Tip-off time: McKie, Owls set to host NJIT Saturday
Temple head coach Aaron McKie said “less is more” will be his mindset heading into opening night.
The Owls have been limited with practice time recently due to multiple COVID-protocol shutdowns, which forced postponements and cancelations that wiped the first five games off their schedule.
No game is promised in 2020, but as of now, Temple will open up its season Saturday when it hosts NJIT at 4:30 p.m at the Liacouras Center. Saturday’s game will be the team’s only nonconference contest before beginning conference play at Houston on Dec. 22.
McKie told reporters on Wednesday that when they were scheduled to play at Mohegan Sun, they only had five healthy bodies. Now, excluding two players recovering from injury and one transfer, the rest of the roster will be good to go.
Point guard Tai Strickland has been ruled a game-time decision for Saturday while he continues to work his way back from shoulder surgery he underwent in late August. McKie said he doesn’t want to rush Strickland back, considering he has three more years of eligibility, with this season being deemed an eligibility-free year.
Dartmouth transfer Brendan Barry and freshman guard Jahlil White will both be unavailable against NJIT. Barry has yet to join the team in practice, while White is still recovering from a torn meniscus in his left knee that is expected to keep him out for much of the season.
McKie said he’ll be looking to his senior captains, J.P. Moorman II and Dre Perry, to carry some of the load and be vocal leaders on the floor to help acclimate the young guys.
“Their voices are going to be important, not just on the court but off the court,” McKie said. “I need those guys to do all the little things for me. Rebound the ball and communicate with all the guys out on the floor. ... We’re going to need the nuts and bolts type of guys like J.P. and Dre.”
In the absence of fans for Temple’s home opener, McKie added it will be up to his guys to generate their own energy on the floor and off the bench. And his expectation is for the guys to play hard and play together.
“Just guys playing unselfish, sharing the game, making extra passes and cutting hard,” McKie said of what he expects to see from his team. “We really haven’t had a chance to do much or put much in, so really just go out and compete and play with confidence and play unselfishly.”
Temple will be hosting an NJIT team that also has yet to see any live action this season after being subjected to a two-week pause beginning Nov. 25, following a positive COVID-19 test within the program.
The Highlanders finished last season a measly 9-21, but this year will be a fresh start moving from the ASUN conference to the America East.
NJIT’s offense is led by 5-10 volume scorer Zach Cooks, who set a program record averaging 19.7 points per game last year. The senior guard became the first Highlander to lead the ASUN in scoring.
The Highlanders are also returning 6-foot-10 forward Kjell de Graff, who missed a majority of last season due to a torn ACL. The development of 6-9 junior forward Souleymane Diakite should offer a strong presence on the backline.
“We don’t know what NJIT is going to throw at us," McKie said. "We don’t have any information on those guys. They’re a lot like us where they have a lot of new faces, but they also got some experienced guys. It’ll be a pretty good test for us.”