Damian Dunn leads the way in his return to the floor

Ask anyone within the Temple men’s basketball program over the past year who they were most excited about, and the answer most often landed on Damian Dunn.

All those expectations were based on what they had seen from Dunn in practice as he received a medical redshirt after appearing in just one game for the Owls last season due to a foot injury.

Dunn first showcased his potential in Temple’s trip to the Bahamas, prior to the 2019 season, where he scored eight points on 4-of-4 shooting, adding five rebounds in 14 minutes.

Coming into Saturday’s season opener, Dunn’s 18 minutes against Tulsa accounted for the backcourt’s only in-game experience in a Temple uniform. And yet, the redshirt freshman played like a veteran in the Owls’ 72-60 win over NJIT at the Liacouras Center.

“It felt good again, just to play basketball,” Dunn said. “Just sitting out last year, coming back [for the] first game and reminiscing a little bit about how much I missed the game. Being able to get down the floor, it really felt good.”

It was only fitting that Dunn’s mid-range jumper got the scoring started for the Owls.

Dunn led the way with 18 points on 4-of-12 shooting. He also got to the charity stripe with relative ease, connecting on 10-of-13 free throws. The 6-foot-5 guard also added five assists and seven boards.

Dunn showed no hesitation as he drove into contact for the majority of the afternoon. He put his head down and embraced the physical aspect of the game. His fearlessness and ability to get to the line set the Owls up for success, but it also showed a glimpse of what he can do with the ball in his hands.

“Getting to the line is a big part of my game,” Dunn said. “I love the physical side of the ball, getting to the line and getting guys in foul trouble. After that, there’s an advantage.”

Temple head coach Aaron McKie said coming into Saturday’s contest that he was unsure if Dunn would be available. He rolled his ankle earlier in the week, but it sure didn’t limit him as he played a career-high 37 minutes.

“I thought Damian Dunn was pretty good,” McKie said “...There was no surprise on my side when I’m watching those guys and how they performed out there with Dame getting to the free-throw line 13 times. That’s what he does. He’s a physical kid. He can get to his spots, score the ball.”

McKie emphasized that Dunn is still just a freshman, even though he put a lot on his plate for what was only his second career collegiate game.

The moment never appeared to be too big for the Kinston, NC. native, who the Owls are surely going to lean heavily on going forward.

Front page photo courtesy of Zamani Feelings.