The Temple men's basketball team has Quincy Wadley to thank for being in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.

When the 6-foot-4 guard went down with a shoulder injury late in the first half against Villanova on Dec. 5, the Owls didn't know their season was about to be in jeopardy. Temple was already on a three-game slide going into the Villanova matchup and by the end of December, the Owls almost didn't have a single win in the month.

Their first win of December was an easy victory two days before Christmas against Cleveland State. The Owls struggled during the entire month.

They lost Wadley and were forced to play one of the toughest schedules in the nation at the time, which featured Duke two times, Wake Forest and Wisconsin. At the end of December, the Owls only were victorious in two of their seven games.

And then, after the smoke cleared from a tough stretch from Nov. 24 to Dec. 23, Wadley made his return against Pennsylvania. Since his comeback, the Owls have played typical John Chaney basketball, winning 18 of their last 23 games. Temple's two biggest wins came in the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament in New Orleans, when the Owls upset No. 6 Texas and then blasted No. 3 Florida to find themselves in the Sweet 16.

The Owls' next opponent is Penn State, who might be the biggest surprise of the tournament after knocking off Providence and No. 2 North Carolina. The Nittany Lions beat Temple at The Bryce Jordan Center on Dec. 9 by six points, but that was with Wadley in street clothes on the sideline.

Penn State senior guard Joe Crispin said the team realized Temple is coming into tonight's game not only on a hot streak, but also with its star healthy again. Crispin said the win against Temple earlier in the season won't give the team a cocky attitude going into tonight's game because the Lions realize that containing Wadley is the key to a Penn State victory.

"It's not going to be an easy one," Crispin said. "They were not the same team that they are now. Not even close."

The last time the two Pennsylvania squads faced off, Temple was war torn and without their star guard. The team was coming in hounded by a four-game losing streak and trying vehemently to try and get out of State College alive.

Chaney, who is in his 19th year as the Temple coach, doesn't have enough players to simulate five-on-five game situations. The Owls only dress nine players and usually the starting five play the majority of the game. But this Temple team is riding high in March and prepared for a run at the Final Four.

"Quincy Wadley is playing extremely well," Penn State men's basketball coach Jerry Dunn said. "They know what to expect from each other."

Wadley said that he likes to be the guy who steps up in big situations and lead his team to victory. With left-handed backcourt teammate Lynn Greer handling the ball for the better part of the game, Wadley has to make sure that he keeps the team together during times of adversity. If the Owls struggle tonight against the Lions, Penn State better expect to see Wadley step up during the second half.

"I'm a player that likes to step up when my name is called," he said Sunday after Temple upset Florida. "Right now, my team needs me to step up. I'm just trying to do a good job of leading."