The Temple University men's basketball team added a familiar foe to its schedule as the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced the Owls will face Rhode Island in the Hall of Fame Classic at the MassMutual Center in Springfield, Mass. on December 21.

"We're excited to be a part of a second showcase put on by the Basketball Hall of Fame, which runs outstanding events," said head coach Adam Fisher. "The opportunity to play a great Rhode Island team in the same city where the game was invented will be a fantastic experience for our team."

The game will be the 73rd meeting all-time between Temple and URI, but the first since March 2, 2013. The Owls and Rams were opponents in the Atlantic-10 Conference from 1982-2013, including six matchups in the A10 tournament with Temple winning the 1988 and 1996 championship games against the Rams.

The 72 contests against URI are the sixth highest total for TU against any opponent, trailing only Saint Joseph's (165), La Salle (123), Villanova (95), Penn State (92) and Penn (77). Temple holds a 57-15 series advantage.

The Owls finished last season winning eight of their last 11 games and advanced to the American Athletic Conference championship game. In the process, Temple became the first No. 11 seed to go to the AAC final and the third team in NCAA history to play five games in five days in its conference tournament.