SMU Must Be Wary of Overlooking Temple

Guidelines to beating Owls clear if Mustangs can maintain focus

DALLAS – There once was a time when Temple was a team to be reckoned with in the college basketball world. This isn't one of them.

If anything, SMU will have to be cautious about not overlooking the Owls when they visit Moody Coliseum Tuesday night. Temple comes in with a .471 winning percentage against a schedule that isn't exactly daunting. There's also that 1-3 mark in conference play. 

The Owls were just in North Texas a couple of days ago. The long trip to face a salty UNT team didn't go well. 

The Mean Green jumped out to a 10-point lead at the half and kept running to 69-51 win in the Super Pit. Guards Jahlil White and Jordan Riley managed to barely slide into double digits, but the rest of the offense served as a precursor to the cold front that drifted down Saturday night.

However, the Mustangs won't get the benefit of possible Temple jet lag. Rather than returning to the arctic mess up north, the Owls chose to stick around DFW for a few days, giving them a chance to fully adjust.

The key to beating Temple is getting a lead at the half. If SMU can get out front early it pretty much guarantees a win. In all 17 games the Owls have played this season, whichever team has led at the half has won.

Despite playing teams like Memphis, Arizona, Florida State and Dayton, SMU hasn't trailed at the half in its past nine games. The last time the Mustangs were losing at the break was by seven to Louisiana-Monroe before exploding to outscore the Warhawks by 20 in the second half. 

While SMU has had five different leading scorers over the past six games, none of which have gone back-to-back, Riley has led Temple three of the last four games, giving the stout defense Mustangs' coach Rob Lanier demands a clear target. 

That makes the goals for Tuesday night simple:
1. Rebound like crazy, especially on offense. This is always on Lanier's must-do list.
2. High intensity on defense that takes Riley out of his game.
3. Attack the basket and get second-chance points while building a lead at halftime, then not letting off the gas.

If those things can be done, it will be time to party with Youth League kids on Saturday with Tulsa in town before a Thursday night game in Denton that will carry a lot of weight as to how the rest of the season pans out.

The game starts at 7 p.m. and can be seen on ESPN+ and FuboTV. It can also be heard on 770 AM.

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