Temple’s entire starting five left last season. Here’s how they’re faring at new programs.

The 2022 Temple men’s basketball team will assuredly go down as a “what-if” story. Former Owls head coach Aaron McKie finally had a team with his handpicked players, and expectations were high. So much so that the program and McKie labeled the season “tournament or bust.”

Well, the Owls finished 16-16, lost by 30 in the first round of the American Athletic Conference Tournament, and needless to say, didn’t make March Madness.

Temple’s tumultuous end to the season saw McKie step down and six players enter the transfer portal: Khalif Battle, Damian Dunn, Nick Jourdain, Zach Hicks, Jamille Reynolds, and Hysier Miller.

Miller was the lone returner and has become the lead man on Adam Fisher’s squad. So what’s happening with everyone else? We took a look.

Battle had a rather strange career at Temple. He was a fine player on the court, but he’ll be remembered more for his actions off the court than on it.

Battle declared for the 2021 NBA Draft, changed his mind, and then proceeded to have private and public disagreements with Mckie during the following season. The writing on the wall for Battle came after being benched during a 79-65 loss to Wichita State; he subsequently left the program shortly after.

Battle entered the transfer portal after McKie stepped down as head coach and landed with Arkansas. His Arkansas career started on a high note, leading his team in scoring with 21 points in his first two games. However, as the Razorbacks have struggled in conference play, Battle’s numbers have dipped — he’s currently averaging 10.6 points.

Dunn was one of McKie’s first recruits and spent four years at Temple before departing for Houston. He was a mainstay in McKie’s rotation, manning a starting spot since his redshirt freshman season.

Under Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson, Dunn has been relegated to a bench role, but still plays significant minutes and is a solid contributor for the No. 3 Cougars, averaging 6.5 points and 2.2 rebounds per game.

Reynolds’ time at Temple was short-lived, yet it may have been stranger than Battle’s. The Central Florida transfer made an immediate impact, but a broken thumb sidelined him for over a month. During his time off, Reynolds called out fans who questioned his ability.

The big man came off the bench for the rest of the season once he returned. Reynolds entered the portal after the season and followed Dunn to the Big 12, landing with Cincinnati.

Due to the two-time transfer rule, Reynolds initially could not participate in games with his new team. He attempted to get a mental health waiver to play immediately, but was denied. Since then, a federal court ruled that two-time transfers can play.

Reynolds debuted against Dayton on Dec. 16 and has become a significant part of the Bearcats rotation, averaging 5.6 points and 4.1 rebounds.

Whether he started or came off the bench, Jourdain was a consistent player for the Owls.But it was McKie’s departure that led Jourdain to hit the portal where he landed with American Athletic Conference opponent Memphis.

While his averages are similar to the 2022 season, Jourdain has been an efficient shooter from the field (61.9%) and from distance (42.4%) this season. Temple fans saw Jourdain’s improvement when Memphis visited the Liacouras Center in early February. Jourdain finished that game with 10 points, three rebounds, and two steals.

“It was exciting,” Jourdain said about being back at Temple. “It was a little nerve-wracking at first, but then the nerves went away.”

After setting the program record for most three-pointers in a game as a freshman in 2021, Hicks was poised for a breakout in 2022. The breakout never happened, and it was clear Hicks needed a change of scenery. So, the Camden native entered the transfer portal and took his talents to State College.

As a volume three-point shooter, Hicks’ game fit the 2022 Nittany Lions’ play style like a glove. However, the 2023 Nittany Lions do not play the same style. As a result, Hicks’ numbers are down across the board, averaging a career low in three-point attempts per game (5.7), three-point percentage (33.8%) and points per game (8.1).

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