by Dick Weiss, for The American
PHILADELPHIA -- UConn's 6-3 sophomore point guard Jalen Adams has been a hero before. Just last year, in the quarterfinals of the American tournament, he launched a 65-foot parabola against Cincinnati that sent the game into a fourth overtime and eventually provided the inspiration for the Huskies to win a championship in Orlando and earn an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.
Sunday, he made the most of another dramatic moment, scoring on a driving reverse layup with 2.9 seconds to play as the Huskies rallied from 10 points down with eight minutes to play to stun Temple, 64-63, here before a crowd of 8,702 at the Liacouras Center.
“That's our best player,” UConn coach Kevin Ollie said. “He made a good move. We've seen that a million times. I wanted him to be more aggressive in the beginning of the game but I'll take that finish any day.”
This was UConn's seventh win in the last eight games and the first time the Huskies (14-12, 9-5) defeated the Owls on the road since 2014. The Huskies' latest victory comes on the heels of a 65-62 victory over Memphis three days prior that featured an epic 17-point comeback in which Adams scored 17 of his 19 points in the second half and made a runner in the lane that gave the Huskies the lead for good, 61-60, with two minutes to play.
The Huskies, who lost to Wagner and Northeastern in early November and started 0-3 in conference play for the first time since the 1983-84 season, have started to find their way and find themselves suddenly tied for third with Houston in The American standings.
Adams, a Top 25 prospect in the Class of 2015 from Brewster, N.H. Academy who was selected MVP in the Jordan Regional game in Brooklyn after scoring 27 points, has come a long way since UConn's trip to Liacouras Center last Feb. 11. During that game, he got into a shouting match with Ollie and sat most of the second half as the Huskies blew a 12-point lead in the final five and a half minutes and lost 63-58.
“I just accept coaching now,'' Adams said. “That was my problem last year. I wasn't really up to being coachable. But I think I've grown up a lot this year and I'm a lot more coachable. Me and Coach Ollie have a great connection. He just gives me the freedom to get out there and lead the guys. I just try to take advantage of that.”
Ollie suggested Adams' bumps in the road have made him a better player and person.
“Resistance prepares you for greatness,” Ollie said. “Last year resistance was there. He had to learn how to grow up. Sometimes, you're put in that gym called life and you've got to grow up. I think he grew up here. He's been growing up before our eyes now, taking over the point guard role. My vision was to have two point guards on the court the majority of the time. But with (freshman) Alterique Gilbert out, he had to take that initiative of being the main point out. He's doing a great job.
“He's more open to learn and be an empty cup, which I respect, because a lot of players think they just know it all. You have to fight and break that down. For him, saying ‘I want to learn’ is a great step for him. We don't have a Ray Allen or Rudy Gay running around here. Nothing against those guys, but he's making everyone better.”
Adams has the look of a first team all-conference selection on a banged up team that lost three key players-- 6-8 sophomore forward Terry Larrier, Gilbert and 6-8 freshman forward Mamadou Diarra -- for the season. Gilbert, a McDonald's All America from Millers Grove, Ga. and a starter, suffered a season-ending dislocated shoulder Nov. 17 during a victory over Loyola Marymount in Los Angeles. Larrier, a transfer from Virginia Commonwealth who was the team's most talented player-- suffered a season-ending torn ACL during a loss to Oklahoma State Nov. 21 in Maui. Diarra, arguably the team's third-best rebounder, is redshirting after suffering a preseason knee injury.
The rash of injuries and loss of six players has forced Ollie to elevate two freshmen-- forward Vance Jackson, who was originally penciled into as a zone buster, and guard Christian Vital, who was supposed to be a 10 minute per game backup – into important roles and significant minutes.
It has taken time for the Huskies to find their way but Adams and fifth-year senior guard Rodney Purvis have lifted UConn off the canvas. Purvis scored 18 points, made four threes and had five assists against Temple, which is going through an uncharacteristic 14-14 season and is and 5-10 in league play after a second heartbreaking loss at home. Adams finished with 13, but took over at crunch time when he was fouled on a breakaway dunk and made a pair of free throws to pull UConn within 63-62, with 1:05 left, then made the game winner on the final possession after the Huskies called a timeout with 8.4 seconds to play.
Adams had a couple of late shots that didn't drop earlier this season in losses to Georgetown and Tulsa. “Coach drew up a high ball screen for me and (7-0 senior center) Amida (Brimah), and for me to come off that and be aggressive and read to see what was open,” he said. “If they tried to overplay me, just kick out to one of the shooters. But they didn't; they helped on the wing, and I was able to get a little isolation with the big man and make a move and was able to get to the basket.”
Cincinnati and SMU are both ranked in the Top 25 and are dominating The American with just one loss apiece. They are locks for the NCAA Tournament. UConn is looking at the postseason. The Huskies have a difficult remaining regular-season schedule that includes a road game at Houston on Wednesday and two home games against SMU and Cincinnati. But nothing seems completely out of reach these days for the Huskies, especially with the American men’s basketball championship being held at one of the Huskies' home court at the XL Center.
The American suddenly has become a little more interesting.