The Black Women in Sport Foundation’s 2012 Next Step Women of Color Mini-Forum, hosted at Temple University by the Department of Athletics and the College of Education and supported in part by the NCAA, will be held on April 18 at Ritter Hall, Room 211, located at 1301 Cecil B. Moore Avenue, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The mini-forum is a professional development and preparation program to increase the portion of women of color collegiate head coaches and athletic administrators at 4-year NCAA institutions. The mini-forum is an interactive and networking opportunity to discuss and explore strategies to recruit, inspire, educate and retain women of color in the intercollegiate coaching and athletic administration positions with practicing professionals.

The moderator will be Nikki Franke, Temple’s head fencing coach. The panelists will be Marilyn Stephens, Cheyney University, head women’s basketball coach; Margaret Ottley, West Chester University, associate professor of sport psychology; Amanda Janney, Temple head women’s field hockey coach; Lynsey Grace, Community College of Philadelphia athletic coordinator and Kari-Lei Maddox, Delaware State University assistant lacrosse coach.

Philadelphia 2012 Unsigned Senior Basketball Shootout

There will be an opportunity for all high school senior basketball players who haven’t signed a letter of intent to showcase their talent at the Philadelphia 2012 Unsigned Senior Basketball Shootout. The games will be played at Imhotep Charter, 21st and Godfrey Avenue, on Sunday, April 15. The games will take place at 10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. For more information on this event, go to runhouse.net.

Phoenix Club announces college players of the year

The Phoenix Club of Philadelphia will recognize the college player of the year, presented to Philadelphia area basketball players (male and female) who have excelled in college during the year. The male award will be given in the name of Wali Jones and the female award will be given in the name of Marilyn Stephens. Both players are products of the Public League. Jones was a great player at Overbrook High and Villanova. Stephens was a star at Simon Gratz and Temple.

This year’s winners are Ramone Moore, Temple, and Gloria Brown (University of Texas – El Paso). The Phoenix Award presentation will be held in June at the Union League of Philadelphia.

Philadelphia Big 5 awards

The Philadelphia Big 5 head coaches and media have announced their college basketball awards.

Player of the Year – Zack Rosen, Penn

Most Improved Player – Earl Pettis, La Salle

Rookie of the Year – Jerrell Wright, La Salle

Coach of the Year – Fran Dunphy, Temple

Scholar-Athlete – Zack Rosen, Penn

Team of the Year – Temple

Best Free Throw Percentage – Maalik Wayns, Villanova

Leading Scorer – Zack Rosen, Penn

First team: Zack Rosen, Penn; Ramone Moore, Temple; Maalik Wayns, Villanova; Khalif Wyatt, Temple; Langston Galloway, Saint Joseph’s.

Second team: Tyreek Duren, La Salle; Earl Pettis, La Salle; Carl Jones, Saint Joseph’s; Ramone Galloway, La Salle; C.J. Aiken, Saint Joseph’s, Juan Fernandez, Temple.

Shey Peddy Big 5 women’s basketball player of the year

For a second consecutive year, Temple basketball standout Shey Peddy has earned Big 5 Player of the Year honors. Peddy will receive this honor at the annual Big 5 Women’s Basketball banquet on April 25 at Drexelbrook in Drexel Hill.

Contact staff writer Donald Hunt at (215) 893-5719 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

For more than 30 years, the Sonny Hill Community Involvement Basketball League has been providing college basketball players with an opportunity to play ball in the summer. The league has players from Division I, II and III competing against each other.

The Sonny Hill College League was eventually renamed the Hank Gathers College League in memory of the late Hank Gathers, who starred in the league during the late ’80s. The league plays its games at Charles Audenreid High School, 32nd and Tasker streets. The college league has two games beginning Tuesday, July 17 at 5:30 p.m., featuring some of the best college basketball players in the Philadelphia area.

In taking a look back over the years, there have been a number of players who participated in one of the country’s best summer basketball leagues for college players. The list of some of the great players that have played in the league is very impressive.

Aaron McKie/ Temple

McKie grew up in the Sonny Hill League program. McKie played against his good friend and teammate Eddie Jones from Temple in the 1993 college league championship. McKie and Jones put on a show with both players scoring more than 30 points each. McKie’s team came out on top by four points in one of the league’s most exciting games.

McKie, former Simon Gratz and Temple star, was a key member of the 2001 76ers team that reached the NBA Finals. He is currently an assistant coach with the Sixers.

Jeffrey Clark/Saint Joseph’s

Clark was one of the early standouts in the college league. He was a terrific guard at Saint Joseph’s. A couple years ago, he was inducted into the Big 5 Hall of Fame. Clark is now a college basketball official.

