Two hundred and thirty-seven days after Temple lost a double-overtime thriller to San Diego State in the NCAA tournament, the madness of college basketball is set to return to Philly.
Starting Friday, Philadelphias six Division I teams will begin their quests for what they hope to be memorable seasons.
To help get you prepared for the ride, heres a preview of all of the city squads:
Villanova Wildcats
Head coach: Jay Wright, 11th season
Last season: 21-12 overall, 9-9 Big East, lost in first round of Big East tournament to South Florida, lost first game of NCAA tournament to George Mason
Top returners: Jr. G Maalik Wayns (13.8 ppg, 4.5 apg last season), Jr. F Mouphtaou Yarou (8.4 ppg, 7.1 rpg)
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Key losses: G Corey Fisher (15.6 ppg, 4.8 apg), G Corey Stokes (14.9 ppg, .432 3P), F Antonio Pena (9.8 ppg, 7.1 rpg)
Impact newcomer: Fr. F Markus Kennedy
X-Factor: So. G James Bell (2.4 ppg)
Outlook: Wright has enjoyed a tremendous amount of success over the past decade but few seasons were as frustrating as last one as the Wildcats sputtered to six straight losses to end the year. Its not going to be easy to turn things around with Fisher, Stokes and Pena all gone, but Wright is fortunate to have two dynamic juniors to build his team around in Wayns and Yarou. If the beefy Kennedy and JayVaughn Pinkston can live up to their billing in the frontcourt and Bell and Dominic Cheek can help ease the scoring burden of Wayns in the backcourt, the Wildcats certainly have the potential to grow into a Big East power.
What theyre saying: This is a really different team for us. Im really enjoying it. In the past when weve made mistakes, weve gotten burned for them because were undersized. Now we can make mistakes and recover because of our size.Jay Wright
Temple Owls
Head coach: Fran Dunphy, sixth season
Last season: 25-7 overall, 14-2 Atlantic 10, lost to Richmond in A-10 semifinals, lost to San Diego State in third round of NCAA tournament
Top returners: Sr. G Ramone Moore (15.2 ppg, 4.2 rpg), Sr. G Juan Fernandez (11.2 ppg, 3.9 apg), Sr. F Scootie Randall, Jr. G (10.7 ppg, .495 FG), Jr. G Khalif Wyatt (10.1 ppg, .421 3P)
Key losses: Lavoy Allen (11.6 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 1.8 bpg)
Impact newcomer: Fr. F Anthony Lee
X-Factor: Sr. C Michael Eric (7.1 ppg, 5.9 rpg)
Outlook: Fresh off their first NCAA tournament win since 2001, the Owls enter the season hoping for an even deeper run in this years dance. With two of the conferences premier playersMoore and Fernandezleading the charge, they certainly have the firepower to do so. But the big question is whether big men Eric and Lee can help ease the massive loss of Allen, one of the best players in Temple history. Another issue is a knee injury to the versatile Randall, who will be sidelined for the start of the season.
What theyre saying: Were going to be different. Can we score a little bit more than last years team? Maybe we can. We have a bunch of guys who can score. But were going to need scoring up front. We need Mike Eric to help us this way.Fran Dunphy
Saint Joseph's Hawks
Head coach: Phil Martelli, 17th season
Last season: 11-22 overall, 4-12 Atlantic 10, lost to Dayton in A-10 semifinals
Top returners: Jr. G Carl Jones (17.0 ppg, 3.4 apg), So. G Langston Galloway (12.8 ppg, 5.5 rpg), So. F C.J. Aiken (7.4 ppg, 3.5 bpg)
Key losses: F Idris Hilliard (8.5 ppg, 4.7 rpg)
Impact newcomer: So. F Halil Kanacevic
X-Factor: So. F Ron Roberts (6.4 ppg, 4.7 rpg)
Outlook: Martellis Hawks are coming off back-to-back 20-loss seasons but there is reason for optimism on Hawk Hill. The backcourt of Jones and Galloway is young but electric, and the addition of talented Hofstra transfer Kanacevic to a frontcourt that includes two ever-improving sophomores in Aiken and Roberts could make the Hawks a formidable threat in the A-10. Perhaps the best part for Martelli is that everyone will be back at least another season.
