INDIANAPOLIS — Former Temple guard Hysier Miller placed dozens of bets on Owls games, including some against his team, the NCAA announced Friday.
The NCAA deemed Miller, a graduate of Neumann Goretti, permanently ineligible after finding he placed 42 parlay bets totaling $473 on Temple games during the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons. Three of those bets were against his team, the NCAA said.
Miller started every game for the Owls during those seasons. The NCAA found he used sportsbook accounts belonging to other people to bet.
The NCAA’s enforcement staff interviewed Miller on Oct. 10, 2024, and he admitted to placing parlay bets on Temple games but did not remember placing any bets against his team, the NCAA said.
Additionally, former Temple special assistant coach Camren Wynter and former graduate assistant Jaylen Bond were found to have violated NCAA rules by betting on professional and collegiate sports. The NCAA did not find any bets involving Temple by either Wynter or Bond. Both coaches received one-year, show-cause orders and a suspension of 10% of regular-season contests during their first year of employment.
The NCAA did not find the three cases to be connected.
Temple President John Fry and Director of Athletics Arthur Johnson released an announcement Friday, saying the NCAA found no evidence of point shaving or any wrongdoing by the university.
This is the latest gambling infraction uncovered by the NCAA, which revoked the eligibility of six men’s college basketball players earlier this month as a result of three separate sports-betting cases that involved a power-conference school in Arizona State and allegations of players throwing games to lose by more points than the spread.
That followed nearly three dozen people being arrested last month, including an NBA player and coach, for what federal law enforcement officials described as their involvement in various illicit gambling activities. Just this week, UFC President and CEO Dana White said he was in touch with the FBI regarding a match that involved unusual betting patterns.
For its part, the NCAA said last month it was investigating at least 30 current or former players for gambling allegations. The NCAA also banned three college basketball players in September for betting on their own games at Fresno State and San Jose State.
Temple men’s basketball coach Adam Fisher received a two-year contract extension that will run through the 2030 season, CBS Sports and ESPN reported Friday.
Fisher was hired on March 29, 2023, after spending three seasons as the associate head coach at Penn State. In his third season as coach, Fisher has led Temple to a 36-36 record and a 14-22 record in the American Conference.
He led the Owls to a 16-20 record in his first season and an appearance in the American Conference Tournament championship game. Temple won four games in four days before losing to UAB in the championship.
Fisher’s team saw improvement in his second season, going 17-15, but lost in the first conference tournament game against Tulsa. The Owls are 3-1 to start this season.
During Temple’s season opener against Delaware State on Nov. 5, a new face got the action going instantly — Gavin Griffiths.
The 6-foot-7 former Nebraska guard soared to the hoop from a lob by forward Babatunde Durodola, slamming it home for Temple’s first points. He ended his Owls debut with 16 points and had another dunk, earning him the nickname “LeBron Frames” on social media.
“We ran through that play a lot of times in practice,” Griffiths said. “So yeah, it was something we worked on at shootaround today. I knew it was coming.”
Griffiths, a junior, is having a career resurgence after injuries spoiled his single season with the Huskers. This is his third program — he spent the 2023-24 season at Rutgers — and he has become one of Temple’s best players, averaging 13.2 points per contest.
“He’s rebounded at a high rate right now and we can throw some lobs, which is fun,” said coach Adam Fisher. “His personality is great. I just told him, ‘Don’t get caught up in all the memes.’ He’s been a great addition. He’s so coachable. He’s come from amazing coaches.”
Griffiths joined Temple after spending one season at Nebraska, but his college career began at fellow Big 10 school Rutgers. He played one season under coach Steve Pikiell and scored a career-high 25 points in his second collegiate game against Boston University.
The additions of future NBA lottery picks Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey prompted the four-star recruit — and top 50 high school prospect out of Kingswood Oxford School in Connecticut — to enter his name into the transfer portal. He played in 16 games for the Cornhuskers before entering the transfer portal again.
Fisher, who was an assistant coach at Penn State when Griffiths was coming out of high school, tried recruiting him to the Nittany Lions. Penn State assistant coach Mike Farrelly was Griffiths’ lead recruiter, but Fisher remembers meeting the guard’s family, and the two formed a relationship from there.
Gavin Griffiths works out during practice at the Liacouras Center on Oct. 27.