Lionel Simmons/La Salle

Simmons had some great summers in the college league. Simmons improved his game each year at La Salle. In 1990, he was named college basketball’s player of the year. He scored over 3,000 points and grabbed more than 1,000 rebounds in his career with the Explorers. He was a first round pick of the Sacramento Kings. He played seven years in the NBA.

Pooh Richardson/UCLA

Richardson was a McDonald’s All-American coming out of Ben Franklin High School. In 1984, he led the Electrons to the Public League championship. He played four years at UCLA. In 1989, he was the first ever draft pick of the Minnesota Timberwolves. He played 10 years in the NBA. He came back to play in the college league to play with a lot of his colleagues during the summer.

Bo Kimble/Loyola Marymount

Kimble had a tremendous career at Loyola Marymount. He averaged 32.9 points a game his senior year. Kimble, a 6-foot-4 guard, was the eighth pick overall by the Los Angeles Clippers in the 1990 NBA draft. He had some huge games in the college league.

Hank Gathers/Loyola Marymount

Hank Gathers and Bo Kimble were a great inside-outside combination at Dobbins before they played together in college. Gathers was a great scorer, rebounder and defender. In 1989, he led the nation in scoring (32.7) and rebounding (13.7). Gathers always hustled at both ends of the floor.

Eddie Jones/Temple

Jones made his college debut in the college league. He was an explosive player in the open court. Jones and McKie played on three NCAA tournament teams at Temple. In 1993, they led the Owls to the Final Eight. In 1994, Jones was a first round pick of the Los Angeles Lakers. He played 14 years in the NBA.

Kyle Lowry/Villanova

Lowry scored 45 points in a college league championship game. Lowry, a 6-foot, 205-pound point guard, did a great job of penetrating and getting to the basket. In 2006, the former Villanova star was a first round pick of the Memphis Grizzlies. He spent the last three years with the Houston Rockets. He was recently traded to the Toronto Raptors and is one of the quickest playmakers in the NBA.

Michael Blackshear/Cheyney

Blackshear was a magnificent basketball player. He was one of the early standouts in the college league. He had a great college career at Cheyney. The Wolves were one of the country’s best Division II teams during his career.

Jerome Allen/Penn

Allen was a two-time Ivy League Player of the Year. The college league prepared him for the Ivy League season. Allen played in the NBA and played professional basketball in Europe. He is now the head coach at Penn.

Howie Evans/Temple

Evans was one of the top point guards in the college league. Evans, a former West Philadelphia High star, had a great career at Temple. He played on the Owls 1988 team, which was ranked No. 1 in the country.

Alvin Williams/Villanova

Williams played some great basketball in the college league. He had a solid career at Villanova. He played 11 years in the NBA, mostly with the Toronto Raptors. Williams played for the Raptors in an exciting seven-game series with the Philadelphia 76ers in 2001. The Sixers won the series in seven games. Williams is currently a scout for the Raptors.

Michael Anderson/Drexel

Anderson was a tenacious defender. He could steal the ball and take it coast to coast. He was an exciting college player at Drexel. He led the Dragons to the NCAA tournament. He scored 2,208 career points. He also played for the San Antonio Spurs.

Doug Overton/La Salle

Overton used the college league to polish his skills. He played four years at La Salle. Overton scored 1,795 career points with the Explorers. He handed out 671 assists at La Salle. Overton played several years in the NBA. He is currently an assistant coach with the Brooklyn Nets. His son, Miles Overton, plays for St. Joseph’s Prep.

Rip Hamilton/Connecticut

Hamilton used to make the trip down to the college league from Coatesville during the summer months. The 6-foot-6 guard led Connecticut to an NCAA championship. He won an NBA championship with the Detroit Pistons and currently plays for the Chicago Bulls.

Steve Black/La Salle

Black was a tremendous shooter. He could really connect from long range. He was a magnificent player at La Salle. He scored 2,012 career points, averaged 19.7 points a game and is a member of the Big 5 Hall of Fame.

Larry Stewart/Coppin State

Stewart won a college league championship in 1988. He played his college basketball at Coppin State for legendary coach Ron “Fang” Mitchell. He led the Eagles to the NCAA tournament. Stewart played in the NBA for the Washington Bullets, Vancouver Grizzlies and Seattle SuperSonics. He also played overseas. Larry had two other brothers, Stephen and Lynard Stewart, who also played in the college league. Stewart is currently an assistant coach at Bowie State.

