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Temple basketball to take summer trip to the Bahamas

The Owls will play three games against Bahamian select teams in August.

Quinton Rose, center, of Temple splits Brendan Adams, left, and Sidney Wilson of Connecticut as he goes up for a baskets during the 1st half at the Liacouras Center on Feb. 6, 2019.
Quinton Rose, center, of Temple splits Brendan Adams, left, and Sidney Wilson of Connecticut as he goes up for a baskets during the 1st half at the Liacouras Center on Feb. 6, 2019.Read moreCHARLES FOX / Staff Photographer

Temple’s Aaron McKie will get a jump on his first season as head basketball coach when the Owls will depart for a week-long trip to the Bahamas beginning Aug. 2.

The Owls will play against Bahamian select teams on Aug. 3, 5 and 6th.

This will be Temple’s first-ever trip to the Bahamas and first foreign trip since 2013 when the Owls played games in France and Italy.

“This trip will be beneficial in so many ways,” said McKie, in a statement released by the school. "It gives our team the ability to have a mini-camp in the summer, play games and find its own identity. It also provides our new players the opportunity to gain invaluable experience on the court before the start of the season.”

Tai Strickland and Jake Forrester, who played at Wisconsin and Indiana respectively last season and will sit out this year due to NCAA transfer rules, will be eligible to play on the trip.

So will incoming freshmen incoming freshmen Damion Dunn and Josh Pierre-Louis, the brother of Temple junior Nate Pierre-Louis.

In addition, it will be a chance for 6-foot-5 redshirt junior James “Monty” Scott to compete. He sat out last season after averaging 17.3 points in 2017-2018 for Kennesaw State.

Temple is coming off a 23-10 season in which the Owls lost to Belmont, 81-70, in an NCAA play-in game.

Quinton Rose, a 6-8 senior, is the Owls leading returning scorer after averaging 16.3 points and earning second-team all-American Athletic Conference honors.