Fran Dunphy has had to deal with a lot in his five decades coaching college basketball.
But the situation he’s now facing is a unique one for even the most experienced coach: how to work two transfers into the rotation in the middle of the season.
On Thursday, for a non-conference game at Delaware (7 p.m.), transfers Jesse Morgan (UMass) and Devin Coleman (Clemson) are poised to make their Temple debuts after sitting out the first semester due to NCAA eligibility rules.
“It’s difficult to change your dynamic in the middle of the year, and that’s where we’re going to have to pay attention,” Dunphy said after Temple’s 85-62 loss to Villanova on Sunday. “Everybody’s going to have to really buy in.”
One thing is for sure: Temple could use some help. Although the Owls (6-4) already look much better than they did last season, Sunday’s lopsided Big 5 loss highlighted just how far they still have to go to become an NCAA tournament team.
And shooting has been a major problem all season for Temple, which ranks ahead of just seven other Division I teams in field goal percentage (36.2) through the first 10 games. The Owls’ three-point percentage (25.9) is also among the worst in the nation.
Enter Morgan and Coleman, both of whom should be able to help in that department.
“They can make shots, first of all,” Dunphy said when asked to describe the two players. “They’re pretty good shot-makers. The next step now is getting them shots. Before you can make them, you’ve got to get them.”
To do that, Dunphy noted the team needs to improve its “offensive execution” — whether that means getting open, making better passes or cutting more efficiently.
For what it’s worth, senior point guard Will Cummings seems ready to distribute the ball to two new offensive-minded players and doesn’t expect too many growing pains as they enter the fray.
“Those two guys have been here since last year, so I don’t really think it will be too big of an issue,” said Cummings, the Owls’ leading scorer. “They’ve been practicing with us every day.”
Morgan and Coleman — both Philly natives — also have an impressive track record. Morgan was one of the top scorers on UMass before tearing his ACL midway through the 2012-13 season. And although Coleman also battled through injury issues while at Clemson, he earned consistent playing time as a college freshman after winning three straight high school state championships at Friends Central.
But while the idea of these two Philly guys joining an Owls squad that already features another solid transfer in Jaylen Bond (Texas) and a big-time freshman in Obi Enechionyia might make some Temple fans salivate, Dunphy expressed caution at welcoming in two more new players.
“It will be different,” the Owls' coach said. “Devin Coleman and Jesse Morgan have never played a game at Temple University, so we’ll see how that’s going to be.”