Lynn Greer/Temple

Greer can really shoot the basketball. He had some big games in the college league. The 6-foot-1 guard had an outstanding career at Engineering and Science and Temple. He scored 2,099 points during his college career. Greer led the Owls to the 2001 Final Eight. He played one season for the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA. He has played for several professional basketball teams in Europe. Greer played in Russia this past season.

Maalik Wayns/Villanova

Wayns has played a lot of basketball in the college league. He played every summer during his career at Villanova. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound guard, can play two positions. He led the Wildcats in scoring tallying 17.6 points a game. He also averaged 4.6 assists a game. Wayns is currently playing for the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.

Dionte Christmas/Temple

Christmas was a scoring machine in the college league. In fact, he had quite a career at Temple, where he was one of the top scorers in the Atlantic 10 Conference. The 6-foot-5 guard is playing for the Boston Celtics summer league team.

Michael Jordan/Penn

Jordan was a sensational player at Penn. He helped the Quakers win Ivy League championships in 1999 and 2000. The Penn backcourt ace played some great basketball in the college league. Jordan has played professional basketball in Israel, Belgium, Italy, Spain and Greece.

Mardy Collins/Temple

Collins really benefited from playing in the college league. The 6-foot-6 guard gradually improved his game throughout his playing days at Temple. In 2006, he was a first round pick of the New York Knicks. He also played for the Los Angeles Clippers.

Mark Tyndale/Temple

Tyndale won a college league championship in 2007. He was the 2008 Big 5 Co-Most Outstanding Player of the Year. He scored 1,729 points, 733 rebounds and 377 assists during his college career. He has played pro basketball in Europe as well as in the NBDL.

Bruiser Flint/Saint Joseph’s

Flint played extremely well in the college league. He had a great career at Saint Joseph’s. He was one of the best point guards in the Atlantic 10 Conference. Flint is now the head basketball coach at Drexel.

Nate Blackwell/Temple

Blackwell was a regular in the college league. The 6-foot-4 guard could get his shot off any time. He knew how to get open. He had a great understanding of the game. Blackwell had a brilliant career at Temple scoring 1,708 points. In 1987, he was a second round pick of the San Antonio Spurs.

Marc Jackson/Temple

Jackson looked forward to playing in the college league. Jackson was named the 1997 Atlantic 10 Conference Player of the Year at Temple. He played seven years in the NBA including two seasons for the Philadelphia 76ers. He was inducted into the Big 5 Hall of Fame this year.  

Ramone Moore/Temple

Moore played a lot of basketball in the college league. The 6-foot-4 guard had a fine career at Temple. He was named first-team All-Atlantic 10 Conference. He averaged 17.3 points a game. Moore will play in The Basketball Alumni Legends League (The-Ball) game at Saint Joseph’s on August 5.

Contact Staff Writer Donald Hunt at (215) 893-5719 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Wayne Simmonds, Philadelphia Flyers forward, recently stopped by the Simons Ice Rink and Recreation Center, 7200 Woolston Avenue, to teach basic hockey skills to aspiring boys and girls from the Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation, as part of the grand re-opening celebration of the newly refurbished Simons Ice Rink.

The Simons Ice Rink is one of three city-owned public skating rinks that has been completely re-constructed and fully enclosed making it operational year-round. The renovations at each rink include new classrooms, learning labs and expanded public space.

In addition, Comcast Corporation presented Snider Hockey with a grant to rebuild state-of-the art computer labs in the adjacent recreation center as part of its company-wide Comcast Connect initiative.

Snider Hockey, largely through a personal commitment by Ed Snider, contributed $6.5 million to match a grant from the Commonwealth’s Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program. This unprecedented public/private partnership resulted in a $13 million restoration project to preserve after-school, recreational, and supplemental educational activities for children, youth, and families in the City of Philadelphia.

Snider Hockey provides free “learn to skate” programs, public skating opportunities, ice hockey instruction, and league play, including all equipment, as well as supplemental academic services at no charge to inner city boys and girls. The Philadelphia Parks & Recreation will continue to maintain the rinks.

Tickets on sale for 108th annual Phila. Sports Writers Awards

Standout stars from Philadelphia professional, collegiate and amateur sports teams, including members of the Philadelphia Phillies, the Philadelphia Flyers, and many more, will be honored on the evening of Monday, January 30 for the 108th annual Philadelphia Sports Writers Association Awards Dinner, at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Cherry Hill, N.J.

Tickets to the banquet are $95 per person, and available online at http://pswa.org. Doors to the banquet open at 5 p.m. The program begins at 6:30 p.m.

