The #15-ranked Temple Owls invade the University of Dayton Arena to face the Flyers in a matchup of A-10 division leaders. Temple has all but clinched the A-10 East with a 3.5-game lead over UMass and St. Bonaventure. The Flyers hold a two game lead over Xavier in the West. With a victory, the Flyers will take a stranglehold on their first NCAA bid in 10 years.

Getting the victory will be a formidable challenge. Temple is the best team the Flyers have faced this year and will easily present the biggest challenge since UD faced Kentucky early in the season. Temple has won 12 of their last 13 games — including the last nine in a row. The only defeat came on a buzzer-beating trey at St. Bonaventure. In their last outing, the Owls knocked off Maryland 73-65. Maryland upended Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium just a few days prior.

Any discussion of Temple begins and ends with their vaunted match-up zone. John Chaney’s zone has confused many a team, and this year the Owls have taken the defense to another level. In compiling their 10-1 conference mark, the Owls have held opponents to fewer than 49 points per game. What makes the defense so difficult is that it is different from the typical 2-3, 3-2, and 1-3-1 zones used by most college teams. The match-up relies heavily on man-to-man defensive principles within areas of the floor, consequently it doesn’t move with the ball to the extent of other zones. Temple also features great size across the front of the zone and on the interior of the zone. And because the post players inside seldom stray from the basket, the zone doesn’t give up as many weak side rebounds or inside baskets.

While the zone is a constant, what really makes this Temple team special is Pepe Sanchez. It is no coincidence that Temple started their winning streak after Sanchez returned from a severe ankle sprain. The senior from Argentina is the consummate point guard. In 14 games, Sanchez averages 8.1 assists against just 1.8 turnovers — an eye-popping 4.5 to 1 ratio. For a point of reference, consider that the solid play of Edwin Young and David Morris has been a major factor in the Flyer’s success this year. Yet the two point guards average an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.6 to 1. Sanchez is not the Owls primary scoring option, averaging just 6.5 points on 31% shooting. But many of those shots come when the patient Owls must create something at the end of the shot clock. If left unattended Sanchez can get hot, as Fordham discovered when he poured in 20 points including 50% of his threes. For scoring, Temple primarily relies on Mark Karcher, Lynn Greer, and Quincy Wadley.

Karcher reminds many of Adrian Dantley. Solidly built, Karcher can work inside as effectively as out. The Owls’ leading scorer, Karcher averages 16 points and 5 rebounds a game on 38% shooting. Karcher can be shaky at the line, converting just 63% of his free throws. Greer and Wadley can be deadly from the perimeter. Greer is converting 37% of his threes, and Wadley 32%.

In the post, Temple uses three huge bodies, Kevin Lyde, Ron Rollerson, and Lamont Barnes. Barnes has been somewhat of a disappointment the past two seasons, never blossoming into a dominant inside scoring threat. He averages just 9.5 points on 47% shooting. Lyde and Rollerson average 6.2 and 2.1 points respectively, with most of their attempts coming off the offensive glass.

While Temple’s offensive stats won’t make opponents shake in their Nikes, they are somewhat distorted by Sanchez’ extended absence early in the year. With Sanchez out of the lineup, the Owls struggled for good shots and their offense was frequently stagnant. That is not the situation now. In their nine-game win streak, Temple is averaging 69 points per game. Much of that offense has been fueled by steals out of the zone. Karcher, Greer, Wadley, and Sanchez all average more than one steal a game, frequently leading to easy transition baskets. Sanchez is without equal in reading the passing lanes, and averages a mind boggling 3.8 steals per game. He might be the only point guard to end the year with a 2 to 1 steal-to-turnover ratio. How will the Flyers do Thursday night? Here are questions to ask yourself:

Will Mark Ashman, Yuanta Holland and Nate Green keep Barnes, Lyde, Rollerson, and Karcher off the offensive glass? Temple averages 14 offensive rebounds in low possession games.

Will the Flyers make Temple work offensively on the perimeter? If the ball can be kept out of the post area, the Owls may be forced to take a high number of late shot-clock treys.

Can the Flyers penetrate the Owls’ zone? The key to scoring against the zone is to penetrate and find the open man. Temple frequently extends the zone, forcing the opponent’s offense to initiate farther and farther from the basket. The perimeter player must be strong with the ball and avoid passing around the arc all night.
Can the Flyers find an inside scoring threat? An effective weapon against the zone can be a big man setting up behind the top of the zone and in front of the Temple post players. Barnes and Lyde seldom venture out from the basket and the shot from the side of the free throw line is available if the Flyers can get the ball there.

Will the Flyers get cheap transition baskets, and limit the Owls in transition? Temple can find it hard to put up a lot of points if they don’t get steals. Conversely, the best way to score against the zone is to beat it down the court.

And finally, will the perimeter players be hot? If the Flyers don’t convert three-pointers, the zone will pack things inside the lane, denying anything except perimeter jump shots. And with five players around the lane, there will not be many offensive rebounds.