The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Adams charged, suspended after accident
STORRS — After a hugely disappointing 2016-17 season, this wasn’t exactly the way UConn wanted to kick off its new campaign.
Jalen Adams, the junior guard who led the team in scoring last season, was involved in an accident while racing a motorized scooter on campus Wednesday night and was charged with “evading responsibility” after leaving the scene.
Adams was released on $500 non-surety bond and is due to appear in Rockville Superior Court on Nov. 21.
He was also suspended from the Huskies’ practice on Thursday, and his status for Friday’s season-opener against Colgate (7 p.m., SNY) at Gampel Pavilion is still up in the air.
“It’s a distraction,” coach Kevin Ollie admitted after Thursday’s practice. “But, guys are gonna step up, play hard, play aggressive, and we’ll see about tomorrow.”
According to a police report, four men were traveling southbound on Hillside Road on four separate scooters on Wednesday evening. Adams crashed his scooter and got onto the back of one of the three remaining scooters before all four left the scene.
Officers soon located the four men and three scooters, and Adams admitted to engaging in a race with three other drivers before crashing the scooter and leaving the scene. He was issued a misdemeanor summons.
Adams sustained no serious injuries.
The incident comes at about the worst time for the Huskies, who are trying to kick off this season on a high note after dropping their first two games — to Wagner and Northeastern, both at home — a year ago.
The Adams situation aside, the Huskies believe they are a more together and prepared unit than they were at the beginning of last season.
“I think we’re kind of exceeding our expectations, as far as being together off the court,” said redshirt freshman Alterique Gilbert. “I think we had a lot more talent last year, but I really believe in this group and we all believe in each other.” Sophomore guard Christian Vital believes that losing two home games to
low-majors last November has actually helped the team’s focus this time around.
“I think everyone’s aware of the situation,” he said. “We’ve played well our three exhibition games, we had a good 1 1/2 weeks of practice. We’re in a good state of mind right now, and everybody’s prepared going into (Friday).”
Of course, soon after those opening losses last season, Gilbert and talented swingman Terry Larrier were lost for the season due to injury.
“After those two games, the adversity didn’t stop,” Ollie noted. “It kept going, and we kept learning from it. I kept learning from it.”
Now, adversity hits again in the form of Adams’ incident. Players didn’t comment on their teammate’s situation, but they’re ready to go with or without last year’s leading scorer.
“I’m ready,” Vital promised after Thursday’s practice. “I wish our game was tonight.”
RIM RATTLINGS
⏩ Ollie didn’t say much about the Adams situation, but noted he addressed the team on how to handle situations differently. Several players have been seen buzzing around campus on scooters this fall, but he wouldn’t say whether he’d banned them from riding scooters after the Adams incident.
“It’s serious, and they’ve got to understand that crashes happen, you need to wear helmets,” Ollie said. “That could be something dangerous. Hopefully, all our players learn from it.”
⏩ UConn still hasn’t heard from the NCAA on the status of freshman wing Sidney Wilson, who transferred this summer after taking courses at St. John’s. He must sit out this season unless the NCAA grants him a waiver.
“The NCAA is dealing with a lot of stuff right now,” Ollie said with a smile, “so I don’t think Sidney is on the top.”