“Gavin’s a young man that I’ve known for a long time,” Fisher said. “Mike Farrelly was the point person on the recruitment there and then coach Shrewsbury and I went and saw him and visited with his family. So we had a relationship and had seen him for three years prior. Great athlete, can make shots, comes from an amazing family. His mom and dad are just great people.”
Griffiths had a better sense of what he was looking for since it was his second time in the transfer portal. He already had a relationship with Fisher, so most of his time was spent watching the Owls’ film. He then visited Temple’s campus, which led to his commitment on April 25.
While he has given Temple a boost from three-point range, he worked to improve his game during the offseason. He developed to become a complete player and earned a spot in the Owls’ rotation. He’s started all four Temple games.
“I’ve just been trying to work on my game in the offseason to make sure my shot feels good,” Griffiths said. “Play my role in terms of, if that’s knocking down a three, being able to do that and step in and shoot it confidently.”
He’s reached double digits in each of the Owls’ four games, and when his shots are falling, it has put Temple in an offensive groove. He also knocked down three consecutive three-pointers in the last three minutes against Boston College on Nov. 15, which gave Temple a fighting chance — despite falling 76-71.
He did the same thing against Hofstra on Wednesday. Griffiths finished with 11 points, including nine second-half points, all of which came in three-pointers to help the Owls escape the Pride.
“I like that we scored,” Griffiths said. “And I like that [I] helped us get a little bit of energy, and I think that let us get some stops. So yeah, I think it was a good play.”
For Fisher, Griffiths’ impact has reminded the coach of the player he recruited in high school.
“I think it’s something that you just got to build with your players,” Fisher said. “We’re going to give you the freedom and you’re going to make mistakes. We all do. … Every team in the country is going to have practice. What are you doing besides that to separate yourself? And he does all that extra work.”
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — It has been a struggle-filled season for Nicholas Singleton, Penn State’s speedy senior running back.
But it was not always like this.
In eight starts as a freshman, the Shillington, Pa., native rushed for 1,061 yards on 156 carries and added 13 total touchdowns. His breakaway speed flashed with an 87-yard rushing touchdown in the 2023 Rose Bowl, which placed an exclamation point on an impressive rookie campaign.
Over the next two seasons, Singleton added 2,534 all-purpose yards and 27 touchdowns. Some draft experts projected that he would go as high as the second round if he declared for the 2025 NFL Draft.
But Singleton stayed in Happy Valley. He wanted another chance at a national title, another opportunity to prove his worth on the national stage. But in a 2025 season filled with shocking revelations for Penn State, Singleton’s struggles have ranked near the top.
Nicholas Singleton (10) runs during the fourth quarter against the No. 2 Indiana Hoosiers at Beaver Stadium.
Through the Nittany Lions’ first eight games, the senior running back rushed 82 times for 292 yards. It marked a career-worst 3.5 yards per carry, a stark dropoff from last season’s 6.4. Singleton peaked at 39 rushing yards across Penn State’s first five Big Ten contests and scored just twice during that span.
Andy Kotelnicki, the Nittany Lions’ offensive coordinator, blamed himself for not giving Singleton enough opportunities to showcase his speed. Kotelnicki said Singleton’s “superpower” is quickly bursting through holes when they open, rushing lanes that had not often presented themselves to that point in the season.
“It’s about continued opportunities and making sure that those opportunities are ones where [Singleton] is going to have a chance to do what he does well, and that’s utilize his speed,” Kotelnicki said during a recent press conference.
"I hope they break every single one of [my records]."
Singleton’s struggles in those eight games were exacerbated because Kaytron Allen, his roommate and counterpart in Penn State’s backfield, was enjoying a career season. Allen routinely found open rushing lanes when Singleton could not, halting the potential “poor offensive line play” excuse.
Bottom line: Singleton didn’t look like himself. His typical explosive runs were nonexistent, and his impact on Penn State’s offense seemingly lessened with each carry.
But team officials inside the Lasch Building, the site of the team’s training facility, never wavered. They believed Singleton’s spark would return. And they have made sure he knew that
“The people who kept me going are the coaches, my teammates,” Singleton said. “They have always been there every step of the way throughout the whole season. I know it’s been long and a rough start, but they’ve been sticking together, coming out here and [helping me] get better every day.”
Singleton kept his head down and his legs churning. He knew his breakthrough moment was near. And against No. 2 Indiana, his preparation met opportunity.
Inside a packed Beaver Stadium on Nov. 8, Singleton capped a 10-play, 67-yard drive with a 2-yard rushing touchdown to even the score. His rushes, mainly outside the numbers, were generating more yards than they had in recent weeks. On several occasions, he was one broken tackle away from a big gain.
