Kevin Ollie has never hesitated to shake things up during his four years as a head coach, even if it means taking UConn's leading scorer out of the starting lineup.

While experimenting in a recent practice, Ollie found a productive combination. He replaced Rodney Purvis in the backcourt with freshman Jalen Adams. He also put in senior forward Phil Nolan for junior Kentan Facey.

The lineup change helped propel the Huskies to a 69-57 come-from-behind victory at Houston on Sunday.

Ollie plans to stick with the same starting five for Tuesday's American Athletic Conference game against Tulane at the XL Center in Hartford (7 p.m., CBS Sports Network). The Huskies returned Sunday night from a two-game road trip that started with a nine-point loss at Tulsa at Thursday.

"We wanted to go 2-0, but it didn't happen," Ollie said Monday. "But I thought the guys came back and played very hard against Houston. We had a lineup change and I think everybody came out and played. ... We were tough for 30 the whole game. In the second half, we really put it together, offensively and defensively."

Tough for 30 means UConn (12-5, 3-2) played solid defense for the entire 30-second shot clock, limiting Houston to just 33.3 percent from the field and a season-low tying scoring output.

Help defense has improved, according to Ollie. Down low, Nolan, who tied career highs for rebounds (eight) and assists (three), is earning his keep.

"Phil did a wonderful job," Ollie said. "I could put together a whole highlight tape of him helping everybody out on the defensive end."

The dynamic Adams has the ability to impact a game in several different ways.

In just second start on Sunday, Adams chipped in 13 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals in a career-high 32 minutes. Ollie could do without his freshman's five turnovers, but loved the way he pushed the pace, leading to 12 fast break points. The Huskies are 9-0 this season when reaching double figures in transition baskets.

"You live with the mistakes, but I just love the aggression that he has," Ollie said. "He's fearless, and that's a quality that I like. And he brings a different dimension to our team that we didn't have when he's in the game. The tempo changes and that's what great point guards do."

Adams' presence also allows backcourt partner Sterling Gibbs to play off the ball. Gibbs has been UConn's best offensive player in recent weeks, scoring at least 20 points in three straight games while averaging 22.

"It frees me up a little bit," Gibbs said of playing with Adams. "Jalen is able to penetrate and get into the lane. Having two point guards on the floor bring a whole different dimension."

Ollie is allowing Adams to play through his freshmen moments.

"It's still a learning curve but I'm getting wiser as a point guard from working with coach Ollie and working with Sterling," Adams said. "They've helped me a lot."

Earlier this season, Adams was concerned that a mistake would result in a seat back on the bench, so he played a bit tight.

Now, he's playing with poise and under control.

"I just go out and play my game," Adams said. "I know I'm going to make mistakes. It's an imperfect game. I'm not really concerned about that as long as if I mess up, I play much harder the next time. ... I think at the start of the season, I (looked over my shoulder) a lot and that's what messed up my confidence.

"He's been giving us a lot more freedom. ... so I don't really look over at the bench when I mess up. I just know I have to make it up by getting a stop because I know he's all about defense. If you play hard on defense, you can have the liberty to do whatever you want on offense."

While Nolan and Adams thrived as starters, Purvis, who's averaging a team-high 13.7 points per game, may need time to adjust to his new role. He had more turnovers (three) than points (a season-low one) on Sunday. Foul trouble also was an issue for the slumping Purvis, who's 1-for-14 from the field in the last two games.

"Hopefully, he brings some pop off the bench," Ollie said.

Tuesday's game kicks off a three-game homestand. After hosting Tulane, Georgetown (Saturday) and Cincinnati (Jan. 28) visit Hartford.

In the first meeting in New Orleans, UConn blew a 19-point lead before recovering for 75-67 victory on Jan. 2. Tulane (8-11, 1-5) has lost five of its last six games including a 60-45 decision to AAC leader Southern Methodist on Sunday.

News and notes

Former Huskies Rudy Gay and Andre Drummond made the list of 30 finalists for the U.S. Olympic men's basketball team. ... Future UConn guard Alterique Gilbert of Lithonia, Ga., was selected to compete in the McDonald's All-American game on March 30 in Chicago. He also received an invitation to play in the Jordan Brand Classic on April 17 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. A 5-foot-11 point guard, he is averaging a team-best 22.2 points, 6.3 assists and 4.1 steals through 10 games for Miller Grove High School.

g.keefe@theday.com

Twitter: @GavinKeefe

UConn vs. Tulane

UCONN vs. TULANE

Location: XL Center, Hartford

Tip: 7 p.m. (CBS Sports Network)

Records: UConn 12-5, 3-2; Tulane 8-11, 1-5

Last game: UConn won at Houston, 69-57, Sunday; Tulane lost to SMU, 60-45, Sunday

Probable starters: UConn, 6-3 fr. guard Jalen Adams (6.1 pts), 6-2 grad. guard Sterling Gibbs (13.4 pts), 6-7 so. forward Daniel Hamilton (12.5 pts, 8.8 rebs, 4.9 assists), 6-7 grad. forward Shonn Miller (13.2 pts, 5.4 rebs), 6-10 sr. forward Phil Nolan (1.6 pts, 1.5 rebs)

Tulane, 6-3 sr. guard Louis Dabney (12.9 pts), 6-4 r-jr. guard Malik Morgan (11.4 pts, 4.9 rebs), 6-5 fr. guard Melvin Frazier (5.1 pts), 6-8 so. forward Dylan Osetkowski (10.7 pts, 9.1 rebs), 6-11 jr. center Ryan Smith (2.2 pts, 2.1 rebs)

Noteworthy: First of three straight home games. ... Tulane lost 5 of last 6. Only AAC win vs. South Florida. ... Series: UConn leads, 3-0, winning first meeting this season 75-67 on Jan. 2 in New Orleans. Rodney Purvis (20 pts), Hamilton (19), Gibbs (16) led the Huskies, who were out-rebounded by three and allowed 32 points in the paint. Dabney had 14 pts for Green Wave. ... Tulane 1-5 on the road, UConn 8-1 at home. ... Top reserve: 6-10 gr. forward Jernard Jarreau (7.6 pts, 5.6 rebs). ... Tulane ranked last in AAC games in FG percentage at 36.6. First in blocks per game at 6.3 ... Ollie called Osetkowski (six double-doubles) one of the best bigs in the league. ... Hot: Gibbs averaging 22 points in last three games. Cold: Purvis shooting 34.8 percent in five AAC games. ... Injury news: jr. Amida Brimah (broken finger) out. ...  Gibbs named to AAC weekly honor roll. ... Huskies second in league in home attendance average at 9,315. ... UConn hosts Georgetown Saturday.

— Gavin Keefe