Temple guard Jamal Mashburn Jr. stood at the free-throw line with 14 minutes left in the Owls' game against UMass Saturday night.
It felt like a normal moment for Mashburn, who was having another standout game with 19 points at the time, but the moment was anything but normal.
Mashburn had a chance to surpass 2,000 career points and become the eighth active Division I player to reach the mark. He calmly hit both free throws to push the Owls' lead to 12 and his point total to 21 and eclipse 2,000 career points.
The moment seemed calm for Mashburn because he didn’t even realize he had a chance to reach the milestone. His teammates told him of the moment, but Mashburn said he didn’t care.
“I was just so focused,” Mashburn said. “I'm always pretty even keel and stoic. So I said thank you and I'm grateful and we moved on to the next one.”
Mashburn helped the Owls finish out the final 14 minutes against the Minutemen and pick up an 87-80 win to improve to 4-2 on the season. The final point of the game fittingly came from Mashburn, who ended with 26 points and a new milestone for his career.
“It feels good,” Mashburn said on reaching the milestone. “It feels even better getting it in the win. I didn't know I even got to that mark, my teammates had to tell me. I'm just really locked on getting a win so it feels even better with a win.”
The New Mexico transfer has been as good as advertised through six games and the milestone is just the latest achievement in a historic start to the season for Mashburn.
The last time a Temple player scored 20 or more points in six straight games was when Shizz Alston Jr. capped off his career with nine straight 20-point games to end the 2019 season. It took just six games of Mashburn wearing the Cherry and White to reach that level.
Through the Owls first six games, Mashburn is averaging 23.3 points per game, which ranks seventh in the country. He has reached the 20-point mark in every game, showcasing the scoring ability that got him 2,000 points.
Mashburn’s scoring punch is everything Temple coach Adam Fisher could have hoped for three weeks into the season, especially considering how the Owls lacked a true scorer last season.
Guard Hysier Miller acted as Temple’s top scoring threat last season, as he averaged 15.9 points per game, but he struggled with his efficiency and shot just 35% from the field and 29% from three.
Now with Mashburn leading the way, Temple is off to its best start since the 2019-20 season and the offense is averaging nearly 80 points per game. Mashburn has been efficient in all parts of the game except for free throws, which Fisher jokingly pointed out following the UMass win. For reference, Mashburn is shooting 66% from the line but has gotten there more than anyone else for Temple.
“No, have you seen his free throws?” Fisher said with a laugh when asked if Mashburn has met expectations. “Just kidding, he’s phenomenal. First off, not even as a basketball player. The more you get to know Mashburn, what an incredible young man. He's so mature like he's already a pro. He just handles his business and school work off the court, his body, everything, and he’s just a high character, great person. And then on the court, you see what he can do. He's special.”
Mashburn was a recruiting target for Fisher dating back to Mashburn’s high school days at Brewster Academy in New Hampshire. At that time, Fisher was an assistant coach on Jim Larrañaga’s staff at Miami and he attempted to bring the Miami native’s talents back to South Beach.
Fisher missed out on Mashburn then, as he instead went to Minnesota and played under Richard Pitino. Mashburn proceeded to follow Pitino to New Mexico, where he blossomed into a star.
In three seasons with the Lobos, Mashburn racked up 1,629 points and earned all-conference honors all three years. He helped lead New Mexico back to the NCAA Tournament last season for the first time in a decade. While New Mexico ended up losing to Clemson in the first round, it gave Mashburn valuable experience on the highest stage, somewhere Temple is hoping to get to.
“He's played in some really great leagues,” Fisher said. “He's been in the NCAA tournament and he's done it on really good teams and really good leagues. I'm glad he's on our team.”
When Fisher saw Mashburn’s name pop up in the transfer portal, he knew he needed a guy like that on Temple. After missing out on him years earlier, Fisher successfully brought Mashburn onto North Broad Street.
Fisher showed a genuine interest in Mashburn as a person, rather than just the player, which was crucial to Mashburn come decision time.
“I picked Temple because it felt real genuine,” Mashburn said before the season. “It felt like an environment where I could continue to grow as a man and as a player.”
Mashburn’s time at Temple could have started rocky. He battled a thumb injury that affected him for much of last season at New Mexico. Then in the summer, he suffered a Jones fracture in his foot which sent him to rehab while he was back at home.
The injuries clearly have not lingered at all for Mashburn.
The fifth-year guard is having one of the best stretches of his career to open his final season and he has been the backbone for the Owls. Mashburn has spent all season getting to his spots with ease and consistently finding the bottom of the net.
Mashburn’s 2,000 career points is just the latest mark in what has turned into a great collegiate career for him. He has provided a breath of fresh air into an Owls team that has not had a scorer of his caliber in some time.
“I love basketball, man,” Mashburn said. “Anywhere I play, I'm just going to have a blast and have fun and always continue to get better.”
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