The Temple Owl’s men’s basketball team is getting ready for the 2025-26 season with many changes. In the 2024-25 season, Temple went 17-15. This year, they lost many players to graduation or transfer. To replace these players, head coach Adam Fisher brought in eight transfers and two freshmen.
Roster Changes and New Additions
Key players from last season, such as Jamal Mashburn Jr, Steve Settle III, Matteo Picarelli, Shane Dezonie, and others, either graduated or transferred. With the transfer portal becoming increasingly important in coaches’ roster-building, Adam Fisher brought in eight transfer players. These include AJ Smith, Derrian Ford, CJ Hines, Spencer Mahoney, Jordan Mason, Messiah Gilyard, Gavin Griffiths, and Jamal Felt. Temple also brought in two freshmen, Ayuba Bryant and Cam Wallace.
Projected Starters
The consensus starting five is:
Guard: Derrian Ford. Ford played two years at Arkansas State and averaged 8.0 points and 3.4 rebounds last year. In big games, his play rises.
Guard: AJ Smith. In his junior year at Charleston, he averaged 11.5 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 0.9 assists. Smith is using his final year of eligibility to play for Temple this season.
Forward: Aiden Tobiason. One of the few returning players. Last season as a freshman, Tobiason showed glimpses of being a great player.
Forward: Gavin Griffiths. Coming from Nebraska, his outside shooting will be a huge help in replacing the frontcourt from last season.
Center: Jamal Felt. Arriving from Bowling Green, Felt was among the top shot blockers in the Mid-American Conference. His defensive presence will be a huge help to this Temple team.
Bench Players
Temple’s bench will not be relied on to carry the scoring load, but with time, they could grow to be a good bunch. The bench includes CJ Hines, Jordan Mason, Messiah Gilyard, Cam Wallace, and Ayuba Bryant.
Expectations
Aiden Tobiason is expected to lead the team in scoring. While some transfers, AJ Smith, Derrion Ford, and Jamal Felt, will also play big roles in helping the team.
In all, Temple is entering a transition year with a mix of veterans and freshmen. The team may look different, but Temple will likely post results similar to last year’s.
Record prediction: 16-15 overall, 8-10 in conference play.