Temple Men’s and Women’s Basketball On Display At AAC Media Day
Written by: Jake Gabel
Photo by: Temple Athletics
The American Athletic Conference held its first Media Day of the season for Men’s and Women’s Basketball on Oct. 12.
The 11 schools in the AAC all had their head coaches and two select players from each team answer questions from the media. Temple Guard’s Damian Dunn and Khalif Battle represented the Men’s team, and Jalynn Holmes and Aleah Nelson spoke for the Women’s team.
Dunn and Battle were both named to Preseason All-AAC teams. Dunn was named to the All-Conference First Team, while Battle was named to the Second Team. Dunn averaged a team-high 14.9 points per game last season along with 4.2 rebounds per game.
Battle played just seven games last season prior to fracturing the fifth metatarsal in his left foot, which sidelined him for the remainder of the season. In those seven games, Battle averaged 21.4 points per game.
“My health is great right now, hopefully it stays that way,” Battle said. “I’ve been really focusing on getting in the training room and getting some extra treatment lately. I feel great, the team looks great. I’m just ready to get out there and play.”
Aaron McKie is entering his fourth season as the Men’s Head Coach. Last year the Owls went 17-12 overall, and 10-7 in conference play, finishing fourth in the AAC. The Owls’ record and rank in the American was the best Temple has achieved so far with McKie at the helm.
McKie and his squad held opponents to the third-lowest points per game in the AAC last season, holding teams to just 66.5 points per game. The Owls were also second in rebounding. McKie wants his defense to be the teams’ biggest strength again this season.
“If you watch any winning team, any winning program, any winning culture, it starts on the defensive side,” McKie said. “So in order for us to be at the top of the American, we’ve got to rebound that ball.”
While McKie is in his fourth season, Women’s Head Coach Diane Richardson is entering her first season with Temple. The two coaches have come in and watched each other’s practices.
“I step in and watch some of her practices, she sits in and watches some of my practices,” McKie said. “I like her passion and her energy. She’s going to do well, she’s going to do some great things around here.”
Richardson replaces Tonya Cardoza, who led the Owls to a 13-15 overall record last season, and an 8-8 record in the conference. The Owls were led by Mia Davis last season, who has since graduated. Davis left as the all-time leading scorer in Temple Women’s Basketball history.
With Davis gone and a new head coach, Richardson was asked what the offense is now going to look like. Richardson described it as an “equal opportunity offense.” She also mentioned that players on the team last year are excited to play this new style, because they will have more opportunities to score.
“Mia’s a great player. I watched Mia as she grew up in the area that I come from,” Richardson said.
Richardson came from Towson University, where she coached for five years. She led the Women’s program to a school-record 24-win season last year. Three players from Towson also transferred to Temple to come play for Richardson. Those players being Tarriyonna Gary, Rayne Tucker, and Towson’s leading scorer last year, Aleah Nelson.
“I’ve known coach Richardson since I was in the eighth grade, since she’s recruited me,” Nelson said. “That’s just my coach, that’s who I want to play for, for the rest of my collegiate career.”
Both teams will start their seasons’ on Monday, Nov. 7. The Women’s team will be away, to take on Princeton, while the Men will be at home in the Liacouras Center to take on Wagner.
