The men’s basketball team takes on its first opponent of the Puerto Rico Tip-Off Classic today at 2:30 p.m. Fans can catch the action by heading to the Drought Horse, one of the few locations on campus with ESPNU.

The Owls look to rebound from their season-opening loss to No. 7 Tennessee against Providence, the first of three games they’ll play in the tournament. The Owls have not competed in a preseason tournament (aside from the preseason NIT) since 1998, when they took part in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic. They haven’t played a three-game tourney since the 1976 Rainbow Classic.

Guards Dionte Christmas and Mark Tyndale, who finished one-two in the Atlantic Ten Conference in scoring last season, look to recover from a poor first game. They shot a combined 7 for 26 from the field, including 2 of 11 from beyond the arc.

Geoffrey McDermott, a junior swingman, leads the Friars. McDermott averaged 9.5 points, 9.1 rebounds and 5.13 assists as the Friars reached the NIT last spring. They’ll be missing Herbert Hill, now a member of the Philadelphia 76ers and an All-Big East Conference First Team selection last season.

The Owls haven’t played the Friars since Dec. 29, 1983 – John Chaney’s second season with Temple. The Owls won that contest, 65-59, and own the all-time series, 3-0.

Temple’s next opponent will be either Arkansas or Charleston, depending on the outcome of the tournament’s other games. If the Owls play Arkansas, they’ll play at 5:30 p.m. Friday. If they play Charleston, they’ll tip off at 8 p.m. The game will be aired on ESPNU.