The Towson University men?s basketball team will take a quick break from this semester?s final exams to take part in a test of another kind. That challenge comes in the form of Temple (3-3), the type of program that Towson (5-3) plans to play in coming years. The Tigers host the Owls today at 2 p.m.
“They?re going to be a bigger player in the Atlantic 10 than most people realize,” Towson coach Pat Kennedy said. “It?s a great challenge, but a great home game.”
Kennedy mentioned trying to get programs like George Washington, La Salle, St. Joseph?s and Richmond on board for non-conference matchups. Temple was one of those targeted teams.
Sophomore swingman Dionte Christmas leads the Owls with 20.5 points per game, while senior guard Dustin Salisbery checks in at 18.7 a game.
“They?re getting better everygame,” Kennedy said. “Coach Fran Dunphy has his system in place. They have a terrific perimeter.”
Towson?s strength comes on the perimeter, as well. Leading scorer and NBA prospect Gary Neal gives the team some senior leadership.
“I think he?s been tremendous,” Kennedy said. “Last year when he came, he hadn?t played in so long. … Now, he?s in great shape. He?s been a leader defensively. He?s just really been playing hard.”
Neal was working hard this week in the classroom, taking his last final of the semester Wednesday. He?s been the key veteran cog in a youthful backcourt rotation for the Tigers.
“I think the team is coming together pretty good,” Neal said after taking his “Principles of Coaching” final. “We?re getting guys like Rodney [Spruill] and Rocky [Coleman] into more of a groove. I think the young guys are starting to learn their roles. And I think everybody?s settling into their situation.”
Neal leads the team with 22.5 points per game. The team?s second-leading scorer is Neal?s backcourt-mate ? sophomore point guard Tim Crossin. Coleman, a sophomore, and Spruill, a true freshman, log solid minutes off the bench. And C.C. Williams, a junior transfer from Brunswick (N.C.) Community College, has cracked the rotation as a change-of-pace guard.
“We have more depth,” Kennedy said. “We have 10 guys we can shuffle in and out of a game.”
Crossin, who returns as a starter at the point, leads the team in three-point shooting, hitting 40.7 percent of his long-range shots. That?s a solid percentage for shooting threes, but Kennedy is eying a higher percentage for the team?s non-conference winning percentage.
“Let?s be over .500 in non-conference games and over .500 in the league and make winning at home a high priority,” Kennedy said of the team?s goal.
That plan won?t be easy to accomplish. Next up after Temple is a game against Georgetown at the Verizon Center Dec. 20.
“We have a long way to go, and we have a very difficult schedule,” Kennedy said. “We have some very tough stretches.”
Neal?s strategy is much like tackling finals week.
“I?m looking at it one game at a time,” Neal said.