Then came his breakthrough moment.
With Penn State trailing 20-10 at the start of the fourth quarter, Singleton burst through a hole and outraced the Hoosiers’ trailing secondary until a shoestring tackle brought him down at the 1-yard line.
“I told [Singleton] after that long run, ‘This is who you are,’” said Ethan Grunkemeyer, Penn State’s starting quarterback. “When he broke that long run, you could just feel the energy.”
The Beaver Stadium fans rose to their feet as the 21-year-old capped the drive with a 1-yard score. It was his second rushing TD of the game and 41st of his career, which placed him second on the program’s all-time rushing touchdowns list behind only Saquon Barkley (43).
Khalil Dinkins, Penn State’s starting tight end, said Singleton simply “flipped a switch.” Singleton’s teammates knew he had his usual burst buried somewhere. He just had to find it.
Against Indiana, he did.
Penn State’s Nicholas Singleton (10) celebrates his fourth-quarter touchdown against Indiana on Nov. 8, one of three on the afternoon.
“Nick is an amazing football player and an amazing person,” wide receiver Devonte Ross said. “He’s always had [skill], so I think the last couple of weeks he’s been just showing what he can do.”
The 224-pound rusher was not done yet. On the ensuing drive, he took a screen pass 19 yards for the go-ahead score. It marked the third three-touchdown game of his career.
Singleton finished with a season-best 93 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns. The next week against Michigan State, he rushed 15 times for 56 yards, the first time he had broken 50 rushing yards in consecutive games since Weeks 2 and 3.
“Just getting back to the drawing board. Taking it one day at a time,” Singleton said. “Just [trying to] get better every day.”
When DeSean Jackson and his Delaware State program came to Lincoln Financial Field three weeks ago, he brought a team that was 5-3 and fresh off its first Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference win of the season against North Carolina Central.
After defeating Michael Vick’s Norfolk State in a battle between former Eagles teammates on Oct. 30, the Hornets beat Morgan State and Howard over the last two weeks, extending their winning streak to five.
At 8-3, Delaware State not only has its most wins in a season since 2007, but it also has a chance to win the MEAC for the first time in 18 years and just the seventh time in school history.
A win on Saturday against South Carolina State (1 p.m., ESPN+) also would send the program to its first Celebration Bowl on Dec. 13 in Atlanta. The Celebration Bowl is the HBCU championship game between the winners of the MEAC and Southwestern Athletic Conference, and this year will be the 10th edition of the game.
Getting there will be a challenge, though. South Carolina State has won the MEAC in two of the last four years, including last season under first-year coach Chennis Berry. The Bulldogs won the upset Jackson State to win the 2021 Celebration Bowl, beating a team led by Deion Sanders and his son and current Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
This season, Delaware State is 4-0 at home, and averages 42.3 points and 363 rushing yards in those wins. Overall, the Hornets are the top rushing team (277.5) and No. 22 scoring offense in the FCS (33.6).
Delaware State running back James Jones is second on the team in rushing yards with 847.
South Carolina State’s defense ranks 16th in rushing yards allowed per game (113.5) but ranks 72nd out of 126 FCS schools in scoring defense (27.18 points per game).
In the MEAC preseason poll, Delaware State was picked to finish last, which Jackson doesn’t let people forget, while South Carolina State was picked to win the conference for the second straight year.
Eastern University quarterback Brett Nabb (center) was named the Middle Atlantic Conference’s Offensive Player of the Year for the 2025 season.
Eastern continues to soar
Another week of great news to deliver about the area’s little Division III program that could, as the Eagles of Eastern University wrapped up a nine-win regular season (9-1) last Saturday by winning the Middle Atlantic Conference.
This week, the school received more conference accolades as quarterback Brett Nabb picked up Offensive Player of the Year, linebacker Jason Bateman won Defensive Player of the Year, and Billy Crocker was named the conference’s Coach of the Year.
Next up for the Eagles? A first-round bye in the NCAA playoffs, which start Saturday. Eastern will open the postseason on the road against Franklin & Marshall on Nov. 29 (noon, watch live).
Projecting Villanova’s FCS playoff spot
Villanova won its final game in the Coastal Athletic Association in thrilling fashion last weekend and currently is second (8-2, 7-1 CAA) in the conference standings behind Rhode Island (9-2, 7-0).
