Temple’s men’s and women’s basketball season openers are less than three weeks away, and both teams traveled down to Fort Worth, Texas, for the American Athletic Conference media day on Monday.
As part of their ramp up for the season, head coaches Adam Fisher and Diane Richardson spoke with reporters over Zoom along with selected players.
The Owls are coming off of up-and-down seasons in their own respective ways. The men’s team went on a Cinderella run in the conference tournament and came one win away from its first NCAA Tournament bid in five years. The women’s team had similar success, winning a share of the regular season championship before falling in the conference semifinals.
New faces and momentum have the potential to push Temple to the top of the AAC, and both teams provided a glimpse into how they’re feeling about the 2024-25 campaign.
Berry taking a step forward
Redshirt sophomore guard Quante Berry received praise from Fisher and teammate Shane Dezonie, as both mentioned Berry made a noticeable impact in practice over the summer. Dezonie said Berry has looked like he is a veteran when coming into the gym for practice and mentioned that Berry has been giving it his all while getting ready for the season.
Berry transferred to Temple from Providence ahead of last season and showed flashes of upside off the bench, putting up 2.6 points per game in 304 minutes.
Despite the transfer portal additions of Jamal Mashburn Jr., Lynn Greer III and Jameel Brown this offseason, Fisher said Berry has responded to the increased competition and depth and indicated Berry’s minutes could increase instead of decrease in a more crowded backcourt.
“I think Quante Berry has made some really big steps,” Fisher said. “Everyone knows that when you’re in our program, you have to fight for everything. This year’s team is deeper, and the practices are competitive. I think [Berry] knew [he’d] have to come in and fight. He’s hungry, that’s for sure.”
Building team chemistry
Temple revamped a bulk of its roster this offseason with the backcourt additions along with former Fordham forward Elijah Gray and former Tulsa center Mohammed Keita. The Owls also added freshmen forward Dillon Battie and guard Aiden Tobiason, who both could make an impact this season if their names are called.
The Owls also lost major contributors in guards Hysier Miller and Jahlil White to the transfer portal. Both had been important parts of the Temple program for three years and became staples in the locker room over time.
However, Fisher retained important pieces like Dezonie, Settle and rising-sophomore guard Zion Stanford, who each played key roles throughout last season. The roster has a new look, but the Temple staff succeeded in building proper depth for a chance at a repeat performance.
Because of the roster turnover, the Owls focused on building their team chemistry throughout the summer, which was a big part of their postseason run.
“From day one, the guys that have been here have just tried to welcome the new guys in with open arms,” said forward Steve Settle III. “Just to make it comfortable for them to transition from the portal into our family.
“The quicker those guys feel comfortable, the quicker we can get some work together. I think it’s been a really smooth transition. Credit to Shane [Dezonie], Zion, Berry and Connor [Gal] for helping the guys who come in and make that transition seamless.”
Transfers stepping up
Richardson lost three key players to the transfer portal and to graduation following last season. Point guard Aleah Nelson was out of eligibility, and forwards Ines Piper and Rayne Tucker transferred to South Florida and UAB, respectively.
The Owls believe forwards Amaya Oliver and Anissa Rivera, along with guard Kaylah Turner, can fill that void after joining through the transfer portal. Richardson mentioned that each of them have taken steps to move in and become key players for the Owls this season.
“They’ve done really well,” Richardson said about the Owls’ transfer players. “Typically when a coach loses players to the portal it’s kind of like, ‘Uh…,’ but we replaced them with some really really good players.”
“We’re excited about them, they’re really strong,” Richardson added. “Anissa Rivera and Amaya [Oliver] are great in the post, so they complete that part of [the team]. Then Kaylah [Turner] is just Tristen Taylor 2.0, but with a great mid-range jump shot. So we’re excited about adding all of them to our team this year.”
Temple also added four freshmen this offseason in guards Savannah Curry, Adena Webster and Kelian Cedano and forward Felicia Jacobs. Richardson hopes this deeper roster, paired with her stars like preseason all-AAC second team guard Tiarra East and guard Tarriyonna Gary, will help the Owls build on their momentum from last season.
Both teams will also host a media day later this month in McGonigle Hall before tipping off their seasons on Nov. 4 in a doubleheader at The Liacouras Center. The men’s team will face Sacred Heart while the women will face Richmond. Both tip-off times have yet to be announced, although multiple sources indicated to OwlScoop Monday that Fisher’s men’s team will likely play first that evening.
