It being the holidays and all, there are a few more days until there are games to be played around the city. That said, there’s been plenty to read about in the last week-and-a-half or so. After the jump, we’ll do what we can to get you caught up on this ‘n that.

* Your Temple Owls are ranked in the Top 25 for the first time in eight years. The Associated Press has them No. 21, while ESPN/USA Today has them No. 25. [Owlsports.com]

* Troubled former Saint Joe’s guard Delonte West was in town when the Cleveland Cavaliers played the 76ers on Dec. 16, and Hawks coach Phil Martelli had the chance to spend some time with him before the game. And, from the looks of things, West’s game has been improving lately. [BIG FIVE POST/Daily News/Plain-Dealer of Cleveland]

* Remember Casiem Drummond, who was granted a transfer from Villanova after the fall 2008 semester? Yeah, well, he’s at Marist now, and he’s ineligible. [BIG FIVE POST/Poughkeepsie Journal]

* Former La Salle guard Julian Blanks, who was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year, is back playing again with the Rochester RazorSharks of the Premiere Basketball League. Which is good news. [BIG FIVE POST/Erie Times-News]

* Dick Jerardi of the Daily News took a look the other day at some of Ken Pomeroy’s esoteric statistical projections, one of which predicts Temple to finish 24-7 this season. D.J. also highlights kenpom’s quantitative info for the rest of the city, too. Food for thought, really. [Daily News]

* As Penn prepares for the (interim?) Jerome Allen era, the Quakers have hired former player Vince Curran as an assistant coach. [Soft Pretzel Logic]

* Former ‘Nova big man Ron Wilson is now the head coach at Chichester High School, which is in Delaware County. “If I had hair like coach Mass and coach Lappas, I would have pulled it out by now,” he said. [Daily News]

* Soft Pretzel Logic also ranked the Top 10 local college basketball games of 2009. While it’s no surprise as to which one ranked No. 1, we’re kinda scratching our heads as to why a couple of Paterno State games made the list. The Paternos are nowhere near Philly, after all, and we’re willing to bet there are more fans of State College High School than there are of Paterno State hoops. Then again, considering we grew up as (and in many ways, remain) Pitt fans, we were born into a rather natural aversion to all things Paterno, so don’t mind us. After all, wasn’t it bad enough to again relive what Scottie Reynolds did to the Panthers in the Elite Eight? [Soft Pretzel Logic/BIG FIVE POST]