The association dinner is one of the oldest sports banquets in the nation, and annually attracts a number of great athletes, coaches, writers and broadcasters. This year the association will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game and a remembrance of the late heavyweight boxing champion Joe Frazier.

Moore, Jones, Sweeney named Big 5 Players of the Week

The Philadelphia Big 5 honored Ramone Moore (Temple) and Carl Jones (Saint Joseph’s) as the Big 5 men’s co-players of the week. Moore averaged 20 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 4.5 assists a game in a 2-0 week for the Owls. He scored a career-high 32 points in the squad’s Big 5 victory against Villanova including six points in a decisive 10-0 run that gave Temple a double-digit lead late. In the win over Toledo, Moore scored eight points, but dished out a season-high seven assists.

Jones averaged 21 points, 4.5 rebounds, five assists and three steals in a 2-0 week for the Hawks. He scored his 1,000th career point in a win over Boston University. Jones netted a game-high 29 points in an upset win over No. 19/17 Creighton, scoring 20 of those in the second half and hitting 10-11 foul shots.

The Philadelphia Big 5 honored Laura Sweeney (Villanova) as the Big 5 women’s player of the week. Sweeney led the Wildcats to a 2-0 week that included a hard-fought Big 5 win over Saint Joseph’s. Against Big East foe Providence, she went 10-for-15 from the floor for a game-high 25 points and tied a career-high with 13 rebounds. In the Big 5 showdown against the Hawks, she went 8-for-16 from the floor for 18 points and grabbed nine rebounds. She tallied 16 of her 18 points in the second half and scored of Villanova’s final 14 points of the game.

Contact Tribune staff writer Donald Hunt at (215) 893-5719 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Ramone Moore didn’t waste any time preparing for the NBA draft. After Moore graduated from Temple in May, he headed for Houston, Texas, where he has been working out with former NBA coach John Lucas. Moore has been putting his best foot forward in regards to improving his draft position. According to NBAdraft.net’s mock draft, Moore, former Southern basketball star, is listed as a second round pick.

“I saw the mock draft,” Moore said. “I saw where they had me in the second round. I try not to focus on that stuff too much. I’ve been concentrating on my game. I want to do as well as I can in these workouts. That’s the most important thing for me.

“I’ve been working out with J.R. Smith (New York Knicks) and Gerald Green (Brooklyn Nets) down here. We’ve had some other NBA guys, too. John Lucas has really helped me. I’ve learned a lot since I’ve been down here.”

Moore has worked out for the Philadelphia 76ers, Milwaukee Bucks, Houston Rockets and Minnesota Timberwolves. He’s coming off an impressive college basketball career on North Broad Street. He was named first-team All-Atlantic 10 Conference. Moore guided Temple to the NCAA tournament this year. He led the Owls in scoring (17.3 ppg) and was the third leading scorer in the league. The 6-foot-4 guard had the ability to score in the open court. He could break his man down off the dribble. Moore’s overall game is certainly suited for the NBA.

In addition to working out, Moore watched his former Owls teammate Lavoy Allen play for the Sixers. Allen played extremely well during the postseason. Moore has been inspired by his play. Allen was not a first round pick. The Sixers chose him in the second round of the draft last year.

“Lavoy did really well,” Moore said. “I saw what he did for the Sixers in the playoffs. It was really nice to see. It was good for him. It was nice for Temple. I was happy for him. It was great to see him get an opportunity to play and do so well.”

Moore still has some work to do as the days get closer to the NBA draft. The draft will be held on June 28. It is possible Moore could hear his name called on that day.

Contact staff writer Donald Hunt at (215) 893-5719 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Khalif Wyatt has always been a big shot maker. Wyatt came to Temple with that ability three years ago. The 6-foot-4, 210-pound junior put on a show tallying a game-high 22 points on 8-for-12 shooting including 3-for-5 from three point range to help Temple post a major upset over Duke (ranked No. 3 ESPN/USA Today, No. 5 Associated Press) before a soldout crowd of 20,420 at Wells Fargo Center and a national television audience.

“I know this was a big stage,” Wyatt said. “Everybody knows Duke is one of the most historic programs, if not the most historic program [in college basketball]. As a basketball player, if you don’t get excited to play at the Wells Fargo in front of all those people and against Duke, I mean you don’t need to play basketball. As a basketball player, I’m just excited that it was a good opportunity in front of me, and I wanted to take advantage of it.”

Wyatt had a lot of preparation for games of this magnitude. During his scholastic days at Norristown, he led his school to the PIAA Class AAAA District title as a senior. As a junior, he guided Norristown to a 33-2 record before losing to Chester High in the PIAA state championship game. Wyatt lost that game to the Clippers, which had Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson, who is now his Temple teammate. By the way, Hollis-Jefferson played pretty well in the huge victory over the Blue Devils. He had 17 points and six rebounds. Wyatt credits Owls head coach Fran Dunphy for getting the team ready to battle Duke.

