It will be a battle of unbeatens Saturday when Temple (6-0) takes on #2/2 Duke (8-0) in a nationally-televised showdown at the IZOD Center Saturday afternoon (3:15 p.m./ESPN/1210 AM WPHT). The Owls are off to their best start since the 1987-88 team opened at 14-0 en route to a #1 national ranking while the Blue Devils are looking to extract revenge on last season’s loss to Temple at the Wells Fargo Center.
Temple will be looking to defeat a Top 10 team for the fifth straight season. Only Kansas (11), North Carolina (10) and Syracuse (7) had longer active streaks entering the 2012-13 campaign. The Owls previous four wins – #3/5 Duke (1/4/12); #9/10 Georgetown (12/9/10), #3/3 Villanova (12/13/09) and #8/8 Tennessee (88-72) – all came in Philadelphia.
Seniors Scootie Randall and Khalif Wyatt continue to pace the Temple attack. Randall tops the team in scoring with a 16.7 average and also rebounding, pulling down 7.2 boards per contest. Wyatt, the reigning Big 5 Player of the Week, leads the Owls in assists (4.8 apg.) while ranking second in scoring (15.2 ppg.).
Sophomore forward Anthony Lee is the only other Owl averaging double figures (11.3 ppg., 6.3 rpg.) and leads the Atlantic 10 Conference in field goal percentage (.659).
Senior forward Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson (8.8 ppg., 5.5 rpg.) tops Temple in steals (14) and blocks (9) while sophomore Will Cummings (5.2 ppg.) rounds out the starting five. Dunphy has the luxury of a deep bench this season with graduates Jake O’Brien (6.3 ppg.) and T.J. DiLeo (4.5 ppg.) garnering the most minutes as reserves. Junior Dalton Pepper (1.7 ppg.) and freshman Quenton DeCosey (3.2 ppg.) are also in the rotation.
One of the top programs in the nation, starting 8-0 is nothing new to Duke. It marks the fourth time in the last six years that Hall of Fame coach Mike Krzyzewski’s Blue Devils have won their first eight games. What is new this season, is that for the first time in its program history Duke has defeated three top five teams (#3 Kentucky, #2 Louisville and #4 Ohio State) before the start of conference play.
Senior forward Mason Plumlee, a Wooden Award candidate, leads five double figures scorers while averaging a double-double (19.6 ppg., 11.0 rpg., 1.9 bpg.). Senior Seth Curry, who missed the Delaware game due to an ankle injury, is second in scoring with a 15.1 average. Senior Ryan Kelly (13.0 ppg.), freshman Rasheed Sulaimon (12.9 ppg.) and sophomore Quinn Cook (10.5 ppg., 8.1 apg.) round out the starting five.
Junior Tyler Thornton (3.4 ppg.) is the lone reserve who averages double-figure minutes while freshman Amile Jefferson, a Philadelphia native (Friends Central), averages 2.9 points per game.
Duke leads the all-time series, 18-10, and had won 10 straight prior to last season’s 78-73 loss.
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