Temple vs. Villanova Preview
VILLANOVA, PA (AP) – When Temple’s Ramone Moore bumped into some Villanova Wildcats in a concession stand line at a recent 76ers game, he may as well have announced to city hoops fans, “Get your popcorn ready.”
Moore was gracious and shook hands with his basketball rivals – then told them to look out.
“I was like, “Get ready,”’ he said, smiling. “You know it’s about to come up real soon, so get ready.”
Current college basketball odds and oddsmakers from online sports book SBGGlobal.com have made Villanova -6 point spread favorites for Thursday’s game against Temple. Current college basketball public betting information shows that 67% of more than 63 bets for this game have been placed on Villanova -6.
Temple vs. Villanova on the marquee can sell itself in Philadelphia. Throw in all the intriguing subplots surrounding Thursday’s game between the eighth-ranked Wildcats and No. 25 Owls and it’s easily the marquee matchup of the season in city hoops.
Two ranked teams. Big 5 game. National TV.
“I hope our guys are fired up,” Villanova coach Jay Wright said.
For Temple, the game is a chance to prove last year’s upset was no one-year wonder.
Led by a career-high 33 points by Juan Fernandez, the unranked Owls stunned No. 3 Villanova 75-65 for a win that helped propel them to an Atlantic 10 championship. The Owls opened the second half on an 11-0 burst and their fans bellowed “Overrated!” before storming the court.
“I think if we beat them this year, it won’t be too much of a surprise as it was last year,” Moore said.
For Villanova, the loss was the only one in a 20-1 start to a season that ended with a loss in the second round of the NCAA tournament.
The defeat, though, still lingers because losing to Temple – or an Owls’ loss to Villanova – is more than just another L that can be forgotten by next game. The players run into each other around town, at sporting events, banquets and summer pickup games, giving the winners plenty of chances to pick on the losers with big boasts and trash talk.
“We all kind of keep in contact with each other,” Moore said.
Both teams are worthy of their national rankings. The Owls, who fell out of Top 25 earlier this year, were back in this week thanks to a six-game winning streak highlighted by a 68-65 win over then-No. 9 Georgetown. Moore scored a career-high 30 in front of a national television audience and gave coach Fran Dunphy his 400th career victory.
“It gives you the most confidence that we can have,” Moore said.
The Owls are up for making it 2 for 2 against top-10 teams this month.
Wright boldly claimed the Owls are as good as any team in the Big East – yes, the same Big East that has the 4-5-6 teams in the poll – and are a perfect opponent to prep the Wildcats heading into the conference opener on Jan. 2.
“We’re going to know where we are for the Big East,” Wright said.
The Wildcats have rolled to five straight victories after a Nov. 26 loss to Tennessee in the championship game of the NIT Season Tip-Off. Corey Stokes leads the team in scoring (15.7 points), followed Corey Fisher and Maalik Wayns. Fisher and Wayns form one of the speediest backcourts around and finding a way to stop them is Temple’s toughest assignment.
“I don’t think we’re as good as our ranking, but I think we have a chance to get there this year,” Wright said. “But I still think we have a lot of work to do.”
Fisher, a senior guard, is still learning about the rivalry. Heck, every fan is still learning considering the two teams can’t even agree on the series record: Villanova says it leads 42-40 and the Owls claim ‘Nova’s up 43-41.
“I’m learning a little now, but there’s so much that goes way back that I’ve still got a lot of learning to do,” Fisher said.
Fisher, or “CO” as he’s known around the team, was part of that team trip to the Lakers-Sixers game on Dec. 17. It was Philadelphia’s second sellout of the season and the fans erupted when Eagles QB Michael Vick entered the arena. The Game 7 feel is something Fisher would love to experience at the usually packed, but docile, Pavilion.
“We saw one of the greatest players play in Kobe Bryant, we came into Philly, saw the atmosphere and know how wild it gets,” he said.
The Wildcats, 3-0 in city games this season, have a 42-game winning streak at their campus home and Temple hasn’t won there since 1990. Win this one, and the Owls will have plenty of reasons to puff their chest and stake their claim as Philadelphia’s best team.
“I think (bragging rights) are out there, but it’s not something we necessarily use as a rallying cry,” Dunphy said. “We have to prove to ourselves always how good a basketball team and program we are. This is one of those things, one of those benchmarks.”
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