“Coach Dunph had us well prepared,” Wyatt said. “The guys stuck together. Rahlir is probably my best friend on the team. He really stepped up today. It’s just great to see him play that well. I’m just as happy for him as he is for me.”

Wyatt is playing with a lot of confidence. He’s averaging 14.8 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists a game. Wyatt plays in one of the most talented backcourts in college basketball. He plays with 6-foot-4 senior Ramone Moore (16.9 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 3.8 apg) and 6-foot-4 senior Juan Fernandez (12.6 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 4.2 apg). The Owls’ backcourt has a lot of experience, giving them a major advantage over most teams. In college basketball now, the game is controlled with the play from the guards. Temple has that on its team.

Wyatt has gradually developed into a terrific player over his college career. He started to receive a lot of attention last season. He averaged 10.1 points a game coming off the bench. His efforts as a reserve earned him the honors of Atlantic 10 Conference Sixth Man of the Year.

“It seems like I’ve been going through steps every year,” Wyatt said. “My freshman year I didn’t play at all. My sophomore year I started off slow and made my way up to sixth man and finishing games helping the team win. Now, this year I’m keyed on. Plus, Ramone and Juan trust me. They trust me with the ball. The main thing is Coach Dunph trusts me. He and the staff are just trying to win.”

The last time Temple defeated Duke was January 26, 1996. Wednesday was a great evening for basketball in the city with Temple, La Salle, Saint Joseph’s, Penn, Drexel and the Philadelphia 76ers all winning. Temple will open Atlantic 10 Conference, playing at the Liacouras Center against Dayton on Saturday, January 7, at 4 p.m.

Contact Staff Writer Donald Hunt at (215) 893-5719 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Shafeeq Coleman, Overbrook High’s first baseman, and Shakore Taylor, Engineering and Science outfielder, played for the Public League baseball team in the Carpenter Cup. Coleman and Taylor are two of the league’s best players. The Public League had a tough 9-3 loss to the Delaware County team. The Carpenter Cup features some of the great high school baseball players from Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware.

NCAA winners circle had Penn Relays look

The recent NCAA championship meet at Drake University had some familiar names who stood out at this year’s Penn Relays. At the top of the list has to be Princeton’s Donn Cabral, chosen the outstanding men’s relay performer at Penn with his anchor victories in the distance medley and 4xmile relays. At the NCAA meet, Cabral won the 3,000 meter steeplechase in 8:35.44, after setting a new collegiate record for the event of 8:19.14 at an invitational meet on May 18. He’s among the favorites in the steeplechase at the U.S. Olympic Trials, which get underway this week in Eugene, Ore.

Indiana’s Andrew Bayer won the NCAA 1,500 meter, after he had been chased down by Cabral and finished second in the DMR at Franklin Field. And Illinois’ Andrew Riley was a double-winner of the 100 meters and 110 high hurdles at the NCAAs after winning the 110 hurdles at Penn; the Jamaican sprinter also anchored the Illini to fifth place in the Championship of America 4x100 relay at the Relays.

In women’s individual events, Oregon’s English Gardner won the 100 meter after running on several relays at Penn, while Kimberlyn Duncan of LSU won the 200 meters and anchored the Tigers to first place in the 4x100 (with Takeia Pinckney, Semoy Hackett, Rebecca Alexander). At Penn, Duncan anchored LSU to first place in the 4x200 meter relay and to second place in the 4x100.

NCAA 400 champion Ashley Spencer brought Illinois home in fifth place in the 4x400 meter relay at Franklin Field, and NCAA 5,000 champion Abbey D’Agostino anchored Dartmouth’s fourth place 4x1,500 relay team.

Other newly crowned NCAA women champions who ran on relays at Penn were LSU’s Cassandra Tate (400 hurdles) and Ohio State’s Christina Manning (100 hurdles). And Texas A&M’s Natosha Rogers finished in sixth place in the women’s Olympic Development mile at Penn, but won the 10,000-meter event at the NCAA meet.

And two teams improved from Penn to the NCAA when LSU’s men (Barrett Nugent, Aaron Ernest, Keyth Talley, Shermund Allsop, same order at Penn) won the 4x100 relay after placing third in the Championship of America, and Oregon’s women (new members Gardner, Chizoba Okodogbe, Laura Roseler, Phyllis Francis), second-place finishers at Penn, took home gold as collegiate champs.