What theyre saying: Were going to put a frontcourt out there that can match anyone in the league, and we have two guards who got 29 a game between them last season. Its certainly false hope to say we have a lot of experience. But the end of last year allows us to say we have experience winning in this league.Phil Martelli
La Salle Explorers
Head coach: John Giannini, 8th season
Last season: 15-18 overall, 6-10 Atlantic 10, lost to Temple in A-10 quarterfinals
Top returners: So. G Tyreek Duren (9.8 ppg, 4.4 rpg), Sr. G Earl Pettis (9.1 ppg, 4.1 rpg)
Key losses: F Aaric Murray (15.2 ppg, 7.7 rpg), F Jerrell Williams (13.8 ppg, 7.4 rpg), G Ruben Guillandeaux (12.6 ppg, 2.5 apg)
Impact newcomer: Fr. F Jerrell Wright
X-Factor: Jr. G Ramon Galloway (10.7 ppg at South Carolina)
Outlook: Not only are the Explorers coming off a disappointing season doomed by porous defense but they must also try to make up for the loss of their three leading scorers, including the gifted but mercurial Murray, who transferred to West Virginia. But Giannini doesnt mind that most of his players are untested and inexperienced, so long as they work to improve the squads defense. The good news for La Salle is that Duren and fellow sophomore Sam Mills are promising guards, Wright is a highly touted freshman forward from Philly, and transfer Galloway comes to La Salle after scoring in double figures for South Carolina a season ago.
What theyre saying: I think frankly that were a better team than last year. Were deeper, we have better guard play, we defend better, we pass much better, and we have much better role definition.John Giannini
Penn Quakers
Head coach: Jerome Allen, third season
Last season: 13-5 overall, 7-7 Ivy League
Top returners: Sr. G Zack Rosen (14.3 ppg, 5.4 apg), Sr. G Tyler Bernardini (12.9 ppg, 3.9 rpg), So. G Miles Cartwright (11.7 ppg, 3.0 apg)
Key losses: F Jack Eggleston (13.2 ppg, 8.0 rpg), F Conor Turley (5.3 ppg)
Impact newcomer: So. F Marin Kukoc (sat out all of freshman year with back injury)
X-Factor: So. F Fran Dougherty (2.5 ppg, 2.4 rpg)
Outlook: With Rosen, Bernardini and Cartwright, the Quakers probably boast the best backcourt in the Ivy League. The problem for Penn is that the graduation of Eggleston and Turley leaves them with virtually no experience in the frontcourt. Dougherty has taken some big steps to fill a void up front but will need help from oft-injured senior Mike Howlett and at least one or two members of the squads highly touted freshmen class. Kukoc, the son of former Chicago Bulls star Toni, has looked excellent in the preseason scrimmages and could help the Quakers challenge for their first Ivy League title since 2007although a loaded Harvard team will likely keep Rosen and Bernardini from capturing their first league crown.
What theyre saying: Youre really thinking about how you want to leave it. Through all the losing and the turmoil we had for our first three years here, can we turn it around? Can we leave our mark on this historic top 25 program and be able to say, one day, that we contributed to Penn being back on top?Zack Rosen
Drexel Dragons
Head coach: Bruiser Flint, 11th season
Last season: 21-10 overall, 11-7 Colonial Athletic Association, lost to VCU in CAA quarterfinals
Top returners: Jr. G Chris Fouch (14.9 ppg), Sr. F Samme Givens (12.2 ppg, 10.1 rpg), So. F Dartaye Ruffin (8.4 ppg, 7.4 ppg)
Key losses: G Gerald Colds (9.7 ppg)
Impact newcomer: Fr. G Damion Lee
X-Factor: So. G Frantz Massenat (5.5 ppg, 3.3 apg)
Outlook: A season after getting snubbed for the NCAA tournament and NIT, the Dragons return hungry to make the programs first Big Dance appearance since 1996. Expectations are certainly high with Drexel picked to win the CAAone of the countrys premier mid-major conferencesas it returns six of its top seven players from last year (Fouch, Givens, Ruffin, Massenat, junior guard Derrick Thomas and junior forward Daryl McCoy). But for the Dragons to get over the hump, Flint knows talented sophomores Ruffin, a bruising forward, and Massenat, a crafty left-handed point guard, will need to take the next step on a young team that has only one senior (Givens). Look for Lee to fill a void in the backcourt as Fouch recovers from offseason knee surgery.
What theyre saying: You know people are gunning for you now. We know we didnt get picked first for no reason, so weve got to work hard every day to prepare and avoid any mishaps or slips. We have to be ready for every game.Samme Givens
E-mail Dave Zeitlin at djzeitlin@gmail.com