Philadelphia Daily News from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania • Page 95

Page B-6 PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS Tuesday, Nov: 24, 1987 Expectations Great As Owls' Tim Perry Enters Senior Year KEVIN MULLIGAN Daily News Sports Writer he 1984-85 Chaney newspaper Temple hoping for Owls clipping one quoted thing previewing coach just John one the from a raw-as-red-meat freshman named Tim Perry. "We'll look to Tim for one thing, and one thing only," Chaney said. "Defense. The other parts of his game will come down the road." Three media guides and four seasons later, Chaney has these published expectations of his 6-9 senior. "We are hoping that he will give us overall dominance around the "He has to be a stick-out for us under the boards and also supply steady offense." "He is going to have to rebound, continue to be an intimidating shot-blocker and be able to shoot from 10 or 15 feet out." "Basically, I didn't have a role on offense my freshman year," Perry said after a recent practice.

"I couldn't do much, so Coach told me to go out there and just keep working on defense. "I'd basically just keep running and jumping, box out, and try to keep my man away from the. basket. Block a couple shots maybe. That was my whole game back then." Back then.

A 25-6 record. Granger Hall. Ed Coe. A sophomore named Nate Blackwell. Charlie Rayne.

And an unknown freshman from Freehold, N.J., named Tim Back then. "I don't think I even averaged a bucket a game," he said, guessing within three-tenths of his average (2.3). "Got a few rebounds here and there (3.9 per game). But the guy I was guarding didn't get much either. That was all I was out there for." Since then, however, the rapid development of the muscular 200-pounder has mirrored the growth of Temple basketball under John Chaney.

Some statistics are appropriate here: Back then (1984-85): 30 games, 41.4 percent from the field, 50 percent from the free throw line, 35 blocked shots, 118 rebounds, 68 points. Since then: 67 games, 53.6 percent from the floor, 60 percent from the line, 239 blocks, 602 rebounds, 822 points. "My coaches put it in my head back then that I could be one of the best someday," Perry said. "If I set my mind to it, and worked, and listened. Offense never came easily for me, the way it does for a lot of players.

But they (Chaney and assistants Jim Maloney, Jay Norman, Dean worked with me, and I worked. Some people have instincts for the ball. It's something that never came easy for me. I've had to concentrate every day on it. Now, through work and coaching, it's almost become a habit." "If I drew a line graph on Timmy's progress since his freshman year," Chaney said, "it would be a diagonal line from here (bottom to here (upper right).

He just has not allowed himself to level.off since the day he came Neither has Temple's basketball success under Chaney. After enjoying a third consecutive 25-win season (25-6) in 1985-86, last year's Owls found a way to 32 victories, a conference title, the national top 10 and the second round of the NCAA tournament. This year's answer is, yes, the 1987-88 team is better. Much better, for three reasons: Four starters familiar with Chaney's systems are back, including Perry, who has grown into one of the country's premier power for- TEMPLE PALDING Serve Special to the Daily News by Norman Y. Lono Coach John Chaney expects Tim Perry to be a tower of strength on offense and defense wards.

Also back are 6-10 Ramon Rivas, 6-7 scorer Mike Vreeswyk and 6-1 guard Howie Evans, who has exceeded Chaney's expectations as a floor leader at the point. "He hasn't hollered at me yet, so he must be happy," said Evans, who starred at the point at West Philadelphia High. "The transition has been easy. Real easy, "I'm very pleased," Chaney said. "He has become the boss of the backcourt.

There's a relaxed feeling with Howie running the show. He's much more verbal, and they run for him. They get out in front and get free, because they know he'll make a delivery. "I think he's perhaps, in my opinion, the best lead guard we've ever had, because he doesn't have to do what Terence (Stansbury) or. Nate had to do.

A lot of people won't: understand that, but Nate had to shoot more. Nate had to pass more. He had to run the offense. And then, when we got into nittygritty time, the last few minutes, Nate had toperform, too. "Howard doesn't have to do all that.

