The Leopards even had something of a home-court advantage in the NJCAA Region V Tournament, getting to play at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor’s Mayborn Campus Center in nearby Belton.
But even though TC won 23 games and captured a share of its second Northern Texas Junior College Athletic Conference championship in three years, the Leopards got off to an extremely slow start in the first round of the regional and were eliminated by stout Howard, 81-72.
That Temple team was paced by nine sophomores and had only three freshmen.
This season, which for the Leopards begins with tonight’s game against Cy-Fair College at 7 at TC Gym, Temple will present a completely opposite roster - nine freshmen and just three sophomores.
Johnson, 434-190 entering his 21st season as TC’s coach, probably would prefer to possess a squad with more experience, but he’s happy to go with what he’s got and see how far the fast-paced, run-and-gun Leopards can go.
“This team right now is young, but I think they’re very talented and we’ve gotten progressively better the last two weeks (in four scrimmages),” he said. “We have a chance to be pretty good before conference gets here and before the season’s over. I’m real pleased with the talent level.”
What’s more, Johnson says having an extremely young team isn’t necessarily a bad thing. TC featured two distinct two-season groups the last four years, and they went a combined 100-25 - 53-10 from 2003-05 and 47-15 from 2005-07.
“We’re kind of on that two-year cycle,” Johnson said. “The (2004-05) team that went 31-1 was old - almost all sophomores. Obviously the next year we were very young, and then that team stayed intact and was old last year. That team, to win 47 games, was pretty good. Now we’re very young again.
“We’ve had ’em both ways. If they’re good it works, and if they’re not it doesn’t.”
Not only do the current Leopards have only three sophomores, but none of the three came to TC as a scholarship freshman.
Forward Ervin Johnson and point guard Thomas Anguiano came through Johnson’s walk-on program and contributed last season in reserve roles, and point guard C.J. Richards played as a freshman at TC rival McLennan in Waco two seasons ago before he transferred to Temple.
The Leopards’ coach said Anguiano, Johnson and Richards have been elected as TC’s captains this season.
“Ervin and Thomas were contributors last year, and this year they will have a bigger impact,” Kirby Johnson said. “They tell the younger guys what to expect. And C.J. is a great kid and has been a leader.”
Johnson makes it clear that none of Temple’s 12 players - two point guards, five wings and five forwards - has locked up a starting position. The Leopards don’t begin their 14-game NTJCAC schedule until Jan. 9, and Johnson says he’ll rotate starting assignments and give everybody plenty of playing time in the Leopards’ 15 games before then to determine each player’s role in conference.
“Our guys are really close in ability - everybody plays and produces,” Johnson said. “It’s hard to learn that when you’re used to starting in high school, but I think they’ve grasped that. Our strength is our depth.”
Johnson likes the potential of both Anguiano (6 feet, 150 pounds) and Richards (5-10, 164) - who scored 20 points in McLennan’s 99-97 overtime win at TC two years ago - at the point.
“Thomas needs to be more of a scorer for us this year, and he has done that,” Johnson said. “He’s playing more and this year he sees himself as a leader.
“C.J. has the ability to get to the basket and to the free-throw line - he shot 15 free throws in one of our scrimmages. When he was at MCC we couldn’t stop him.”
Joining the athletic Ervin Johnson (6-6, 210) at the forward positions are Jordan Brown (6-5, 225), J.B. Conley (6-5, 215), Wes Dipprey (6-7, 210) and Sean Jones (6-7, 190).
Killeen product Brown was his district’s most valuable player before he sat out last season. Johnson says “he has a knack for being around the ball” and “he just scores.”
Conley is a powerful, athletic player who averaged 23 points and 13 rebounds as a senior at Richardson. He’s comfortable playing inside and also shooting outside.
Dipprey, who led Shallowater to the Class 2A state championship game by edging Jarrell in a semifinal, is a fundamentally sound player and good passer who must defend well inside.
Jones, a lanky left-handed product of College Station A&M Consolidated, runs the floor well and can present problems around the basket with his long arms.
Temple’s wings competing for time are Jamar Beasley (6-4, 200), Chris Ellis (6-5, 175), Jermon Foreman (6-1, 166), LaDon Huckaby (6-7, 182) and DaVon Morrison (5-10, 160).
Killeen Shoemaker graduate and New Mexico Military transfer Beasley is a left-handed slasher and “our best defensive player” who “will take a charge all the time,” Johnson said.
Ellis, a Harker Heights product, is a talented shooter and has the potential to be TC’s best scoring wing, according to Johnson.
Foreman is an athletic, high-energy player from Waco who came through the Leopards’ walk-on program.
Huckaby was a premier shooter and scorer at Waco University that will be counted on to provide 3-point accuracy along with getting inside for easy hoops.
Morrison was voted his district’s top defensive player at Richardson Berkner, and Johnson says he might be Temple’s quickest player.
Johnson admits that the way last season ended for TC was disappointing, but he’s hopeful that these Leopards can win 20 games again, challenge for their third conference crown in four years, and make a run at Temple’s first-ever regional championship. UMHB will host the eight-team tournament again in March.
There’s one crucial element that he believes will help the Leopards as they chase those goals - team chemistry.
“One thing that stands out is that this group genuinely likes each other,” he said. “Not that the other teams didn’t, but this is something you automatically see. They laugh, they joke around and they enjoy being with each other on and off the court. That has jumped out at me."
NOTE: Tonight is "Chick-fil-A Night" at TC Gym. Each fan will receive a coupon for a free chicken sandwich if the Leopards score at least 100 points. Temple will repeat that promotion in December, January and February.
gwille@temple-telegram.com
