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Q&A with Temple Rivals site on new assistant Dwayne Killings

We spoke with John Di Carlo of www.OwlScoop.com to learn a little bit more about UConn's newest assistant coach. John spoke with Killings recently about his decision to leave.


1) It seems like Killings' strongest contribution as a Temple assistant was in recruiting. Is that a fair assessment?

It is, but I also would not undersell his abilities on the court in terms of player development. He relates well to players and has the ability to be firm with them.


2) Which recruits is he directly linked to landing for Temple?

Killings has been responsible for kick-starting each of the last three recruiting classes at Temple.

He was the lead recruiter on Obi Enechionyia in 2014 (the Owls' lone recruit that season), Trey Lowe in 2015 and Quinton Rose and Damion Moore in 2016. He was also the lead recruiter for Quenton DeCosey, who led the Owls in scoring this past season, was a first-team all-conference player and is currently on the San Antonio Spurs and Utah Jazz summer league rosters.

Lowe, unfortunately, was hurt in a car accident back in February and may or may not redshirt this season. When he returns, he'll be the top young guard in the program. He had 21 points against Villanova this past season not long before he got hurt. And with injuries to Lowe and Josh Brown (left Achilles' tendon), Rose will have to play a lot this season.


3) Do you know which responsibilities he held on the staff beyond recruiting?

Dunphy has all of his coaches do a fair amount with players at all positions. In practices I covered in the past, I'd see Killings working with a number of players and pulling them aside for additional work. Again, he was generally regarded as a very relatable, genuine and hard-working assistant.


4) Why does the Temple fanbase seem so upset about him leaving?

Killings was by far the program's best recruiter, and Temple is losing him at the outset of the July live period -- and to a conference rival, no less. The Owls have not been to the Sweet 16 since 2001, and although Temple has advanced to the NCAA Tournament in seven of Fran Dunphy's 10 seasons, the Owls have won just two NCAA Tournament games in that span. To get back to the second weekend of the Big Dance, of course, they'll need difference-making players. Having Killings in the recruiting mix was often their best shot at that level of talent.


5) What does the fact that he's heading to a conference rival, which Temple will face twice a year, mean to you?

Well, it means that Kevin Ollie will now have an assistant on his staff who knows all the strengths and weaknesses of a conference opponent that has beaten UConn in four of the last five meetings. So from that perspective, it will make those games a little more interesting.


6) Final thoughts?

It's a big loss for Temple's staff but a great move for someone like Killings who eventually wants to be a head coach. He can learn from someone who's won a national championship, see things from a different perspective for a little while and continue to build experience. When the time comes, I'd be surprised if he's not one of the leading candidates to replace Dunphy.

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