Temple will see familiar face in NCAA tourney

Philadelphia will be well-represented in the NCAA men's hoops tournament commonly known as March Madness.

That's right, employers. Expect productivity to plummet today as even occasional fans go over their tourney brackets.

The Philly region will have three teams competing, with Villanova, Saint Joe's and Temple all getting in.

But it's the fourth Philly connection that I find most intriguing.

First off, Villanova, which was ranked No. 1 for several weeks this year, fell to a No. 2 seed after falling to Seton Hall in the Big East tournament title game. The Wildcats will face UNC Nashville Friday at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

Saint Joe was an automatic entry after winning the Atlantic 10 crown. Phil Martelli's Hawks will face Cincinnati in the West Region out in Spokane, Wash.

But it's Temple that has the intriguing draw. The Owls were considered on the bubble, but still got in and will be seeing a familiar face in their first-round game, also at the Barclays Center.

The Owls face Iowa, coached by Philly native Fran McCaffery. Yes, he's the brother of Daily Times columnist Jack McCaffery.

And if both Temple and Villanova win, they will face off in the second round.

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