To earn at least a share of the CAA title, Villanova needs Rhode Island to lose its conference finale against Hampton. Also in the mix for a piece of the title is Monmouth (9-2, 6-1), which faces Albany, although Villanova would win any tiebreaking scenario and the automatic FCS playoff berth that comes with it against Rhode Island and Monmouth. Hampton and Albany are winless in conference play.
Wildcats wide receiver Luke Colella (1) scores a touchdown against Stony Brook.
A CAA title seems unlikely for Villanova, but it will set its sights on a third straight FCS playoff berth and fourth appearance over the last five seasons. The Wildcats likely will receive an at-large bid to the 24-team playoff, with their last regular-season hurdle coming in the form of Sacred Heart (8-3), which will join the CAA next year as Villanova exits for the Patriot League (1 p.m., FloCollege).
Many outlets project Villanova earning a top 16 seed as a first-round playoff host. Opta Analysis projects Villanova as the No. 11 seed and hosting Youngstown State, while Hero Sports and Sports Illustrated have Villanova as the No. 16 seed and also hosting Youngstown State in the first round.
The Wildcats know Youngstown State well. Villanova beat the Penguins, 24-17, to open the 2024 season and won a 2023 playoff matchup, 45-28. The schools also had three memorable playoff matchups in the ’90s, all won by Youngstown State.
Villanova has advanced past the first round of the FCS playoffs in its last four appearances. We’ll see if Mark Ferrante’s squad can solidify its playoff standing Saturday at Villanova Stadium, where the Wildcats are 5-0.
Penn wide receiver Jared Richardson is chasing more records.
Record chasers
With one game left in Penn’s football season, against Princeton on Saturday (1 p.m., NBCSP+), wide receiver Jared Richardson needs three more receiving touchdowns to set a single-season record. Richardson, the team’s leading receiver, has caught 12 touchdowns this season. The previous school record was set in 2017 by Justin Watson, who caught 14 before embarking on an NFL career that continues with the Houston Texans this year.
Two weeks ago, we told you about Richardson’s pursuit of the program’s single-season receiving yards record. After combining for 123 yards over the last two games, Richardson needs 178 more yards to surpass Watson’s mark (1,115) set in 2016.
Penn is out of the race to win the Ivy League with a 3-3 conference record. But Richardson, who in 2023 set a school record with 17 receptions in a game, also can reach the top three in school history in career receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. He is tied with Dan Castles for the second-most receiving touchdowns in a career (27) and needs 35 yards to surpass Castles (2,444) for the third-most receiving yards in program history. Richardson currently sits at 2,410 receiving yards.
Meanwhile, Penn State running back Kaytron Allen needs 139 yards over the last two games to become the Nittany Lions’ all-time leading rusher. Penn State, which hosts Nebraska on Saturday (7 p.m., NBC10) still is chasing a bowl game berth, and likely will lean on Allen to get there.
Penn State running back Kaytron Allen (13) celebrates after a touchdown with Nicholas Singleton.
Allen sits third all-time on Penn State’s rushing yards in a career list with 3,794 yards, and trails Saquon Barkley (3,843) by 49 yards. Evan Royster has the all-time mark with 3,932 yards. Allen already surpassed Royster’s mark for most rushing attempts in a Penn State career.
Fellow running back Nick Singleton is close to breaking two Penn State records. Singleton trails Barkley (43 rushing touchdowns) by two and is one touchdown away from tying Barkley’s total touchdowns from scrimmage (51 for Barkley, 50 for Singleton).
Former Penn State head coach James Franklin was named the new head coach at Virginia Tech on Wednesday.
Game of the week
No. 13 Miami at Virginia Tech (noon, ESPN)
All eyes will be on the sidelines of the Hokies, who welcome the Hurricanes as 17.5-point underdogs at home. The question will be if new coach James Franklin will stand alongside interim coach Philip Montgomery or evaluate what he has in the 3-7 Hokies from elsewhere in the stadium. Miami should win easily, but the intrigue is just how soon Franklin gets his feet wet.
Bernadette McGlade is retiring from her role as commissioner of the Atlantic 10 conference, which includes Big 5 programs St. Joseph’s and La Salle, at the end of the 2025-26 school year.
McGlade, the longest-serving commissioner in conference history, oversaw the A-10’s growth into one of the premier mid-major basketball conferences, bolstered by the additions of George Mason, Virginia Commonwealth, Davidson, and Loyola-Chicago.
