Walker's Troubles

"I understand." After hearing Tang Tian out, Walker felt as if a burden had been lifted from his shoulders, leaving him completely at ease.

Perhaps Tang Tian was the only one who could help him resolve this concern.

Following Tang Tian's instructions, Walker began training to adjust his way of exerting force.

It looked like a simple matter, but because it involved ingrained habits, it was not something that could be changed in just a day or two.

After three days of rest, UConn returned home to face Seton Hall University. This was the second meeting between the two teams that season.

Walker was not in good form, and Cahoon still did not put him in the starting lineup.

But Walker did not mind. He was more concerned with how he could help the team win.

The game began quickly. Seton Hall University played exceptionally hard. Ranked tenth in the conference, they were making one final push for the championship tournament.

By the nine-minute mark, the score was 13–9, with UConn holding a slim lead.

Cahoon sent Walker and Orland onto the court, moving Tang Tian to small forward.

As soon as Walker came in, he called for Tang Tian to play pick and roll. After the screen, he drove against the opposing forward.

As they watched Walker attack, the on-site fans felt conflicted.

Before Walker's injury, defending him one-on-one like this was practically giving away points. But in the two games since his return, Walker's success rate had been quite low. Calling it a waste of offensive opportunities would not have been an exaggeration.

The opposing forward knew Walker was out of form and defended him tightly.

Walker suddenly made a big change of direction drive to the left. Since the defender was crowding him too closely, he had no time to react.

Walker drove left for a driving layup, then twisted in midair to dodge the opposing center's left hand and scored the layup.

"Beautiful!" The spectacular basket drew an amazed cry from the commentator.

The on-site fans shot to their feet with a roar. It seemed they had seen the familiar Walker again!

Walker was also fired up after scoring, roaring toward the sideline.

On Seton Hall University's possession, O'Riaqi directly blocked the opposing guard's shot. Tang Tian grabbed the loose ball and passed it to Walker, who took off on a full court drive.

The opponents chased hard from behind.

But Walker made a beautiful behind-the-back dribble on the move. After switching the ball to his left hand, he took off from his left foot and made another drifting bank shot score.

Four points in one minute!

The on-site fans instantly erupted. The Walker they knew was back!

As Walker got back on defense, he took the initiative to high-five Tang Tian.

"Kemba, he..." Ollie looked utterly confused. He had no idea how Walker had suddenly found his game form again.

But Cahoon was looking at Tang Tian.

He remembered what had happened with Lamb. Seeing Walker actively seek out Tang Tian after scoring, it seemed Walker's change in form was probably related to him as well.

Someone who could help his teammates break out of slumps and steadily improve—was he not well suited to be the team captain?

For an instant, a thought flashed through his mind.

The game continued, and Walker repeatedly broke through from the left side.

Walker was not a left-handed player. His offense had previously come almost entirely from the right, so after this sudden switch, the defenders looked extremely uncomfortable.

In the end, no one expected Walker to lead the bench players on a scoring run, directly helping UConn build a double-digit lead and ultimately win the game.

Walker still played only 20 minutes, but in those 20 minutes, he went 7-for-11 for 16 points, an extremely efficient performance.

Though he had not fully returned to his pre-injury form, he had clearly regained his feel for the game.

After the game, Walker received enthusiastic cheers from his teammates in the locker room.

Walker scored an efficient 16 points, Lamb added 20+ points, and Tang Tian had 15. For the first time, they had the feel of three musketeers.

After their teammates gradually left, Tang Tian and Walker went to the training facility for extra practice.

Tang Tian did his usual conditioning and shooting practice, while Walker continued his adjustment training for his way of exerting force.

Tang Tian also acted as half a conditioning coach, helping Walker make adjustments.

A few days later, UConn presided over its home court against St. John's University.

St. John's University was one of the most famous schools in the United States. Located in Queens, New York, it stood alongside powerhouses like Duke, Kentucky, and North Carolina, having produced more than fifty NBA players over the years.

Although they had never won an NCAA championship, they had always been highly competitive in the Big East Conference. They were now sixth in the Big East Conference and working hard to break into the top half of the standings.

After Walker's strong performance in the previous game, Cahoon put him directly into the starting lineup.

Once the game began, Tang Tian's screens and Lamb's pull on the offensive end gave Walker, back in the starting lineup, plenty of One-on-one opportunities.

But he failed to capitalize on them as he had in the previous game.

St. John's University was a New York team, and its coaching staff was also very capable. They had clearly made targeted preparations before the game, with the players focusing on defending Walker's drives to the left.

Walker did not dare exert force with his right foot, and several consecutive drives failed to produce baskets.

UConn ultimately lost a close one, 59–63.

Walker played poorly, going 3-for-13 for just 10 points and 3 assists.

UConn had gone 2–2 since Walker's return. Compared with their previous four-game winning streak, that was clearly not a good record.

Moreover, with the Regular Season entering its final stage, every team was fighting fiercely for its ranking. After losing this game, UConn fell from second in the conference to third again.

Walker was in low spirits after the game. After returning to the locker room, he remained silent the entire time.

The locker room atmosphere was somewhat oppressive. The players gradually left after showering, but Walker still sat there alone, draped in a towel without even changing his clothes.

"Kemba, I know you want to win, but you have to learn to accept these things." Tang Tian had not left either. He waited until everyone else was gone before coming over to Walker.

"Accept what?" Walker became a little agitated.

"I can't even lead the team to victory now!" As he spoke, he slammed his fist into a locker.

The metal locker let out a dull clang that made hearts tremble.

"Injury? I don't care! Playing poorly after coming back? I can adjust slowly! But right now, I'm a burden to the team! They target me, and the team loses. Why is it like this? Why?!" He slammed his fist into the locker again, his frustration overflowing from every word.

Everyone had something they cared about. What Walker cared about most was whether UConn won or lost. Most talented players declared for the draft after their freshman year, but the reason he stayed through his junior year was simply that he wanted to help UConn return to its peak and fulfill his dream of winning an NCAA championship.

Thanks to Xingfeng Xiaoye for the reward.