Author Archives: Ibrahim Jacobs

Men’s basketball schedule released

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Temple has one remaining year in the Atlantic 10 Conference before it makes the jump to the Big East Conference, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t playing any big games. The Owls are set to make 14 appearances on television this year, which includes 13 national broadcasts.

Among the big games for the team is at Kansas on Jan. 6 and vs. Syracuse Dec. 22. These games will be televised on CBS and ESPN 2 respectively.

Coming off a season in which the Owls beat rival Villanova and national powerhouse Duke, the country will get to see both highly-touted rematches. The team takes on Villanova on Dec. 5 and squares-off against Duke just three days later.

The team returns only two starters from last year’s roster that finished 24-8 and A-10 regular season champions.

Here’s a look at the complete schedule:

11/13/2012 Kent State   12:00 PM Details
11/17/2012 Rice   TBA Details
11/25/2012 Delaware   TBA Details
11/28/2012 Buffalo   TBA Details
12/1/2012 Wagner   TBA Details
12/5/2012 Villanova   9:00 PM Details
12/8/2012 Duke (Izod Center)   3:15 PM Details
12/12/2012 Towson   TBA Details
12/17/2012 TBD – Gotham Classic   TBA Details
12/19/2012 TBD – Gotham Classic   TBA Details
12/22/2012 Syracuse (Madison Square Garden)   12:00 pm Details
12/29/2012 TBD – Gotham Classic   TBA Details
12/31/2012 Bowling Green   TBA Details
1/6/2013 Kansas   1:30/4:30 PM Details
1/10/2013 Xavier   TBA Details
1/12/2013 Saint Louis   6:00 PM Details
1/16/2013 George Washington   TBA Details
1/19/2013 St. Bonaventure   1:00 PM Details
1/23/2013 Penn   TBA Details
1/26/2013 Butler   6:00 PM Details
1/30/2013 Richmond   TBA Details
2/2/2013 Saint Joseph’s   6:00 PM Details
2/6/2013 Charlotte   TBA Details
2/9/2013 Dayton   11:00 AM Details
2/14/2013 Duquesne   TBA Details
2/16/2013 Massachusetts   6:00 PM Details
2/21/2013 La Salle   7:00 PM Details
2/24/2013 Charlotte   TBA Details
3/2/2013 Rhode Island   TBA Details
3/6/2013 Fordham   TBA Details
3/10/2013 VCU   12:00 PM Details
3/14/2013 A10 Championships (Barclays Center)   TBA Details
3/15/2013 A10 Championships (Barclays Center)   TBA Details
3/16/2013 A10 Championships (Barclays Center)   TBA Details
3/17/2013 A10 Championships (Barclays Center)   TBA

Women’s gymnastics adds five recruits

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Entering his seventh year at the helm of the gymnastics team, Aaron Murphy has taken a great step towards improving his team. The team has announced today that five freshmen have been added to its squad for the upcoming season.

Tara Kilkenny, Reagan Oliveri, Hannah Popper, Danielle Vahala and Mary Kate Walch have all been recruited by Murphy to compete on a team devoid of four graduating seniors from last season, including Kaite Canning. The Owls are coming off a season in which they placed third in the Eastern Coastal Athletic Conference Championships.

The most notable recruit is possibly Mary Kate Walch, who joins her sister, senior Margaret Walch on the team, giving the Owls a unique family connection.

The gymnasts will get their first chance to compete on Jan. 12 when the Owls participate in the George Washington Invite in the Washington D.C.

Wyatt trial postponed

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Senior guard Khalif Wyatt’s trial has been postponed again, thus continuing the nearly three-month process since his arrest. Wyatt, who did not appear in court today, has had his trial postponed to an unknown date. The judge made a statement to the court announcing that Wyatt had a “conflict in representation.”

Wyatt is being represented by Peter Sarkos. Neither were in court.

A co-defendant in Wyatt’s case did appear, however, the judge ruled to delay both cases so that they would be heard simultaneously. He is believed to have been with Wyatt the day he was arrested.

-Ibrahim Jacobs 

[Updated 8/21 at 9:37 p.m.]

Field hockey places third in preseason poll

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Temple was selected to finish third in the Atlantic 10 Conference for field hockey in the preseason poll, released Aug. 16.

Reigning A-10 champion Richmond Spiders took the No. 1 spot, while The University of Massachusetts, a team that was shut-out by the Owls in the A-10 tournament last fall, placed second

With only one returning senior this year, the Owls will be looking for production from senior defender Katie Briglia and sophomore forward Amber Youtz.

This weekend the team begins their tough schedule with the Temple Invitational, as both Virginia and Duke will be traveling to Geasey Field to take on the Owls.

-Colin Tansits

Mark Ingram named assistant vice president of athletic development

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The Temple athletic office named Mark Ingram the assistant vice president of athletic development, it was announced Wednesday. Ingram joins the Owl community after formerly being the Senior Associate Athletic Director at Tennessee.

Prior to working at Tennessee, Ingram served as the Assistant Athletics Director for Development for the University of Georgia and the University of Missouri.

“We are excited to be able to attract one of the top athletic development administrators in the nation to join the Temple Athletics staff,” Athletics Director Bill Bradshaw said in a press release. “Mark brings a track record of success to Temple, having led not one, but three successful athletic development offices at the highest level of Division I.  He is clearly the right person to lead our efforts as we transition to the Big East Conference.”

Ingram’s resume includes planning and strategizing Tennessee’s Capital Campaign that raised $336 million during his tenure. He was also involved in project management for the $250 million Neyland Football Stadium master plan.