After 45 years as a college sports administrator, McGlade said the changes in the college athletics landscape motivated her to retire, to pave the way for a new figure to lead the conference through the next stage of evolution.
Atlantic 10 Commissioner Bernadette V. McGlade to Retire Following the 2025-26 Academic Year
As a basketball-centric conference, A-10 institutions are adapting to the name, image, and likeness era, but McGlade said Thursday that the conference’s outlook and approach toward NIL is “tremendously positive.”
“In basketball, I think we’re set up well because we’ve had the commitment from all of our institutions that they are going to step up at whatever level it takes for them to be able to remain nationally relevant,” McGlade said.
“That’s what it takes. You have to have the commitment institutionally, not only from a staffing standpoint, but the ability to have the infrastructure, the financial backing, the ability to schedule nationally, to recruit, and then to be able to provide your student athletes with the opportunities through NIL that every student athlete, quite frankly, is looking for today.”
Scheduling Power Four opponents is becoming increasingly difficult for the conference, harming its ability to remain a multi-bid league in March Madness, another obstacle the new commissioner will need to tackle.
On both the men’s and women’s side, McGlade says a new commissioner will need to contend with having its schools play others in Power 4 conferences.
McGlade is confident that given the member schools’ willingness to play “any time, anywhere,” that the conference will still find success in the future, but expressed interest in maintaining incentives for schools to schedule challenging mid-major opponents.
The NCAA has repeatedly considered expanding the tournament beyond its current 68 teams, but has not yet made the decision to do so. Just one men’s team from the A-10 made the tournament in 2025, the tournament champion VCU, who received an automatic bid.
McGlade is hopeful in the years to come that the NCAA will reach a position of greater stability with the structure of NIL and player payments, which will put the schools on closer financial footing.
The A-10 Presidents’ Council will begin the search for a new commissioner in January. When asked about the most important trait for the conference’s next leader, McGlade said it’s important for the new commissioner to have a clear idea of what the direction of the A-10 should be.
“You have to be resilient,” McGlade said. “In this business, there are a lot of great things … Being able to see those opportunities and take advantage of them when you have the chance to advance your membership, and the goals and the values that you have set for the league is really important.”
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Drew Allar said Thursday that he underwent successful surgery to repair his fractured left ankle. He said his rehab is “off to a really good start.”
The 6-foot-5 quarterback finished his Penn State career with the program’s highest completion percentage. He led the Nittany Lions to the brink of a national title game berth last season, a performance many draft experts tabbed worthy of making him a first-round pick had he declared for the 2025 NFL Draft.
But Allar felt he had unfinished business in Happy Valley. After a heartbreaking end to a successful junior campaign, one that ended with Allar tossing a game-sealing interception to seal Penn State’s 27-24 loss to Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff semifinals, he returned to State College for his senior campaign.
His season did not go as planned. After a sporadic first five games, Allar suffered a season-ending ankle fracture in Penn State’s Oct. 11 loss to Northwestern, a result immediately followed by James Franklin’s firing.
Penn State quarterback Drew Allar (15) throws a pass against Northwestern on Oct. 11.
In 24 hours, not only did Allar’s college career end, but the head coach who recruited him and grew close to him over the last four years lost his job.
“That was one of the worst weekends of my life,” Allar said. “I just stuck to my circle between my teammates here at Penn State and my family back home. … It still doesn’t feel real to some extent.”
Allar took accountability for Penn State’s 3-3 start. He said the team wouldn’t have lost three games in a row if he had made more plays, specifically citing the game-sealing interception he threw in the Nittany Lions’ 30-24 loss to Oregon.
The Ohio native, who has stayed with the team throughout his rehab process, has been present at practice and traveled with the Nittany Lions to road games against Iowa, No. 1 Ohio State, and Michigan State.
Interim head coach Terry Smith said Allar is “in every meeting” and has served as a tremendous help to Ethan Grunkemeyer, Penn State’s redshirt freshman QB who replaced Allar under center. And while Allar’s presence has aided teammates and coaches, he said being around his teammates has helped him the most.
“Selfishly, I felt like I needed to be around the team for my own sake,” Allar said. “I didn’t want to leave the guys or the coaches because I knew what kind of situation we were in … And for me personally as a captain, I felt like it was an obligation for me to be there for the guys.”
Penn State quarterback Drew Allar (15) with his former coach James Franklin after losing to Oregon on Sept. 27.
