Adams Has Head-Scratcher Against Manhattan

Adams a No-Show Against Manhattan

The Story: Jalen Adams, UConn’s leading scorer, had two points on four shots in 21 ineffective minutes during the Huskies’ ugly 61-46 win over Manhattan on Saturday.

WHAT’S UP WITH ADAMS? Adams came out making a fashion statement with a headband (it looked ridiculous) and proceeded to play one of the least effective games of his career. Adams got into early foul trouble and didn’t supply energy and seemed to pout at the game flow on his way to a season-low two points. It’s one thing for Adams to not score, but to only add one steal, two rebounds and with four turnovers is stunning for a player of Adams’ caliber. 

HOW BAD WAS THE PERFORMANCE? In a word — poor. Adams hasn’t scored so few points since his freshman year, when he had zero in a loss to SMU on March 3, 2015. He had four turnovers and three fouls with only two points, two assists and two rebounds. His scoring average dropped from 18.5 to 17.1 points per game.

The Huskies were so thrown off by Adams’ play that it took them nearly 10 minutes to recover. UConn trailed early against Manhattan and had only five points in the first eight minutes. They righted the ship and won behind Josh Carlton and Christian Vital, but the lack of impact is concerning considering Adams’ talent and his age.

HURLEY STUNNED: Are we being hard on Adams? Yes. When you are a player of Adams’ caliber, effort should never be a concern. Do you still think we are being too hard? Check out Dan Hurley:

“He’s gotta be more locked in. This is his senior year; we’re now a third of the way through, basically. He can’t be pleased with that type of performance. That’s so far away from his talent level that it’s scary.”

Then there is this gem from Hurley, who isn’t going to chalk this up as an off day. There should be no off days.

“Jalen had plenty of opportunities there, but for whatever reason, he just didn’t have a lot of pop today. He wasn’t dialed in, locked in. He’s got a limited number of opportunities as a senior to play at the highest possible level that he can play. For us to play at a high level this year, he has to play like one of the best guards in the country.”

VITAL SAVES THE DAY: Vital was the opposite of Adams on Saturday. Vital, who still has questionable shot selection, had 13 points, eight rebounds, and seven steals. He also got into a couple of fracases with physical Manhattan, which took several shots at him. A more feisty Vital is good for UConn. Energy and enthusiasm is a talent, and no one will ever accuse of Vital of not playing hard.

CARLTON RETURNS: Carlton had two points against Florida State, but we are hopeful that he is turning the corner after his 11 points, five rebounds and four blocks. Carlton’s splits against good teams and the other teams on the schedule are stark; he has four points total in the Huskies’ three losses. He had his fifth double-digit scoring game of the year on Saturday and was a force inside with four blocks.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE: The only good numbers on Saturday were those in the final score. The Huskies (8-3) were 4-of-23 from 3-point range and many of those shots were wide open. The ball movement was better with 14 assists on 21 baskets. Free-throw shooting is going to cost the Huskies a big game eventually. Hopefully, it isn’t a season-ending one as they were just 15-of-24 from the line.

UP NEXT: The Huskies host Drexel (6-5) on Tuesday at the XL Center — a Philadelphia warm-up before they face No. 17 Villanova at Madison Square Garden on Saturday.

Morning Read

COCKBURN PICKS FINALISTS: Kofi Cockburn, a 6-foot-10 center from Oak Hill Academy in Virginia, is down to his final five finalists: UConn, Kansas, Pittsburgh, St. John’s and Illinois. (Andrew Slater on Twitter)

IRWIN EARNING TRUST: The UConn women’s basketball team returns to action on Wednesday at Oklahoma. Megan Walker should have recovered from her illness, but her absence allowed Kyla Irwin to move into the starting lineup. (Hearst Connecticut Media)

NUTMEGGERS GO BOWLING: There will be 42 Connecticut natives playing in bowl games to end the season. Imagine if some of them chose to stay home and play at UConn? (Hearst Connecticut Media)

BOATRIGHT TRADED: The G League’s Agua Caliente Clippers traded Ryan Boatright to the Texas Legends, the Dallas Mavericks’ affiliate, on Sunday. Boatright averaged 22.9 minutes in seven games this season, scoring 7.4 points with 5.3 assists. (TexasLegends.com)

RENOVATIONS BEGIN: Construction has started on the redeveloped Morrone Stadium, with the rest of UConn’s “athletics district” soon to break ground. (The UConn Blog)