Fran Dunphy was late to an Atlantic 10 luncheon, allowing Saint Joseph's coach Phil Martelli the opening he needed to poke fun at his friend and rival.
Martelli joked that Dunphy called and asked him to promote Temple's new TV show: ''Boardwalk Empire.''
Martelli got the laughs, but he's not really stretching the truth. Temple has dominated Atlantic City the last three years. The Owls have won the last three Atlantic 10 tournaments there and again have become regulars in the NCAA tournament, much like during the glory years under John Chaney.
Entering his fifth season at Temple, Dunphy has led a basketball rebirth in North Philadelphia.
This season, the Owls are ranked in The Associated Press' preseason poll for the first time since the 2001-02 season and were picked to win the A-10 in the preseason poll.
It's just not enough to hit some nice milestones this year.
''You can always go farther,'' Temple forward Lavoy Allen said.
That means winning at least one game in the NCAA tournament. The No. 22 Owls, however, haven't won an NCAA tournament game since 2001, and Dunphy has lost 11 straight tournament games dating back to his time coaching Penn.
He needed longer than usual to recover from a season-ending tournament loss after the Owls fell as the fifth seed to 12th-seeded Cornell last year, ending a 29-6 (14-2) season with a thud. Temple looks to build toward another tournament run when it opens the season Friday against Seton Hall.
''We'll have our chance to respond to these expectations on Friday and see where we are,'' Dunphy said. ''You mention it, but you don't dwell on it, because the reality is, it doesn't matter what people are projecting. It's what you do on the court.''
Dunphy will win the way he always has at Temple - without a first-team All-America type of player, a roster full of players who know how to play their roles, and one of the tightest and toughest defenses in basketball.
Guard Juan Fernandez, the A-10 tournament's most outstanding performer, and 6-foot-9 forward Lavoy Allen will carry the Owls this season.
Allen, a first team All-Atlantic 10 Conference selection, became the first Temple player to average a double-double since Ollie Johnson in 1970-71, averaging 11.5 points and 10.7 rebounds. He led the team in rebounding, blocks (50) and field goal percentage (.536) while ranking third with 83 assists.
He had 21 rebounds in win at La Salle, declared for the NBA draft but returned to Temple for his senior season.
''We need his play,'' Dunphy said. ''We need his understanding of the game. We need that consistency that he does bring to the table. It would be great if he could score more for us. He's a huge part of what it is we do.''
Dunphy said Allen needed to try for the NBA, but knew his big man needed to refine his game in college.
''I thought it was a great thing for him,'' Dunphy said. ''He's a terrific defensive player and a great rebounder. I think everybody's waiting and seeing what his offensive game will be.''
Fernandez is the perfect complement to Allen from the outside. He led the A-10 in three-pointers (73) and the Owls in assists (122). Guard Ramone Moore and forward Michael Eric join them in the starting five. The fifth spot is open.
''We need help from guys who haven't played much in the past,'' Dunphy said.
They'll need it against another typically loaded nonconference schedule. There are three games in the Old Spice Classic, back-to-back games against Maryland and No. 20 Georgetown, and the Philly showdown against No. 6 Villanova.
After conference play starts, there's a Feb. 23 detour to No. 1 Duke.
The schedule toughens Temple for the tournament, boosts their RPI and gets them on national television.
Temple has the titles, but A-10 rival Xavier has the fun deep into March. The Musketeers are one of only two teams in basketball to reach the round of 16 each of the last three seasons.
Surely, Dunphy would trade some of those other accomplishments for additional tournament travel.
''If you tell me we're going to get a chance to play in the NCAA tournament, I'll be thrilled,'' Dunphy said. ''We've been lucky enough the last three years to be in, and we've been unfortunate enough to come up with the victory.''
He'll have plenty of more chances after signing an eight-year contract that could keep him with the program through the 2018 season.