And finally, after repeating as men’s and women’s long jump victors at the Penn Relays, Marquise Goodwin of Texas and Whitney Gipson of TCU, won those events at the NCAA championship meet.

Phoenix Club of Philadelphia fifth annual awards program

The Phoenix Club of Philadelphia recently presented its annual basketball awards to high school and college basketball standouts from the Philadelphia area. Kahleah Copper (Prep Charter) and Ciara Andrews (Cheltenham) received the Lurline Jones award. Maurice Watson, Jr. (Boys’ Latin) and Amile Jefferson (Friends’ Central) were given the Kenneth Hamilton award. They were the top high school players.

Gloria Brown (University of Texas, El Paso, Neumann-Goretti) was presented with the Marilyn Stephens award, which goes to the best women’s college basketball player. Ramone Moore (Temple) was honored with the Wali Jones award, which is given to the best men’s college basketball player.

Contact staff writer Donald Hunt at (215) 893-5719 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Lavoy Allen didn’t waste any time on Sunday leaving Madison Square Garden in New York City after the Philadelphia 76ers defeated the New York Knicks to get back to Philly. Allen, Sixers rookie power forward, got to town and made his way down North Broad Street to Temple’s Liacouras Center where his former Owl teammates were waiting to find out who they’d play in the NCAA tournament.

Well, now everybody knows Temple (24-7) will face South Florida (21-13) on Friday night, March 16 at 9:50 p.m. from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn. South Florida spanked California on Wednesday night in the play in contest. As a result, they will battle the Owls in the big dance. The Sixers will play the Miami Heat on Friday night at 7 p.m. The game should be over in time for Allen to watch Temple play on TNT.

“I wanted to come down and show some support,” Allen said. “I have a lot of good friends on the team. I’m really proud of them. They’ve done a lot of good things this year. They have a lot to brag about.”

Allen knows a little something about playing in the NCAA tournament. He made four tournament appearances during his Temple career. The three-time All-Atlantic 10 Conference standout from Pennsbury High played with some great players like Ramone Moore, Juan Fernandez and Khalif Wyatt, big stars on this year’s team. Despite an early loss in the Atlantic 10 conference tournament to Massachusetts, Temple was able to garner a No. 5 seed in the NCAA field. Allen feels the Owls have a chance to make a good run in the tourney.

“There are a lot of good teams in the tournament this year,” Allen said. “I think they’ll go far. I think just because they’re a five and other teams are 12, that doesn’t mean anything because anyone can beat anyone. It’s going to be tough, but they should go far.”

The NCAA tournament is an exciting time for the Sixers. Elton Brand played his college basketball at Duke. Evan Turner was a big star at Ohio State. Jodie Meeks was a standout for the University of Kentucky. The players like to follow their schools even though they have a very busy NBA schedule.

“I’m going to be following them,” Allen said. “I’m going to fill out a bracket. I think they’ll do well. Coach (Fran) Dunphy has the team prepared for the tournament. Those guys have been around on the team for a while. I think they should do well. They’ve worked hard to get in this position. They earned it. I’m just really proud of them.”

Contact staff writer Donald Hunt at (215) 893-5719 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Ramone Moore, Temple senior guard, was named the recipient of the Jim Maloney Award, presented annually to the men’s basketball team’s Most Valuable Player at the Owls Club annual awards banquet. Moore, a first-team All-Atlantic 10 Conference selection, led Temple in scoring and ranked third in the conference with a 17.3 average. The former Southern High standout placed second in the conference in minutes played (36.6 mpg.) and second on Temple in three-pointers (57) and assists (110). He scored his 1,000th point this season and ended his career in 27th place on Temple’s all-time list with 1,393 points.

Senior guard Juan Fernandez was named the recipient of the Tim Claxton Award for loyalty, dedication and attitude to the university and community. Redshirt junior guard T.J. DiLeo was honored with the Harry Litwack Award for sportsmanship, dedication, devotion and conduct on and off the court. The Ted Quedenfeld Most Courageous Athlete Award went to graduate student center Micheal Eric, while the Owl Club Academic Award went to senior Jake Godino.

Long time men’s basketball secretary Essie Davis, who recently retired, was presented with an award for her 40 years of service to the program.

Two Owl Club members — Rick Gross and Cherifa Howarth, received the Joseph “Jack” Hutton Honor Roll Award.

Morris twins sign deal with AND1

AND 1, the basketball footwear and apparel company dedicated to on-court performance and off-court lifestyle, recently announced the signing of NBA players and twin brothers and former Prep Charter and Kansas stars Marcus and Markieff Morris to a three-year endorsement contract. Both currently play in the NBA.

