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Temple releases non-conference schedule for 2015-16

07/23/2015, 6:15pm EDT

By Jeff Griffith

Junior Josh Brown (above) will step in for graduated point guard Will Cummings in the Owls' starting backcourt this season. (Photo: Tom Reifsnyder)

Jeff Griffith (@Jeff_Griffith21)
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Last season, despite going 22-9 overall with a 13-5 mark in American Athletic Conference play, the Temple Owls were left out of the NCAA Tournament.

One year later, the Owls, who released their non-conference schedule earlier today, have given themselves a challenging non-conference slate with which to prove its capabilities against some of the best teams the nation has to offer.

To start the regular season, the Owls will head to Annapolis, Md., on November 13 for a bout with ACC power North Carolina, who many expect to be one of the top five teams in the country in 2015-16. The Heels bring back a stacked roster of experienced players like junior Kennedy Meeks and senior Marcus Paige, who helped lead UNC to a four-seed in last year’s tournament.

The following weekend, Temple will join Butler, Miami, Minnesota, Mississippi State, Missouri State, Texas Tech and Utah in San Juan, Puerto Rico for the Puerto Rico Tip-Off. Of that list, Minnesota, Utah, Butler, and Miami all figure to be just as formidable as they’ve been in recent years.

Delaware and Fairleigh Dickinson will come to the Liacouras Center when the calendar turns from November to December for a brief slowdown before the Owls’ first true road games of their non-conference slate.

The first of those two road games will be held on December 5 at the Kohl Center against defending national runner-up Wisconsin, which lost multiple senior leaders from a year ago but still return enough talent--like Bronson Koenig and Nigel Hayes--to yet again be a Top 25 squad.

On December 9, Penn will be the next road test for Temple; the Quakers haven’t been much of a force in recent years, but could still manage to give the Owls the semblance of a classic Big 5 battle in mid-December.

To close out the 2015 calendar year, Temple hosts St. Joe’s (Dec. 13) and Delaware State (Dec. 19).

During the months of January and February, two exciting Big 5 rivalries will take place in the middle of Temple’s conference slate--one against La Salle as part of a January 20 doubleheader at the Palestra, and one against defending Big East champion Villanova on February 17, part of ESPN’s Rivalry Week.

Jay Wright’s Villanova Wildcats return upperclassmen Ryan Arcidiacono and Daniel Ochefu from last year’s dominant team, while adding top-flight freshman Jalen Brunson to the mix as well.

2015-16 Temple Non-Conference Schedule
*Records from last season

Fri., Nov. 13 vs. North Carolina (26-12) (in Annapolis, Md.)
Thu., Nov. 19 vs. TBA (Puerto Rico Tip-Off)
Fri., Nov. 20 vs. TBA (Puerto Rico Tip-Off)
Sun., Nov. 22 vs. TBA (Puerto Rico Tip-Off)
Sun., Nov. 29 vs. Delaware (10-20)
Tue., Dec. 1 vs. Fairleigh Dickinson (8-21)
Sat., Dec. 5 at Wisconsin (36-4)
Wed., Dec. 9 at Penn (9-19)
Sun., Dec. 13 vs. St. Joseph’s (13-18)
Sat., Dec. 19 vs. Delaware State (18-18)
Tue., Dec. 22 vs. Virginia Tech (11-22)
Wed., Jan. 20 vs. La Salle (17-16) (at Palestra)
Wed., Feb. 17 vs. Villanova (33-3) (ESPN Rivalry Week)