Editor's Note: Dick Weiss, a member of the U.S. Basketball Writers Association Hall of Fame, has covered college sports in Philadelphia and New York for more than 40 years. He will be providing regular commentary for the American Athletic Conference during the 2014-15 season.
The all-conference forward helped SMU to knock off his hometown team and take the Mustangs to The American final
by Dick Weiss
HARTFORD, Conn. – Markus Kennedy, SMU’s 6-9, 245-pound junior power forward, has always had a soft spot for Temple.
Kennedy, who grew up in Yeadon, Pennsylvania, just outside the Philadelphia city limits, and played a year for Villanova before transferring, is friends with Temple players and former local high school stars Jaylen Bond and Jesse Morgan. He was recruited by Temple and remained friends with Fran Dunphy and his staff even though he signed to play with their neighbors.
But all that love temporarily disappeared yesterday when Kennedy came off the bench to score 17 points and grab nine rebounds as the 20th-ranked Mustangs (26-6), who won The American regular-season championship, defeated the Owls (23-10), 69-56, to advance to the final of the conference tournament here Saturday at the XL Center.
“I guess you could say bragging rights,” Kennedy said. “I knew how much this game meant to my teammates when we went to Temple last year and lost.”
Kennedy, the Mustangs’ most offensively skilled frontcourt player, has been taking it out on the Owls ever since, scoring 21 points and grabbing seven rebounds against the Owls in an earlier win at the Liacouras Center in Philly. Saturday’s game was the third straight win for SMU over Temple this season.
“I stressed that they thought they felt they could beat us and that we had to make them know that we didn't feel exactly that way.” SMU’s Hall of Fame coach Larry Brown said.
Kennedy has been a huge part of the Mustangs’ success, coming back from early season eligibility problems to emerge as a shining example of a star and a leader in the program.
“For him to come back and have the attitude he's had, it's been so important,” Brown said. “And then to be humble enough to not start, come off the bench and accept that role, not of lot of kids with his ability would. With this new generation, I think playing time is such a key thing and young kids forget the object is to make your teammates better and give yourself a chance to win. He's accepted that. He's a quality player and a really great kid.”
Kennedy and the rest of Larry Brown's Highland Park skyline had too much size for foul-plagued Temple, scoring 24 points in the paint and outrebounding the Owls, 45-32. The Mustangs, who trailed 34-33 early in the second half, took command of this game after the Owls were forced to go small when the 6-8 Bond, the Owls’ best rebounder who was playing with an ankle sprain, picked up a fourth personal with 16:57 to play and wound up playing just 11 minutes for the game.
“Jaylen's a great offensive rebounder, a great overall player,” said Kennedy. “And I think without him on the floor, it's a little bit easier to get to my sports and get where I want. We played each other our whole life growing up in Philly, so he kind of knows many game and we kind of always take stuff away from each other.”
The Mustangs, who got just seven points from American Player of the Year Nic Moore, got off to a slow start, falling behind by 10 points midway through the first half. But they scored 43 points in the second half. And their defense eventually turned Temple into a team that couldn't shoot straight. The Owls shot just 29.3 percent and made just 4 of 24 three point attempts, only 2 of 16 in the second half.
“I was scared to death coming here,” Brown said. “We haven't defended the three in Hartford very well. Connecticut, the last time we played here, made everything. East Carolina made everything. I was a little concerned. Then when I looked at the stat sheet. they're 4 for 24. I thought it was a misprint. If you limit them to one outside shot, you've got a chance. If they get into the paint, you have no chance and that's all we talked about.”
At least Brown doesn't have to lose sleep about SMU getting into the field the way he did last year when the Mustangs were snubbed by the committee.
SMU is in.
Still, despite the fact SMU are ranked 15th in the RPI, most bracketologists have the Mustangs penciled in as a sixth seed in the tournament. Last year, 2013 national champion Louisville was the highest seeded team from The American to make the tournament with a No. 4 seed. UConn, which went on to win the national title, was a No. 7 seed.
Temple appears to be on the right side of the bubble, but the Owls will have to hold their collective breath until the official announcements come out Sunday.
They have a huge supporter in Brown, who is close friends with Dunphy – The American's Coach of the Year – dating back to his days as head coach of the Philadelphia 76ers.
“Well shoot,'' Brown said. “They beat Kansas when Kansas had beat everybody by 20 in December. I've talked to Bill (Self). he’s playing without Cliff Alexander, playing without Perry Ellis. Wayne Selden's been hurt. They're playing in the Big 12 finals. I don't know how the committee judges it. Last year on Sunday, I knew how good this conference was. I didn't have any idea Connecticut was going to win it. It doesn't make me sad Kevin won it, but I knew how good our conference was. I know since Fran got his kids healthy and the transfers eligible, if you look at their body of work, it's pretty darn good.”