Markieff plays for the Phoenix Suns. Marcus plays for the Houston Rockets. They were both taken in the 2011 NBA draft. Markieff was selected with the 13th pick and Marcus was chosen at No. 14. They are only the third set of twins selected in the first round since the modern NBA draft began in 1966.

They led Prep Charter to back-to-back PIAA Class AA titles in 2006 and 2007. The Morris twins also had great college careers at Kansas.

Two Lincoln baseball players named HBCU All-Stars

Lincoln University baseball seniors Alexander Donald and Kyle Brooks have been selected to play in the third annual HBCU All-Star Baseball Revue, hosted by the Atlanta Wood Bat Instructional League, June 29-30 at Mundy’s Mill High School in Jonesboro, Ga.

The all-star baseball festivities begin at 6 p.m. on June 29 with a home run derby (all players from MEAC, SWAC, SIAC and CIAA). On June 30, the all-star game between CIAA and SIAC schools begins at 1 p.m. and the announcement of pitcher of the game and MVP of the game will follow the contest.

Contact staff writer Donald Hunt at (215) 893-5719 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Ramone Moore, Temple’s high scoring guard, knows what time of year this is. Moore is preparing for his trip to Atlantic City, N.J.’s, Boardwalk Hall where the Owls, champions of the Atlantic 10 Conference regular season, will play the winner of Wednesday’s game between the University of Massachusetts and Duquesne as conference tournament play begins. Temple will play on Friday, March 9 at noon.

Temple, the top-seeded team, finished the regular season with a 24-6 overall record and a 13-3 mark in the conference. The Owls are also nationally ranked in the Associated Press (No. 23) and ESPN/USA Today (25) polls.

“We got a confident group of guys,” Moore said. “We’re playing pretty well. It’s a great thing winning the Atlantic 10 regular season title. We just want to keep building off these wins and head into the Atlantic 10 tournament. We want to take things one at a time. We know how important the Atlantic 10 championship is for us. We can’t just look at it and say we have a good record and we’re ranked and will possibly go to the NCAA tournament. Our objective is to go down there and win.”

Moore, a 6-foot-4, 190-pound senior, has met a lot of his goals and objectives throughout his Temple career. He was named first-team All-Atlantic 10 Conference. He was the second leading scorer in the A-10. He leads the Owls in scoring with a 17.8 average. He has scored 1,374 career points.

Moore grew up playing basketball on playgrounds in South Philadelphia. He was a huge star at Southern High where he played for head coach George Anderson. In 2008, he averaged 25.1 points a game his senior year with the Rams. He led the Public League in scoring and earned all-league honors. He scored 727 of his 1,186 career points in his final scholastic year. He won player of the year honors in the Public League from the William H. Markward Basketball Club.

It seems like yesterday when Moore made his announcement at Southern stating he would attend Temple. Five years later, he’s on target to graduate and put the finishing touches on a brilliant college career.

“It’s been a lot to get to this day,” Moore said. “It’s very special. I have a lot of support out there. I have a lot of family members who come to the games. Time has flown by so fast. It seems like I was just committing to come down here. I’m almost out of here, but there’s still a lot of basketball to be played. I just want to continue to play as long as I can.

“It’s a great thing to be able to graduate. I got a lot of help in the process. I’m just two classes away from graduating. It’s a great feeling. I think all the hard work I put in is starting to show.”

Moore has worked hard throughout his career. He’s received a number of honors over the years. In 2009–10, he was named the A-10 Sixth Man of the year. A year ago, he was named first-team All-Philadelphia Big 5, second-team All A-10 and NABC second team All-District.

Fran Dunphy, Owls head coach, has watched Moore grow over the years. Dunphy feels Moore has really developed on and off the court.

“He’s a fantastic person No. 1,” Dunphy said. “I think his development as a person has been remarkable. I think Temple has had something to do with that. I think his environment at home has had something to do with that. He has a great family. They’ve really supported him. He’s a great guy. He has gotten better. He’s a very mature guy. He’s a leader of our program.

“I’m happy he got to be a first-team All-Atlantic 10 performer. He really deserves that. He is exactly what you would want a basketball player to be. He’s been so coachable and so good to his teammates. I’m just thrilled for him. Hopefully, he can play basketball for many years in the future.”

Contact Staff Writer Donald Hunt at (215) 893-5719 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — Jesse Morgan started the run with a 3-pointer, and a Chaz Williams-to-Sean Carter alley-oop ended it with a bang.

UMass 15, Temple 0.

