Despite a first-round NCAA Tournament ouster vs. Michigan State, Temple (21-13 record) is relevant again in the world of college basketball -- thanks in large part to the coaching magic of head coach Fran Dunphy.

In just his second season on North Broad Street after a wildly successful run at Penn, Dunphy got the Owls back in the Big Dance for the first time since 2001. How did he do it, you ask? He inherited two star wings in Dionte Christmas and Mark Tyndale and made them the foundation of his program.

Dunphy then added a couple important pieces on the recruiting trail -- namely, 6-4 sophomore Ryan Brooks (who starred at Kobe Bryant's former suburban Philadelphia high school, Lower Merion) and 6-9 freshman Lavoy Allen, who blossomed into one of the A-10's best young big men.

But the huge reason that Temple is in the Field of 65 is that the Owls' role players -- guys like 5-8 Chris Clark (7.7 ppg) and 7-footer Sergio Olmos (5.8 ppg) -- really elevated their games, thanks to the coaching they've received from Dunphy and the confidence they've developed in themselves.

Following the NCAA tourney loss to Michigan State, Tyndale and Clark took off their jerseys for the last time at Temple. Tyndale leaves North Broad Street as the only player in school history to finish among the top 12 in scoring (1,729 points, seventh place all-time), rebounds (732, 11th place all-time) and assists per game (3.1 apg, 10th place). Meanwhile, Clark blossomed into an important off-the-bench player for the Owls.

While Tyndale and Clark will be missed, Dunphy appears to have the Owls headed in the right direction. He'll return four starters next season, led by Christmas and budding star big man Lavoy Allen (13 points, nine rebounds vs. Michigan State). His 1-for-12 clunker against Michigan State aside, Christmas has the jump shot, mental toughness and athletic skill to eventually be an NBA player, if he commits to becoming a better defender and to developing a better off-the-dribble game next winter at Temple. Allen has a ceiling as high as the Sistine Chapel. Once he improves his upper-body strength, Allen will be an all-league player.

The two keys to bringing the program to the next level --namely, one that is playing during the second weekend of the NCAAs -- is that 1) the program's three new faces in 2008-09 -- 6-5 redshirt freshman Ramone Moore, 6-5 true freshman Andrew "Scootie" Randall and 6-10 Michael Eric, a raw athletic big man who didn't make it through the NCAA Clearinghouse this past season but who will be eligible in 2008-09 -- must all be ready to make significant contributions; and 2) the Owls must capitalize on getting into the 2008 Big Dance with some big wins on the recruiting trail. The high school Class of 2009 in Philly is loaded with high-major D-I talent and the Owls must snap up their share of it.

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