While Allar has remained around the program, his former head coach has moved on. Franklin was introduced as the head coach at Virginia Tech on Wednesday.
Allar said he has talked to Franklin “about every other day” since his injury and congratulated him on his new gig. The duo earned consecutive 10-win seasons in Happy Valley, the kind of success that Allar believes awaits his former head coach with the Hokies.
“[Franklin is] going to do a great job at Virginia Tech. It is a great spot for him,” Allar said. “I’m very excited to see what he does. I’m very happy for him and his family. They’ve done a great amount for me and my teammates.”
Allar has played more than four games in each of his four collegiate seasons, which means he is out of college eligibility. With the Reese’s Senior Bowl scheduled for Jan. 31 and the NFL Combine beginning on Feb. 27, Allar’s next steps are near.
But during Thursday’s media session, he did not directly answer questions regarding his participation in any of the major pre-draft evaluation events.
“I’m not really going to get into all the timeline stuff,” Allar said. “There are a lot of things that have to go in a certain way.”
Temple started to panic when Hofstra guard Cruz Davis scored to cut its deficit to two points with three minutes remaining.
However, the Pride never got any closer on Wednesday night at the Liacouras Center. All Temple (3-1) had to do was make its free throws to earn an 81-76 win against Hofstra (2-3).
“I’m really proud of our guys, the resiliency to compete and play for 40 minutes,” said head coach Adam Fisher. “We knew this was going to be a tough task. I have the utmost respect for [Hofstra coach] Speedy Claxton. His team plays hard. They got great guard play. They’re so well-coached. They run great stuff. They’re so defensive-minded.”
(Claxton, who played collegiately at Hofstra under coach Jay Wright, was the 76ers’ first-round draft pick in 2000. He had a nine-season NBA career, though missed two with injuries.)
Owls head coach Adam Fisher talks to forward Jamai Felt (1) on Wednesday.
Next, Temple will travel to Orlando to take on the University of California-San Diego in the Terry’s Chocolate ESPN Events Invitational on Monday (4:30 p.m., ESPNU)
Hot and cold offense
Fisher said after Temple lost to Boston College last Saturday was due to a lack of shot-following. The Owls shot a mere 34.3% against the Eagles.
Against the Pride, Temple’s offense went stale for a long period, relying on its defense to keep them in the game. The Owls had a 10-point run five minutes into the first half, then made just two shots in the next five minutes.
Owls guard Jordan Mason finished with 10 points against Hofstra.
When Aiden Tobiason knocked down a three-pointer to take over the lead, the Owls responded with a five-minute scoring drought, missing five shots.
“I think a big thing we harp on is our score is going to come,” Tobiason said. “Something we can control is our energy on defense. … I think we just harp on that and that will lead to us getting buckets.”
Those problems were eliminated after halftime, as Temple shot a resounding 13 of 24 from the field.
Four players reached double digits, led by Tobiason’s 21 points, while forward Jamai Felt gave the team a boost with eight points off the bench. Felt had been on a minutes restriction following shoulder surgery in the offseason.
“I was just really focused on getting stops and getting rebounds so we can push the ball,” Felt said.
Defense back on track
While Temple’s offense ran in place, it was up to the defense to get it out of neutral.
While the Pride shot 45.2%, the Owls’ defense held their own against an offense that averages 82.3 points.
Temple limited Hofstra’s shooting and slowed down its offense. Pride guard Biggie Patterson, who scored 10 of his 15 points in the first half, made just five in the second.
Pride guard Biggie Patterson (0) dunks the ball on Wednesday.
The Pride settled for three-pointers and made 9 of 28 attempts. Davis scored 20 of his 25 points after the break, but it wasn’t enough to bring Hofstra back.
“If we can control the glass, we can defend and rebound, we’re going to hopefully be in position [to win] every night,” Fisher said. “So that’s been a huge focus for us, defending and rebounding.”
Free throw mishaps
An issue plaguing Temple this season is at the free throw line.
Temple missed seven free throws against Boston College, and on Wednesday, the Owls missed five of their 11 free throws in the first half.
However, Temple went to the line 20 times in the second frame and knocked down 18. It ultimately was the difference in the Owls securing a win.
Owls guard Derrien Ford (20) drives toward the net on Wednesday.
Guard Derrian Ford, who finished with 20 points, was the main contributor at the line, drilling all nine, while Tobiason went 6-for-6.
“To win games like that, you have to make those and they stepped up,” Fisher said. “They knocked them down with great confidence. So really proud of the group.”