That’s the kind of sizzling run that changes games and puts top-seeded teams on the brink of an upset loss. In this case, it was Temple.

With the speedy Williams slicing his way down the lane toward 20 points and 10 assists, Massachusetts beat No. 21 Temple 77-71 on Friday, advancing to the Atlantic 10 tournament semifinals.

Yes, UMass knocked off a Top 25 Kansas team in 2008–09. But given the stakes, this was UMass’ biggest win in coach Derek Kellogg’s four seasons.

“Some people would think so,” he said.

The No. 1-seeded Owls (24-7) might feel that way on the long bus ride back to Philadelphia.

Morgan scored 21 points for the eighth-seeded Minutemen (22-10), who used the dominant and shocking 15-0 spurt to open the second half and spoiled the Owls’ bid for a fourth tournament title in five seasons.

“When you’re playing a Top 25 team who’s been here, and kind of done very well here, sometimes you’re not exactly certain how things are going to work out,” Kellogg said.

He had little to worry about after halftime.

UMass took control in the second half on a string of 3-pointers and Williams clinched it down the stretch from the free-throw line. Williams popped his No. 3 jersey toward a small but vocal group of UMass fans behind the basket in celebration.

Khalif Wyatt scored 15 points and Ramone Moore had 14 for the Owls. Temple won its first outright A-10 title since 1990, and will still be in the NCAA tournament field of 68.

The game was another back-and-forth showdown in the second half, reminiscent of their last meeting, Temple’s thrilling 90-88 overtime win on Feb. 29.

Knowing a tournament bid depended on winning the A-10, the Minutemen shook off a sluggish first half to outwork and outhustle Temple in the second. Morgan, Raphiael Putney and Terrell Vinson all buried 3-pointers, and Williams’ lob to Carter for an emphatic alley-oop made it 46-36.

Williams, about an inch or two shorter than his 5-foot-9 listed height, saluted the UMass fans behind the basket.

“It’s just his passion,” Carter said.

Even though the run pushed the momentum back toward UMass, the Owls didn’t have another standout season because they fold in crunch time.

Once Moore and Juan Fernandez shook off some cold shooting, the Owls got going and pulled ahead of UMass. But Temple simply didn’t have enough in the waning minutes. Moore connected on three straight 3-pointers and Fernandez hit a 3 to pull within 55-50. The Owls tried to win this one from the outside. But they did little to stop Williams and the Minutemen’s speedy guards.

In the end, it cost them.

Morgan and Javorn Ferrell hit back-to-back 3s for a 68-64 lead — making the Minutemen a sizzling 9 of 16 from beyond the arc. Williams made 8 of 10 free throws and Morgan hit three 3-pointers.

UMass played the final 4½ minutes without a timeout. The Minutemen didn’t need one.

Williams made it a four-point game from the free-throw line after Temple pulled to within two with 28 seconds left.

The victory kept Massachusetts alive for an NCAA bid. UMass made seven of their career appearances in the 1990s and haven’t been back yet. Kellogg played for UMass in the 1990s and never lost a game in the A-10 tournament (12-0 from 1992 to 1995).

Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson scored 13 points for Temple and Fernandez had 12. Michael Eric grabbed 11 rebounds to help Temple hold a 39-30 edge on the boards. Temple made a whopping 22 turnovers.

“We didn’t answer very well,” Temple coach Fran Dunphy said.

Wyatt started on the bench for what the Owls called a recent “timing issue,” and was replaced by T.J. DiLeo.

The Owls are still locks for the NCAA tournament. But it could affect their seeding. It could also hurt a bubble team like Drexel, Temple’s Philly neighbor. The Dragons certainly didn’t need a tournament favorite to go down early. Drexel coach Bruiser Flint, incidentally, led UMass the last time it made the tournament in 1998.

This is the final tournament in New Jersey before it moves to the new Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. The Owls are leaving for the Big East after next season.

“We get down, we don’t stay down,” Dunphy said. “Hopefully, we use this as an opportunity to play better basketball.”

Williams, who averaged 17.5 points, only scored three midway through the first half before scorching the Owls in the second. Temple led 36-31 at the break. By the time UMass led 46-31 in the second, though, the Owls didn’t know what hit them. After all, Williams is talented, fast and too hard to guard.

“We made a lot of mistakes down the stretch,” Moore said. “In these types of games, you’ve got to be perfect down the stretch.”

Temple won the last meeting by making all the big plays in overtime. It was UMass’ turn when it really counted this time.

“Once we found out Temple was our first matchup, we just locked in and learned from our mistakes from last game,” Williams said. “We just tried to move on from them.”

Mission accomplished. — (AP)