Spring Break
Adrien shrugs off struggles from stripe, uninterested in stats
Kevin Duffy
Issue date: 3/26/09 Section: Sports
Statistics hardly ever lie, but then again, Jeff Adrien isn't too big into stats.
Prior to his 23-point outburst against Texas A&M in UConn's 92-66 second-round victory Saturday, Adrien's last three games produced some ugly numbers: 9-for-32 shooting from the field, 8-for-19 shooting from the free throw line.
Adrien registered a double-double in one of those games - a 12-point, 14-rebound effort in the Huskies' infamous six-overtime loss to Syracuse - but, as coach Jim Calhoun said, "he would have had maybe five points and four rebounds if it ended in regulation."
Against the Aggies, however, Adrien could do no wrong. He started the game out by hitting a jump-hook on the very first possession and went on to convert 7-of-8 first half attempts and finished 11-for-16 from the field for the game.
Following the victory, a reporter approached him and asked: "How does it feel to get out of your slump?"
"I don't feel like I've been through a slump or anything like that," Adrien responded. "Those are shots I usually make."
The reporter left and another one came up to him. "Does it feel good to play like that after the Chatanooga game?"
"I thought I played great Thursday," Adrien said. "I just couldn't make free throws."
Indeed, free throws - generally regarded as the easiest shot in the game - have been Adrien's Achilles' heel of late.
After a dreadful 5-for-13 outing in the first round against Chattanooga in which Adrien missed his first seven attempts, he couldn't even recall a time in his collegiate career where he struggled so much from the line.
"Maybe when I was in high school," Adrien said.
Despite his success shooting elbow jumpshots against Texas A&M, Adrien still went just 1-for-4 from the charity stripe, bringing his season-average down to 60 percent. Adrien clearly had rhythm and confidence with his jumpshot, but lacked it from the line, which raises an interesting question: Why not shoot a jumpshot from the free throw line?
"No, I can't do that," Adrien said with a laugh. "I can't be the first guy in history to jump at the free throw line."
"Maybe an underhand shot," he added. "That's been done before. Maybe I'll try that."
Prior to his 23-point outburst against Texas A&M in UConn's 92-66 second-round victory Saturday, Adrien's last three games produced some ugly numbers: 9-for-32 shooting from the field, 8-for-19 shooting from the free throw line.
Adrien registered a double-double in one of those games - a 12-point, 14-rebound effort in the Huskies' infamous six-overtime loss to Syracuse - but, as coach Jim Calhoun said, "he would have had maybe five points and four rebounds if it ended in regulation."
Against the Aggies, however, Adrien could do no wrong. He started the game out by hitting a jump-hook on the very first possession and went on to convert 7-of-8 first half attempts and finished 11-for-16 from the field for the game.
Following the victory, a reporter approached him and asked: "How does it feel to get out of your slump?"
"I don't feel like I've been through a slump or anything like that," Adrien responded. "Those are shots I usually make."
The reporter left and another one came up to him. "Does it feel good to play like that after the Chatanooga game?"
"I thought I played great Thursday," Adrien said. "I just couldn't make free throws."
Indeed, free throws - generally regarded as the easiest shot in the game - have been Adrien's Achilles' heel of late.
After a dreadful 5-for-13 outing in the first round against Chattanooga in which Adrien missed his first seven attempts, he couldn't even recall a time in his collegiate career where he struggled so much from the line.
"Maybe when I was in high school," Adrien said.
Despite his success shooting elbow jumpshots against Texas A&M, Adrien still went just 1-for-4 from the charity stripe, bringing his season-average down to 60 percent. Adrien clearly had rhythm and confidence with his jumpshot, but lacked it from the line, which raises an interesting question: Why not shoot a jumpshot from the free throw line?
"No, I can't do that," Adrien said with a laugh. "I can't be the first guy in history to jump at the free throw line."
"Maybe an underhand shot," he added. "That's been done before. Maybe I'll try that."
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