 2024
Elite basketball requires strong chemistry; 5 players bound together, and dependent on each other, all working towards a single goal. The best examples result in championships and promotions, but one weak link, one player that does not buy-in, can interfere with that goal.
Establishing that bond is the task in front of Taye McDaniel and his staff as the Owls look to rebound from a wildly inconsistent 2041 season. An elite-talented team struggled mightily in conference play, underwhelming preseason expectations of a return promotion to Legends. A startlingly porous defense was the primary culprit, but the vaunted offense failed to embody a true threat until an unexpected Elite 8 run gave hope that 2042 will see this team finally come together and challenge for a title. While not issuing an outright ultimatum, President El Jefe made it clear that the onus falls on McDaniel to ensure this team operates as one cohesive unit on both ends of the court to achieve its potential.
Oct 12 2038: Stein Flies into the Sunset - by El jefe on May 7th, 2024
After 20 seasons at the helm, Eric Stein retired as Head Coach of the Temple Owls and entered the Hall of Fame, completing an extraordinary run with the program that saw 3 Legends Conference titles, the 2029 National Championship, 2 Legends Playoff titles, 5 Final Fours, and 9 straight seasons as the #1 rated team in Hardwood. Stein was a master motivator and tactician, putting his players in the best position to succeed while also utilizing his wizard-like development and recruiting skills to lead 11 Owls to the PROs.
What the future holds is unknown, but if this is truly it for the legend, he will retire with 635 wins (.713%) and 397 conference wins (.662%). Stein was at his best when it mattered most, as shown by the aforementioned titles, as well as his 234 Legends wins and 36 tournament wins (.720%). The Owls and their fanbase will be forever appreciative for what Stein has done for the program, as this golden age of Temple basketball enters the next era.
Oct 15 2037: Hoot! Hoot! Hooooray! - by El jefe on March 12th, 2024
An incredible 2037 season acted as a worthy cap on Temple's recent historic run in Hardwood. Completing its record 8th consecutive season as the #1 rated team in Hardwood, Temple also finished in the Top 6 of the Top 25 poll for the 7th time in 10 seasons, and Top 4 in RPI for the 5th time in 10 seasons. Most distinguishing of all though was the Owls performance in Legends. Fighting back from a 1-3 start, the Owls won 21 of its last 26 games to become only the 4th team in history to capture BACK-TO-BACK Legends conference titles (joining UNC, Butler and Mississippi). The hot streak continued into the conference tournament, where Temple won its 2nd Legends playoff title, achieving the Legends Double for the 2nd time.
Other noteworthy in-season milestones were topping 1,000 program wins, Eric Stein winning his 600th game, a 10th straight National Tournament appearance (29-9 record during that time), and a 30-win season for the 8th time in 10 seasons. What a hoot it's been.......