Walker's Comeback

"What month is summer?" he asked.

"Mid-July," the Professor replied.

"No problem," Tang Tian agreed readily. The draft was in June, there would be a Summer League in early July, and the team's training camp would likely start in September. Only mid-July and August were the most leisurely.

"I have no problem either," Foster agreed.

"Very good, then it's settled. Give me your contact information," the Professor said, taking out his phone.

After exchanging contact information, the matter was settled.

Being able to earn money and play streetball with the Professor was actually a pretty cool thing to think about.

"You look like you're a bit short on money?" the Professor asked Tang Tian after they finished discussing the matter.

"Sort of," Tang Tian nodded. What he lacked was money to spend on microtransactions, but it was pretty much the same as lacking money. It's just that this money had to be earned through normal channels.

"Go to New York. You'll find many unexpected opportunities on the streetball courts in New York," the Professor suggested.

"Thank you, I will," Tang Tian nodded.

New York was the birthplace of American streetball culture, and Queens in New York was currently the most prosperous area for streetball culture. The opportunities there were indeed much greater than in New Haven.

After chatting for a few more sentences, Tang Tian returned to UConn.

"Professor, what league do you think he's from? He's Asian, so he should be easy to remember, but I haven't heard of anyone like him in the NBDL, CBA, or even Drew," Foster said, unable to hide his curiosity.

(Note: The CBA here refers to the Continental Basketball Association, founded in 1946.)

"Him? He's not a professional player," the Professor said with a smile, shaking his head.

"Not?" Foster was even more confused. With Tang Tian's defensive ability and physical confrontation, it was impossible for him not to be a professional.

"I wasn't sure before, but when he specifically asked me about the month of the game, I was basically certain. He should be a student at the University of Connecticut."

"University of Connecticut? He's an NCAA player!" Foster suddenly realized.

Right, he had been thinking of Tang Tian as a professional player and had forgotten about the NCAA.

Tang Tian was so young, and the NCAA didn't allow endorsements or commercial games, which was why he came to the streetball courts to earn this little bit of money.

This was the most logical explanation.

"Let's go. If you have a chance, go watch a UConn game. It might be interesting," the Professor said with a smile.

After the offseason, UConn, playing at home, faced Syracuse University.

Syracuse University produced many scorers, the most famous being "Carmelo Anthony." They also had Dion Waiters, who possessed considerable offensive ability.

Waiters was the fourth pick in the 2012 draft, but at this time, he was still a freshman.

In their previous matchup, Tang Tian had defended him quite miserably. In this game, it was similar. Tang Tian's pressure made it almost impossible for Waiters to get a shot off.

With Waiters being suppressed, Syracuse University's offense was somewhat weak. On the other hand, UConn's Lamb continued his excellent form from the previous game, scoring continuously with drives and outside shots.

The point difference was gradually widened. UConn had suppressed their opponents from start to finish, ultimately winning the game 63-50.

Tang Tian made 4 three-pointers, scoring 12 points, 4 rebounds, 3 steals, and 1 block. Napier had 10 points, 3 rebounds, and 9 assists. Lamb continued his efficient performance, scoring a game-high 25 points on 10-of-19 shooting.

A single game's performance might be a fluke, but consecutive high-scoring games indicated that he had truly broken through his mental barrier and was playing to his full potential.

In a game where they completely dominated the opponent, the team's morale grew even higher.

Carrying this momentum, UConn entered February, the last month of games before the conference championship.

This month basically determined each team's ranking in the league. Teams vying for a spot in the championship and those looking to improve their league ranking for better matchups would strive hard this month.

UConn's first opponent in February was DePaul University, who were currently ranked tenth in the Big East Conference and were making a final push to qualify for the championship.

UConn's strength and form were superior to their opponent's, but the game turned out to be unusually close.

NCAA basketball was college basketball. Although there were differences in talent, the gap was not as large as in the NBA. This was why a Cinderella team like Louisville University could become the number one team in the league.

DePaul University played with 120% effort to compete for a championship spot, fighting fiercely on both offense and defense, and the scores remained tight.

It wasn't until the last five minutes of the second half that DePaul University began to suffer from fatigue due to their intense effort earlier. Lamb and Tang Tian collaborated on an 8-0 run, ultimately helping UConn secure the victory.

After a three-game losing streak, they had now achieved a three-game winning streak, which was definitely good news for UConn.

Moreover, after this three-game winning streak, they had returned to second place in the league.

Even more pleasing was that Walker's injury recovery was better than expected. Theoretically, he could play in the next game.

UConn's next opponent was the University of Pittsburgh.

The University of Pittsburgh was a renowned basketball school, but they had performed poorly this season, currently ranking only 13th in the Big East Conference and essentially out of contention for the championship. This was a good opportunity for Walker to return.

The game was played at home, and it was a full house on Walker's return night.

As a precaution, Cahoon did not put Walker in the starting lineup.

As the game began, UConn, spurred on by the cheers of the home crowd, played with surging momentum. In just over eight minutes of the first half, they had already taken a double-digit lead of 15-5.

The game entered a timeout for the University of Pittsburgh. After the timeout, Cahoon replaced Napier with Walker.

The crowd erupted in cheers, as they hadn't seen Walker play for nearly a month.

When Walker entered the game, O'Riaqi set a pick and roll for him. Walker drove to the basket, creating a one-on-one opportunity.

However, during his layup attempt, his shot was directly blocked by the opposing center.

The crowd stirred.

Yet, this was only the beginning. Missed free throws, air balls, even fumbles – things that were rare for him before – all started happening to Walker.

Fans momentarily wondered if they were seeing a fake Walker.

Ultimately, UConn secured the victory with a dominant 58-43 win over their opponent, leveraging their overall superior strength.

Lamb continued his strong collegiate performance, recording 19 points and 6 rebounds.

However, Walker's comeback debut was far from stellar. He played 10 minutes, shooting 1-of-6 from the field and 2-of-4 from the free-throw line, scoring 4 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 assist, while also committing 2 turnovers.

This was clearly not his usual standard.

"This is just his first game back after returning. I never doubted him; he'll find his rhythm again soon," Cahoon told reporters at the post-game press conference.

Thanks to Xiao Lou Hua Ye Yu for the tip.