Temple Basketball Should Repeat AAC Title Next Year

Sometimes the difference between making a deep run in the NCAA Tournament and being eliminated in the first round is something as simple as a push in the back, a key player with a broken wrist or a 6-foot-11 impact center not being ready due to injuries.

For Temple‘s basketball team, it was all three in a 72-70 first-round loss to Iowa. The fact that the Owls will finally have an impact center who figures to be a big contributor should put them in prime position to either repeat as the AAC champion or at least make a deeper run. All of the television commentators said Iowa center Adam Woodbury blatantly pushed Temple’s Obi Enechionyia aside to tip in the game-winning basket at the buzzer, but none of the three officials had the courage to make the call.

Two handed push. Temple got jobbed. pic.twitter.com/RxgcGzzvA7

— BlackSportsOnline (@BSO) March 18, 2016

Hopefully 6-foot-11 current true freshman Ernest Aflakpui shakes off knee problems and slides into the center position for the Owls next year. While the Owls lose important players like guard Quenton DeCosey and forward Jaylen Bond, they have more than enough key pieces back to win the AAC’s regular season title again.

Freshman shooting guard Trey Lowe, who had 21 points in a loss to Villanova on Feb. 17, but got into an automobile accident shortly after that, should be fully recovered and will provide everything DeCosey provided this season for the Owls. With the 6-foot-8 Enechionyia removed from the responsibility of guarding opposing centers, he should be a much more effective overall player. Daniel Dingle who played with a broken wrist against Iowa, will have two good wrists next season and slide into the small forward role. Dingle was the same guy who hit three-straight 3-point shots to beat Connecticut earlier in the season. Point guard Josh Brown, who might have been the team’s most valuable player this year, is back in the same role next season.

While the push off and injuries proved that the Owls were close this season, getting Aflakpui healthy should be the key to the Owls pushing people around next season.