When K.C. Keeler was hired by Temple last Dec. 1, there was one question swirling in wide receiver Kajiya Hollawayne’s mind: Should he leave?
In fact, he’d pondered that thought since former coach Stan Drayton was fired. He wouldn’t have been the first, as nearly 20 players entered the transfer portal after Drayton’s dismissal.
However, this wasn’t Hollawayne’s first experience with a coaching change.
His primary recruiter at UCLA, quarterbacks coach Dana Bible, retired before his first practice as a freshman in 2021. Hollawayne bounced between programs, including Grambling State and Riverside Community College, but left for greener pastures. This time, he decided he wanted to stick out the challenge at Temple.
“I just thought it’s time to stop running from the struggles that I have got going,” Hollawayne said. “Every school I’ve been at has had coaching changes. So I was like, ‘Let me stop running and see the other side, see how the grass is on this side.’ So when I stayed, I just knew to put my head down and grind, because a lot of times, coaching staff that come in, it’s not better for us. It’s like whoever comes in has a better hand on things like that, so I was just thinking about trying to get on their radar.”
The redshirt senior climbed Temple’s depth chart amid the offseason departures. Hollawayne talked to Keeler and new offensive coordinator Tyler Walker, who knew they could mold the receiver into the Owls’ system. The result: Hollawayne is the team’s best receiver this season. He leads the Owls (5-5, 3-3 American Conference) with 445 receiving yards and six touchdowns entering Saturday’s matchup against Tulane (8-2, 5-1) at Lincoln Financial Field (3:45 p.m., ESPNU).
“It’s been a steady process since January,” Walker said. “He’s come a long way. And he’s definitely earned a reputation as a guy that we can throw the football to in critical moments, and we feel confident that he’s going to go get the football.”
Before arriving at Temple, Hollawayne was a three-star quarterback out of San Jacinto (Calif.) High School, where he was ranked 34th in the state. He committed to UCLA under then-coach Chip Kelly, who also coached the Eagles from 2013 to 2015 and now is the Las Vegas Raiders offensive coordinator, but only lasted a season at UCLA.
Temple wide receiver Kajiya Hollawayne takes part in drills during practice on Aug. 4.
He spent the 2021 season backing up Bruins starter Dorian Thompson-Robinson. Hollawayne, then 18, didn’t want to wait on the sidelines for another year. So he left.
He landed at Grambling State, which then was coached by Hue Jackson, but another setback occurred. Hollawayne suffered a severe strain on his rotator cuff that dated back to pitching while he was in high school. If he were to continue playing quarterback, he would need to have surgery.
Not wanting to lose another year of eligibility, Hollawayne asked his coach how he could get on the field, which led to a position switch from quarterback to wide receiver.
“It was kind of easy, because growing up, everybody played wideout,” Hollawayne said. “The hard part was learning how to block and stuff like that. There’s little things to block that you can get beat on.”
At Grambling State, he bonded with Tyron Carrier, the wide receivers coach. Even after Hollawayne left for Riverside Community College, they remained in touch. Eventually Carrier was hired at Temple and recruited Hollawayne.
While Hollawayne followed suit, he didn’t hit the ground running. He was behind wide receivers Dante Wright, Ashton Allen, John Adams, and Antonio Jones on the depth chart. While he finished with 120 receiving yards in 2024, Hollawayne used the opportunity to learn behind those older receivers.
“I was behind Dante in the slot, and he was a great player, just paying attention to him, seeing how he works the game, how he plays the game,” Hollawayne said. “Also just working because I haven’t been playing wide receiver for a long time. I’m looking at different wide receivers in our group, seeing what I can take from their game, put into my game. Also looking online and seeing what you can do better, like hand work.”
He also formed a connection with quarterback Evan Simon, who transferred to Temple from Rutgers that offseason.
When Hollawayne transferred to Temple from Riverside, he didn’t have a dorm room for the first month. Jones, who was roommates with Simon, asked if Hollawayne could crash on their couch. Simon obliged, and, before long, they were tossing passes together.
“[Antonio] is like, ‘Is it cool if Kajiya Hollawayne lives with us for a little bit?’ Absolutely,” Simon said. “Then next thing, we’re throwing on our own, him and I. We’d be out here throwing after whatever. He’d wait out there for me to get the gate because he couldn’t get in.”
Temple wide receiver Colin Chase (right) celebrates a first quarter touchdown reception with teammate wide receiver Kajiya Hollawayne on Sept. 6.
