Walker had only stayed in the hospital for one day. The next day, wrapped in a brace and seated in a wheelchair, he returned to UConn's Training Facility.
When his teammates saw him appear, their expressions were more exaggerated than the last. They were all stunned.
It was obvious that Walker's appearance gave the team's morale a tremendous boost.
"I'm watching you guys, so don't you dare lose!" Walker shouted at the players from the sideline with a smile, seated in his wheelchair.
His face remained full of smiles, and the players trained even harder on the court.
After four days of practice, UConn faced Louisville University at home once again.
With Walker absent, UConn's main offensive option became Lamb. However, Lamb seemed somewhat uncomfortable from the opening tip. Tang Tian created opportunities for him with screens, but he missed several jumpers in a row. One shot had even nearly been an Airball.
This was not an issue of ability, but another problem with his mentality.
By halftime, Lamb had gone 2-for-10 for just 6 points, while UConn trailed 27-41 by a wide margin.
In the second half, Calhoun adjusted his strategy and shifted the Offensive Focus to Tang Tian and Napier's pick-and-roll.
Tang Tian's three-point positioning continued to create plenty of offensive space for UConn, but Napier was two levels below Walker in ability and failed to finish several chances.
Backed into a corner, Calhoun could only rely on the new tactic of having Tang Tian shoot threes. After Tang Tian made two, he was put under Tight Defense, and UConn's offense completely stalled.
In the end, UConn suffered another Crushing defeat at home, losing 56-71. Their ten-game winning streak came to an end.
Lamb's performance was exceptionally poor. He made only 4 of 16 shots, barely reaching double digits thanks to free throws, while also committing as many as 4 turnovers.
Such a performance clearly failed to meet the team's expectations for him.
The loss made the team's atmosphere somewhat stifling. During Training sessions, the usual laughter had vanished, leaving only the dull thuds of basketballs striking the floor.
"It's just a loss. Is there really any reason to be so upset? Even when I wasn't injured, I couldn't beat Louisville University. There's nothing shameful about that. We're still second in the conference, so cheer up a little!" Walker shouted at his teammates from the sideline, still smiling.
His encouragement worked, and his teammates gradually recovered their spirits.
After three days of rest, the team headed on the road to challenge the University of Cincinnati.
Walker went with the team on the road as well, leaning on a crutch.
After the game began, an Open Three-Pointer from Tang Tian and a successful drive by Napier gave UConn a dream start.
But as the game went on, UConn began to lack firepower.
In the end, they lost 52-63, suffering two consecutive losses.
Lamb continued to struggle, making 6 of 20 shots and scoring only 15 points.
After the game, Calhoun pulled Ollie and Walker aside for a discussion. Lamb's consecutive poor performances had clearly caused him to lose some trust in him.
"Coach, he has talent. He just needs time to adjust. No one is born a leader," Walker said with a smile.
Walker's words ultimately convinced Calhoun.
Back at UConn's training session, Walker also pulled Lamb aside for a talk.
Afterward, he kept smiling and loudly encouraged his teammates.
Only after practice ended and the players had gradually left did he prepare to leave himself.
Tang Tian had not left yet. He went to the locker room, then returned to the Training Facility.
When he entered, he saw that Walker's smile was gone. Instead, he looked dejected.
"Kemba," Tang Tian called.
"Tang? You haven't left yet?" Seeing Tang Tian approach, Walker forced out a faint smile.
"Sit." Seeing Walker about to get up, Tang Tian gestured for him not to move.
"How's your injury recovery going?" Tang Tian asked as he walked over and sat beside him.
"About as expected. I thought I could recover a little faster than predicted, but it looks like the doctors were more professional after all." Walker gave a bitter smile.
"Being about on schedule is good news. Injuries aren't something you can rush," Tang Tian said.
"With the team in this state, it's hard not to worry." Walker spoke with a hint of helplessness. He was close with Tang Tian, so he completely revealed his true feelings now.
"You really haven't had it easy either." Tang Tian patted his shoulder.
Whether the team lost or Lamb performed poorly, Walker had always kept a smile on his face in front of his teammates, offering positive encouragement.
He was only 1.85 meters tall, but one could feel the strength of his heart.
"If I got discouraged too, this team might really be finished." Walker said with a bitter smile.
"It'll get better. We just need to get through this month. As long as we stay in the top eight, we can make the championship tournament. Those conference teams will have to play each other anyway, so it doesn't really matter whether we play them sooner or later." Tang Tian comforted him.
Walker nodded.
"Tell me, what exactly is wrong with Jeremy? I can tell it isn't an issue with his attitude. He's just playing badly," he continued.
"His mentality. He's a little nervous." Tang Tian pointed to his chest.
"That's true. I can sense the old man's helplessness too. He doesn't dare say it too bluntly. If Jeremy's mentality collapses, it won't just affect this one month." Walker shook his head as he spoke.
"I think he might need some outside stimulation," Tang Tian offered a different opinion.
"Hm?" Walker looked at him in confusion.
"Do you remember when Jeremy first started playing? He struggled then too. I remember the game against Marquette—after he converted an and-one, he finally loosened up. So I think he needs something to ignite his heart before it'll work." Tang Tian used a metaphor.
"What if it blows up?" Walker roughly understood what Tang Tian meant. He wanted to use a more forceful approach.
"With things as they are now, what's the difference from it not blowing up? I can tell Coach has already started to lose faith in him." Tang Tian replied.
Walker nodded. After the previous game, if he had not spoken up, Calhoun really might have sent Lamb to the bench to reflect.
"How do we ignite it?" Walker asked. He had clearly already agreed with Tang Tian.
"Like this..." Tang Tian explained his idea.
"That harsh? Shouldn't we give the old man a heads-up first?" Walker asked worriedly after hearing it.
"If I could, I would have said something already. Do you think a coach at his age would agree to it?" Tang Tian asked in return.
Walker thought for a moment, then shook his head.
"Let's wait until after the next game. We'll see whether the things I talked to him about have any effect," he continued.
Tang Tian nodded. What he wanted to do also needed a trigger point, and it was indeed somewhat risky. If Lamb played well in the next game, there would be no need to take that risk.
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