A Powerful Heart

Walker only stayed in the hospital for one day. The next day, he returned to the UConn training facility in a wheelchair, wearing a brace.

When the teammates saw him, their expressions were more exaggerated than the last; they were all stunned.

It was clear that Walker's appearance was a huge morale boost for the team.

"I'm watching you guys, don't you dare lose!" Walker shouted to the players from the sidelines in his wheelchair, a smile on his face.

His face was full of smiles, and the players trained with increasing effort on the court.

After four days of practice, UConn, playing at home, faced Louisville University again.

With Walker absent, Lamb became UConn's main offensive focus. However, Lamb seemed a bit unaccustomed to the role after the start. Tang Tian set him up for a pick and roll, but his consecutive jump shots missed. One shot even almost air-balled.

This wasn't about skill, but a problem with his mentality again.

At halftime, Lamb was 2-for-10, scoring only 6 points. UConn trailed their opponents by a large margin, 27 to 41.

In the second half, Cahoon adjusted the strategy, shifting the offensive focus to the pick and roll between Tang Tian and Napier.

Tang Tian's three-point positioning continued to create significant offensive space for UConn, but Napier was two tiers below Walker in skill, failing to finish on several opportunities.

When pushed to the limit, Cahoon could only rely on a new tactic, having Tang Tian shoot threes. After Tang Tian made two, he was heavily guarded, and UConn's offense completely broke down.

Ultimately, UConn suffered another crushing defeat at home, 56 to 71, ending their ten-game winning streak.

Lamb's performance was exceptionally poor, shooting only 4-for-16 for the entire game. He barely reached double digits in scoring thanks to free throws and had as many as 4 turnovers.

This performance clearly did not meet the team's expectations for him.

The loss cast a somber mood over the team. The usual laughter was absent during practice, replaced by the dull thuds of the basketball hitting the floor.

"Did we just lose a game? Why are you all so unhappy? I didn't play against Louisville when I wasn't injured, and there's nothing to be ashamed of. We're still second in the league, so cheer up." Walker, still smiling, shouted at the players from the sidelines.

His encouragement worked, and the teammates' spirits gradually recovered.

After three days of rest, the team traveled to an away game against the University of Cincinnati.

Walker, using crutches, also traveled with the team to the away game.

After the game started, an open three-pointer from Tang Tian and a successful drive by Napier gave UConn a dream start.

But as the game progressed, UConn began to run out of steam.

In the end, they lost the game 52 to 63, suffering a two-game losing streak.

Lamb's performance remained poor, shooting 6-for-20 for only 15 points.

After the game, Cahoon spoke with Ollie and Walker for a while. It was clear that their consecutive poor performances had made him lose some trust in Lamb.

"Coach, he has talent, he just needs time to adapt. No one is born a leader," Walker said with a smile.

Walker's words eventually convinced Cahoon.

Back at UConn's training facility, Walker also pulled Lamb aside for a chat.

After their conversation, he continued to smile, using loud shouts to cheer on his teammates.

When practice ended and the players had mostly left, he prepared to depart.

Tang Tian hadn't left yet; he had gone to the locker room and then returned to the training facility.

As he entered, he saw that the smile was gone from Walker's face. Instead, he looked dejected.

"Kemba," Tang Tian called out.

"Tang? You're still here?" Seeing Tang Tian approach, Walker forced a smile.

"Sit down," Tang Tian said, gesturing for Walker to stay put as he started to get up.

"How's your injury recovering?" Tang Tian asked, sitting down beside him.

"It's just like that. I thought I'd recover faster than expected, but it seems the doctors are more professional," Walker said with a wry smile.

"About the same as expected is good news. You can't rush injuries," Tang Tian replied.

"The team's current situation makes it hard not to worry," Walker said with a hint of helplessness. He was close with Tang Tian and felt comfortable showing his true feelings now.

"You've really had it tough," Tang Tian said, patting his shoulder.

Whether it was the team losing or Lamb's poor performance, Walker had always maintained a smile in front of his teammates, offering positive encouragement.

Although he was only 1.85 meters tall, you could feel that he had a strong heart.

"If I lose hope, then this team might really be finished," Walker said with a bitter smile.

"It will get better. Just get through this month. We just need to be in the top eight to make the championship bracket. Those few teams in the league will definitely play anyway, so playing sooner or later is about the same," Tang Tian comforted him.

Walker nodded.

"What do you think is wrong with Jeremy? I can feel it's not an attitude problem, he's just playing poorly," he continued.

"Mentality, he's a bit nervous," Tang Tian said, pointing to his chest.

"I can feel the old man's helplessness too. He doesn't dare to speak too directly. If Jeremy's mentality collapses, it won't just be about this month," Walker said, shaking his head.

"I actually think he might need some external stimulus," Tang Tian offered a different opinion.

"Huh?" Walker looked at him, confused.

"Do you still remember when Jeremy first started playing, he also struggled a bit. I recall the game against Marquette, after he made a 2+1, he really loosened up. So I think he needs something to ignite his heart before he can perform effectively," Tang Tian explained metaphorically.

"What if it explodes?" Walker asked, roughly understanding Tang Tian's meaning, which was to use a more forceful method.

"In the current situation, what's the difference between it exploding and not exploding? I can feel that the coach is already starting to lose some trust in him," Tang Tian replied.

Walker nodded. After the last game, if he hadn't spoken up, Cahoon might have actually benched Lamb to reflect.

"How do we make it explode?" Walker continued to ask, clearly agreeing with Tang Tian now.

"Like this..." Tang Tian explained his plan.

"That's so harsh! Should we inform the old man first?" Walker asked worriedly after hearing the plan.

"If I could, I would have already. Do you think a coach his age would agree?" Tang Tian retorted.

Walker thought for a moment and shook his head.

"Let's wait until after the next game. We'll see if what I discussed with him has any effect," he added.

Tang Tian nodded. What he needed to do also required a breakthrough, and it did carry some risk. If Lamb played well in the next game, there would be no need to take such a risk.