All he has to do is get that shot that comes second, after he's started the car up. He'll be a Maurice Cheeks-type of floor guard, as opposed to run-ning up and down, breaking down an entire 14 team! Howie doesn't have to be all that. He can Temple at a Glance Last Season: 32-4 overall, 17-1 in Atlantic 10 (first), lost to LSU in second round of NCAA Tournament Coach: John Chaney (122-36 in five seasons) Assistant Coaches: Jim Maloney, Jay Norman, Dean Demopoulos Returning starters: Howard Evans, 6-1 senior guard (12.5 points per game, 5.7 assists per game); Tim Perry, 6-9 senior forward (12.9 8.6 rebounds per game); Ramon Rivas, 6-10 senior center (7.7 6.9 Mike Vreeswyk, 6-7 junior swingman (14.5 5.3 Other Key Players: Derrick Brantley, 6-7 senior forward (3.7 2.7 Darrin Pearsall, 6-7 junior forward (2.2 1.9 Newcomers: Mark Macon, 6-5 freshman guard, Saginaw, Mich. (30.6 13.0 Duane Causewell, 6-11 sophomore center, Queens Village, N.Y.; Ernest Pollard, 6-7 freshman forward, Roman Catholic High (18.7 10.1 Shoun Randolph, 6-5 freshman swingman, Saginaw, Mich. (16.0 12.0 Strengths: Chaney's offense deliberate, nearly turnover-free, possession-oriented.

Chaney's masterfully disguised zone defenses. Experience. Improved depth up front and at shooting guard. Weaknesses: Questions, not weaknesses. Can Causewell give Chaney quality minutes when called to spell the foul-prone Rivas? Can the key freshmen play like juniors? Lack of depth at the point? Evans averaged 38 minutes a game last season.

The only potential weakness is the A-10 Tournament being played in Morgantown, W. Va. Evaluation: It said here last year that the Owls were a little overrated, because of their lack of depth, and they went 32-4. It says here this year that Temple has eight serious tests on its regular-season schedule two dates with West Virginia, Big 5 clashes with La Salle and Villanova, and games with South Carolina, UCLA, Nevada-Las Vegas and North Carolina. Thanks to the addition of a 6-11 defensive force (Causewell), a 6-7 shooter (Pollard), a 6-5 high school All-America (Macon) and a well-rounded 6-5 scorer (Randolph), Temple can play anybody's game.

But usually, the opposition ends up playing the way John Chaney wants them to. If the cast stays healthy, there is no reason the Owls can't (gasp) make a run at equaling last year's record and advance deep into the NCAA Tournament. How does a 27-3 record heading into the NCAAs sound? Kevin Mulligan just be Howie." "I look at it as a challenge," Evans said. "Coach's philosophy is no turnovers, as many possessions as we can get and the guards with the ball 90 percent of the time. It's a personal challenge, to lead this team where we want to go.

Like Coach always says, now it's my time to deliver the mail, and I can't Rivas, whose defensive presence and rebounding are vital, recently began practicing every other day, as part of his recovery from offseason arthroscopic knee surgery. "Hopefully, the games will be easier on him," Chaney said. The addition of four prized newcomers, topped by 6-5 freshman guard Mark Macon, a spectacular 30-point scorer regarded by many as the country's premier player a year ago at Buena Vista High in Saginaw, Mich. Chaney immediately inserted Michigan's Mr. Basketball Chaney's first All-America recruit, and likely not his last into the starting backcourt with Evans.

Macon's presence gives the Owls another intelligent, deadly shooter, ballhandler and excellent perimeter defender. "He's a great talent, who can hurt you so many ways," Evans said. "But the thing I've been most impressed with is the way he sees I the game. The only player I've ever played with wHo uses his head more was Nate!" A suddenly potent bench that will give Chaney increased flexibility on defense. The starting five will be pushed regularly by a talented group of reserves that includes 6-11 sophomore center Duane Causewell, 6-7 freshman forward Ernest Pollard, from Roman Catholic; and 6-5 Shoun Randolph, a versatile small forward who scored most of the points and swept most of the rebounds Macon didn't get his hands on last year at Buena Vista.

All of the above newcomers will battle two experienced, but inconsistent forwards 6-7 senior Derrick Brantley and 6-7 junior Darrin Pearsall for frontline playing time, beginning with the Owls' regular season opener at UCLA Dec. 3. Don't be surprised to see Causewell inserted and Temple going with a frontline that goes 6-11, 6-10 and 6-9 across at times, either. We won't know how much, if any, the Owls will miss Blackwell, now with the San Antonio Spurs, until Temple is faced with having to pull a game out without him in the closing two minutes. "I want to be that guy," Perry said.

"I think we're going to have great balance offensively, so I won't have to carry the load, but when it comes time to get a big basket, or do something to turn a game around. I'm going to be prepared to.do.it.".