Kahoun's words weren't just polite; players returning from injury always need time to recover and adjust. After all, a sprain like Walker's wasn't serious, but it wasn't minor either. After a month of rest, he couldn't just step onto the court and find his rhythm.

After the Pittsburgh game, UConn rested for a few days before heading on the road to face West Virginia University.

West Virginia University was also a prestigious school. Their most famous player in history was "logo" Jerry West. Last season, they were the regular season champions of the Big East Conference, entered the tournament as the East Region's second seed, and made it all the way to the Final Four.

This season, their strength had declined somewhat due to the departure of key players, but they were still ranked fifth in the Big East Conference and were striving to get into the top half.

It was a clash of powerhouses, and the two sides were at each other's throats right from the start, playing with fiery intensity. Smith even received a technical foul and was ejected.

With eight minutes gone in the game, the score was tied at 9.

Kahoun then substituted Walker for Napier, hoping to break the deadlock with him.

Right away, it was UConn's classic tactic, a high pick-and-roll between Tang Tian and Walker.

The opponent, wary of Tang Tian's three-point shooting ability, didn't dare to double-team Walker. Walker went one-on-one against the opposing forward, taking a shot after a crossover.

This was originally Walker's specialty, but his crossover was noticeably smaller than usual, and his shot, taken without completely shaking off the defender, was almost blocked. The ball rimmed out.

The opponent grabbed the rebound and immediately launched a fast break. Their guard hit a pull-up three-pointer, igniting the atmosphere in the arena.

"Kemba, he…" Ollie hesitated.

Kahoun didn't say anything.

Walker's condition was clearly off, but it was hard to say why.

In fact, after the last game, he had spoken with Walker privately, asking if he hadn't fully recovered from his injury.

Walker's answer was that the injury was no longer a factor.

The game continued on the court, and Walker missed another layup on a drive to the right side, failing to capitalize on two consecutive opportunities.

Seeing Walker's poor performance, the home crowd booed loudly.

In the end, UConn lost the game on the road 61-71, ending their four-game winning streak.

Walker played 20 minutes, shooting 2-for-10 for only 4 points and 3 assists, performing no differently than in the previous game.

After the game, Kahoun chose to avoid any questions related to Walker.

After the game, the players showered and rested in the locker room.

Tang Tian came out after showering and didn't see Walker. He asked around, but no one knew where he was.

He thought about it and finally went to the visitor's training facility, bringing a bottle of water with him as he left.

Not being in the locker room at this hour, given Walker's personality, he was likely doing extra training after a bad performance.

Tang Tian arrived at the training facility, and sure enough, Walker was there, drenched in sweat, working out.

"Kemba." Tang Tian called out as he entered.

Walker saw it was Tang Tian, wiped his sweat, and forced a smile.

"Take a rest. Your injury just healed, and you just finished a game. It's easy to relapse," Tang Tian said.

Walker nodded and sat down on the sidelines.

Judging from the way he walked, there was indeed nothing wrong with his ankle.

Tang Tian handed the water to Walker.

"Thanks." Walker took it and drank a couple of mouthfuls.

"Are you worried about your ankle?" Tang Tian asked suddenly.

"What?" Walker looked at Tang Tian in surprise. His eyes revealed that Tang Tian had guessed correctly.

"You're afraid to exert force because you're worried about re-injuring your ankle," Tang Tian repeated.

Lamb's poor performance before was a mental issue. Walker clearly couldn't have the same problem. As a junior, he had experienced a lot, and judging from his performance after the injury, his heart was incredibly strong.

Of course, it couldn't be a skill issue either. If Walker's ankle injury had fully healed, his skills would definitely rank in the top ten among NCAA point guards.

If it wasn't a mental issue or an injury, then his poor performance must be due to something he was worried about.

The only thing he could be worried about was his recently injured ankle.

Tang Tian had coached so many players in his previous life that he had a good understanding of these things.

"Yeah." Walker nodded with a wry smile, unconsciously touching his ankle.

A month of injury wasn't a long time, but it was the biggest injury he had ever encountered in the NCAA.

For a player like him who mainly relies on breakthroughs, an ankle injury is different from other injuries. If he got injured again, even if it wasn't as serious as before, he really wouldn't be able to play in the tournament.

Without him, UConn wouldn't go far, and his efforts this year would be in vain.

Walker didn't say these things, but Tang Tian could completely feel them. They had been together for a long time, and he understood Walker very well. He wasn't tall, but he had a strong heart, and his ambition was no less than any other player in this class.

"I have a suggestion. I don't know if you want to hear it?" Tang Tian said suddenly.

"What suggestion?" Walker looked at Tang Tian curiously.

"You need to adjust the way you exert force," Tang Tian continued.

"The way I exert force?"

"Yes, you're a penetrating player, so it's impossible to change your offensive style all at once. There's also not enough time since the tournament is only half a month away, but you can try to adjust the way you exert force, changing from using your ankle to using your thighs and glutes," Tang Tian said.

For players who mainly rely on breakthroughs, unless they are iron men like Iverson, ankle injuries are inevitable. The most typical example is Stephen Curry. During his rookie contract, all kinds of crossovers and breakthroughs almost ended his career. He had ankle injuries of all sizes more than a dozen times. Later, he survived and had the opportunity to become a superstar only after changing the way he exerted force and his offensive style.

Of course, the NCAA is not the NBA, and Walker doesn't have as much time as Curry to change his offensive style, so changing the way he exerts force is the most feasible option.

Walker was very curious. This was the first time he had heard of such a thing.

This was completely normal. The NCAA is not a commercial league, and many things are far less professional than in the NBA. What Tang Tian said, like his physical training methods, were things he had learned as a coach in his previous life.

Over the next period of time, Tang Tian explained the specific methods to Walker. Walker had a look of sudden realization, and the worry between his brows seemed to dissipate for the most part.

He couldn't tell his teammates or the coaching staff about his concerns, because no one could solve them. But what Tang Tian said was different. Tang Tian gave him a way to resolve his worries, and it was an effective one.

"This will require a transition period, because you still have to play. I suggest that you can first choose to break through more from the left side, so that even if you exert force during the transition phase, it will be more on your left ankle, rather than your injured right ankle," Tang Tian added.