Temple’s Dunphy tries not to be retiring sort just yet

DAYTON, Ohio — Fran Dunphy stood courtside with arms crossed, clutching a sheet of notes in his left hand, as the Temple Owls made layups to start practice. The school fight song played over the public address system at the University of Dayton, a place where the 70-yearold coach has known heartache and exhilaration over the years.

This visit is special. For Dunphy, it's a one-and-done First Four.

The Owls coach is retiring after the season, though he's loath to consider what it'll be like without the recruiting and the games and the tournament pressure. Whenever Temple (23-9) is finally finished, Dunphy will hand the program over to Aaron McKie ,a former Owls star who is now an assistant coach.

Dunphy coached 17 years at Penn before replacing John Chaney at Temple in 2006. The pass-the-torch moment could come on Tuesday night against Belmont (26-5), or it could come deeper in the NCAA Tournament. With all the uncertainty, there's no time to feel nostalgic.

“To be honest with you, I think the nostalgia will hit me sometime in mid-April when I was going to go on a recruiting mission and I don't — things like that,” Dunphy said. “But I think at this point you're so busy and so caught up in what is happening in the moment.

K-State remains uncertain on Wade

Kansas State basketball fans are all asking the same question as the Wildcats begin preparations for their first game of the NCAA Tournament against UC Irvine on Friday.

Will Dean Wade be healthy enough to play?

For now, K-State coach Bruce Weber doesn't have the answer.

“He says he feels better,” Weber said. “He's not in as much pain as he was. I told you he has done treatment. He did it today twice. We will see what the doctor says and see if we can make some progress as the week goes on.”

Wade, a senior forward, skipped the Big 12 tournament last week after injuring his right foot in the regular-season finale against Oklahoma.

Wade didn't practice at all last week and spent the majority of his time with trainers receiving treatment on his injured right foot.

It's unclear what type of injury Wade is dealing with (Weber has been intentionally vague about it), but the Wildcats are holding out hope he will be ready to take the court Friday.

“You want him to be a part of it,” Weber said. “You just kind of hope and pray for him. It's been a tough stretch.”