Temple wholly in command against Toledo

THIS GAME WAS never about the result. That was preordained. This was about the process.

"Obviously, Toledo is outmanned," Temple coach Fran Dunphy said.

The Rockets were at the Liacouras Center yesterday afternoon with no chance. They knew it. Temple knew it. Everybody knew it.

Temple, a 31-point favorite, won, 82-49. It could have been worse.

The No. 22 Owls (2-0) led 40-16 at the half, when the Rockets (0-2) had twice as many turnovers (12) as baskets. The lead eventually stretched out to 75-38.

If you are into comparisons, No. 13 Illinois led Toledo on Nov. 10, 47-18, at the half, on the way to an 84-45 win. Temple had the identical 47-18 lead a few minutes into the second half.

All Owls starters scored in double figures and none played 30 minutes. Temple won every statistical category, some by crazy large margins - 56-14 in lane points, 22-2 points off turnovers and 18-0 on fastbreak points.

First-year Toledo coach Tod Kowalczyk is in a complete rebuild. He has only seven scholarship players and is playing a bunch of freshmen. After 4-28 and 7-25, it can only get better - sometime. Toledo has lost 34 straight on the road.

The coach was an assistant at Marquette when Dwyane Wade was there. He did very well in eight seasons as Green Bay head coach, but they were in against Horizon League monster Butler.

So he is trying the Mid-American Conference. Temple must play four or five MAC teams per season as part of the agreement that got Temple's football team in the league. This one was not a fair fight.

The Rockets tried zone early, testing the Owls' outside shooting. Ramone Moore and Scootie Randall nailed three treys between them early. That prompted the Rockets to try man-to-man, figuring two-by-two was better than three-by-three. That defense allowed Owls bigs Lavoy Allen and Micheal Eric to play their high-low game to perfection. With Juan Fernandez running the show, the Owls had 26 assists against just six turnovers. The starters had an amazing 20-to-2 ratio. It should have looked good and it did.

Like Moore before him, Randall had to wait his turn, "paying dues" in the words of the coach. Now, the former Public League stars are a pair of formidable wings on a very strong team.

"Coming out of high school and being the best player, once you get to college, guys are bigger and stronger and faster and just as good as you," Moore said.

So some players wait. And then they get their chance.

Owls sixth man Rahlir Jefferson would start for just about any team in the country, but the Owls' starting lineup fits very nicely. It is big at every spot, talented and experienced - with just one senior, Allen. They might not win 29 again, but they are going to win a lot.

Eric (14 points, nine rebounds) was a revelation last season. And he is better now.

"I've been working on a lot of offensive moves and post moves," Eric said. "Worked on them all summer."

It showed.

"Mike is a tremendous person and he's worked really hard at his game," Dunphy said. "Now he's pretty proficient at making jump shots on the perimeter. To add to that, his touch inside is becoming pretty good."

T.J. DiLeo and Khalif Wyatt are solid bench players. Freshman Aaron Brown was quick and smooth in his 10 minutes.

"Oftentimes, I have likened what I hope his career will be to that of Ryan Brooks, where he will come off the bench for a year and then all of sudden blossom into somebody who is going to really be reliable," Dunphy said of Brown.

Brooks and Luis Guzman are gone. Moore and Randall have moved into the starting lineup. The bench has talent. The Owls are already good, on their way to very good.

It gets more serious next week when Temple goes to Orlando for the Old Spice Tournament, where each of the three games will be a test. The Toledo game really wasn't, but Temple played the game against its high standards. And won that, too.