“It is an honor for my family and I to join the staff at Temple University; we couldn’t be happier,” Ingram said in a statement. “I am grateful for the confidence that Bill Bradshaw, Tilghman Moyer [Temple’s Associate Vice President for Development] and other university leaders have shown by entrusting me with this critical position.  Temple is an institution with an excellent reputation nationally, both academically and athletically.  We are excited about our upcoming move to Philadelphia and look forward to becoming part of the community.”

Ingram graduated from Tennessee University in 1996 with a degree in Sports Management and was also a two-year starter on the football team.

Owls add transfer Jake O’Brien

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Fran Dunphy’s squad has added an extra component to their team, as power forward Jake O’Brien has transferred from Boston University to play for the men’s basketball team, it was reported Wednesday.

While normal NCAA transfer rules require the athlete to sit out one year, O’Brien will be free to play immediately. After BU elected to transfer from the American East to the Patriot League, they lost their ability to compete in postseason play, prompting the transfer.

O’Brien is a senior with one year of eligibility remaining, but his 6-foot-9 frame gives him the ability to contribute to a sometimes vertically challeneged Owls team. He will likely be competing with Anthony Lee and Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson for playing time, giving the Owls an upgraded inside presence.

O’Brien was expected to be in the conversation for American East Player of the Year. O’Brien however, did not play last season due to a surgery he underwent on his left foot, his second such procedure.

Training Camp Day 5: First full contact practice

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As the Owls donned full pads for the first practice of training camp, the offensive and defensive players got a chance to play at the highest level of contact since camp began. One player who the offense won’t have to compete against, along with the rest of the Big East, is linebacker Tahir Whitehead.

Whitehead, who was a senior last season, was selected by the Detroit Lions in the fifth round of the April NFL Draft. Whitehead led a defense that ranked third in the country in points allowed per game at 13.9.

“You can’t replace Tahir,” defensive line coach Sean Cronin said. “He was a tremendous leader for our football team, an outstanding player and a great playmaker. He was just one of those guys that made plays.”

One player who could lead the defense in Whitehead’s absence is junior defensive tackle Levi Brown, the only Owl who was named to the 2012 preseason All-Big East first team.

“It’s a good feeling,” Brown said. “I mean, it really doesn’t mean anything right now. I am just working each day to get better. I am working as hard as I have ever worked to try and play my best football this year.”

Brown isn’t worried about losing Whitehead though, and trusts his defense can get the job done without one of its top playmakers.

“We are running the same defense we ran last year,” Brown said. “We are just trying to stick to the same stuff and compete at a high level. We can’t focus on last year. We are going to throw somebody in there who is going to make plays and do what he has to do.”

John Youboty, a senior defensive lineman, could also be asked to carry a big load for the Owls, who are matching up against Big East competition for the first time.

“As a unit we want to put our team in the best position to win the game, which is getting the other offense off the field,” Youboty said. “Personally I want to be one of the leaders on and off the field for the defense. As far as that, as long as we are winning, I don’t care about personal stats.”

With the first day of full contact under their belt, staying healthy while staying competitive will be the focus moving forward. Brown described the practices as very “up-tempo” and that the whole team is focused. While the focus on the larger picture of a Big East schedule will eventually have to be addressed, the Aug. 31 season opener against Villanova is fast approaching.

“It felt great [putting full pads on] just to know that the season is right around the corner,” Youboty said. “Once we put those full pads on, we are closer to the first game.”

Men’s gymnastics places 2nd in National Academic Team rankings

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With 15 All-American scholar athletes, the gymnastics team has followed their 2011 National Academic Team title with a runner-up selection in 2012 by the College Gymnastics Association. Eleven Owls were named to the first team, with seniors Chris Mooney and Blake Collins headlining the team with four years of eligibility. Brett Statman, Alex Tighe, Zachery Aguiar, Assaf Zoor, Jeff Zack, Matt Martin, Evan Burke, Adam Al-Rokh and Taylor Brana were all selected to the first team comprised of 73 gymnasts.Scott Haddaway, Michael Bittner, Dashiell Sears and John Leonard were selected to the second team.

With a victory in the Eastern Coastal Athletic Conference Championship and a No. 10 ranking in the NCAA, the Owls have showed a commitment to excellence both in the gym and out. In April, the team recorded the highest aggregate grade point average and was awarded The Owl Trophy.

Khalif Wyatt trial postponed again

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ATLANTIC CITY, N.J.- Men’s basketball senior guard Khalif Wyatt, who was scheduled to appear in court today for his June 10 arrest for soliciting a prostitute, had his hearing rescheduled for the third time.

The new trial is set for Aug. 21 in Atlantic City Municipal Court, less than a week before Temple students are set to report for the first day of classes.

Wyatt was arrested in Atlantic City two months ago while celebrating his 21st birthday for allegedly soliciting an undercover prostitute who was a police officer and resisting arrest. Others that were arrested at the same time as Wyatt are facing drug charges.

“I apologize to my family, teammates, coaches and Temple University for the embarrassment that I have caused,” Wyatt said in a statement after his arrest. “I was in Atlantic City this past weekend celebrating my 21st birthday with friends and exercised very poor judgment by allowing myself and my friends to be put in a compromising situation. I intend to cooperate with the authorities during their investigation and the legal process.”

Wyatt is being represented by Peter Sarkos, an Atlantic City based attorney, who has not responded to request for comment on the case.

While Wyatt is facing charges for the arrest, it is currently unclear what action the school will take if he is convicted. Wyatt’s name however, has not been removed from the basketball roster. Praise Martin-Oguike, a linebacker for the football team, had his name removed from the roster after being arrested in June.

While the schedule has not been announced, Temple is set to begin its season on Nov. 13 against Kent State for the ESPN College Hoops Tip-Off Marathon.

-Ibrahim Jacobs