Simon and Hollawayne’s extra work has paid off this season.
“I think some of it definitely was him trusting in his ability, and him seeing the results, and then him understanding that we have confidence in him to throw the ball in key moments,” Walker said. “Then when he makes those plays, it just builds confidence. I think a lot of it was that he always had the athletic ability, that was never an issue. It was just getting him to fine tune his ability and get him to do some things that naturally take some time, and he’s done a great job.”
For Hollawayne, his development on the field comes from his journey, which has had many twists and turns.
“I think that freshman year helped me a lot,” Hollawayne said. “I think if I would have played my freshman year, I wouldn’t be the man I am right now, because that actually humbled me a lot.”
There was a small sequence midway through the second half of Villanova’s 70-55 victory over La Salle in John Glaser Arena on Wednesday night that showed the allure of Kevin Willard’s small-ball lineup.
Matt Hodge was being guarded by La Salle’s 7-foot backup center, Bowyn Beatty. After a La Salle turnover, Hodge caught a pass on the wing as Villanova looked to quickly set up its offense. Hodge, a redshirt freshman, was 3-for-5 from three-point range at that point. So when he pumped, Beatty bit.
Hodge then drove past the big man in no time, en route to a two-handed slam that extended Villanova’s lead to 16.
Hodge, in his fifth college basketball game, scored a game-high 17 points and led the Wildcats with 35 minutes in their victory. He went 7-for-9 from the floor and is up to 12.6 points per game. More important, though, for Villanova’s long-term development, a healthy Tafara Gapare, who has missed time with a foot injury, allowed Willard to go to his small-ball lineup with Hodge and Gapare in the frontcourt.
Willard raved before the season about the different styles of play his personnel afforded him. It’s most apparent in Hodge, who starts at power forward, and senior Duke Brennan, the starting center. Brennan continued his gritty start to the season with eight points and 13 rebounds, five on the offensive glass, in just 22 minutes. He leads the nation with 14.4 rebounds per game.
“A shot goes up and you think you got a one-shot stop and he comes up with it,” La Salle coach Darris Nichols said of Brennan.
“They’re a hard guard.”
Especially given the versatility. Much has been made about this new-look Villanova team’s guard play. Redshirt-sophomore Bryce Lindsay entered the game averaging 23 points in Villanova’s first four games, but La Salle held him to just 10; freshman Acaden Lewis is starting to assert himself more; Devin Askew has shown flashes; and Tyler Perkins has been as steady as it gets.
But it was Villanova’s forwards and its ability to play smaller at times that had a major impact.
“When you have five guys out that can shoot the basketball and drive it, it opens up a lot of opportunities,” Willard said.
Villanova forward Duke Brennan, shown against Duquesne on Saturday, leads the NCAA in rebounding average.
Aside from Beatty, La Salle (2-3) is a relatively smaller team, and Willard said his small-ball unit — Hodge is 6-8, and Gapare is 6-9 — gives his team “opportunities to match up” with smaller teams that do more switching.
Bigger teams and bigger games are on the horizon for the 4-1 Wildcats. Willard pointed at future Top 25 opponents like Michigan, Wisconsin, Connecticut, and St. John’s having much bigger lineups. His frontcourt’s versatility will enable him to “maybe throw a curveball at them offensively or defensively. … I think it really helps.”
Hodge playing at this level makes it all easier, too. He was forced to sit out last season after being ruled academically ineligible, but through five games he is showing why he was a four-star prospect out of St. Rose High School in Belmar, N.J.
“It felt good, a good win for the team,” Hodge said.
Hodge, Willard said, has “been as solid as anybody.”
“I think he’s getting a little bit more comfortable with how we’re trying to play, and also being back, it’s much different from practice,” Willard said. “He’s worked really hard to put himself in this position.”
Villanova guard Bryce Lindsay, shown against Duquesne on Saturday, is the team’s leading scorer though five games.
Still, there’s more to be desired apparently. Hodge was the topic of conversation in the media room postgame, so it was worth asking how his defense was coming along.
“Oh, it’s horrible,” Willard said.
Matt?
“Work to do,” Hodge said before his coach replied: “Good answer.”
Where do you need the work most?
“Never give that answer,” Willard interjected. “Never give the weakness.”
Hodge might be a redshirt-freshman, but he finished this sequence like a senior: “No comment.”
Like everything else in November in this sport, it’s a work in progress.
