UConn’s Geno Auriemma blasts NCAA on tournament format: ‘Just don’t understand’

UConn women’s basketball head coach Geno Auriemma put the NCAA on blast.

The 72-year-old coach took umbrage with the NCAA for not consulting the players or coaches before making changes to the tournament’s format. 

The NCAA shifted from a four-site regional to a two-site regional in 2023, which Auriemma said has created issues for shootaround times and quality of play.

“I just don’t understand some of the decisions that are made about our game when we’re trying to grow the god—- game,” Auriemma said at a press conference Saturday.

“Does anybody who makes these decisions ever ask the coaches and the players, ‘Hey, does this work? Do you guys do this during the regular season? Is this normal?'”

Auriemma opened his news conference by listing some of the dismal 3-point shooting numbers from teams in Friday’s Sweet 16 games: 4 for 20 (UConn), 4 for 22 (North Carolina), 1 for 17 (Notre Dame), 5 for 18 (Vanderbilt), 4 for 16 (UCLA) and 7 for 26 (Duke).

The legendary coach lamented the timing and duration of UConn’s shootaround.

“Know what time our shootaround was yesterday?” Auriemma said. “Six twenty (a.m. ET), I think, for half an hour. This morning, I just saw Notre Dame leaving, so they had media this morning. Their practice time is tonight at 5:30. … You know what time our practice time is? 6:30 tonight.”

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With eight teams sharing an arena, there is less practice time to go around for each team. Auriemma also suggested the equipment being used is causing a decrease in the quality of play.

“I think they bring in new baskets, new basketballs right out of the box,” Auriemma said.

“Got people dribbling the ball off their feet. You got people missing layups all over the place. You bounce the ball, and it goes up to the ceiling. There’s just no concept of how basketball is played.”

The 12-time national championship-winning head coach said maybe the teams had a bad shooting day, but all of their shooting numbers were well below what their averages were throughout the season.

“How many arenas are we going to sell out with that bulls—?” Auriemma said.

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The NCAA’s intention of switching to a two-regional format was to drive attendance, and it told ESPN it has drawn the highest numbers in tournament history since implemented. Lynn Holzman, the NCAA’s vice president for women’s basketball, told ESPN the positives outweigh the negatives.

Auriemma said he does not have any answers for the right solution, just questions.

The esteemed head coach will look to lead his top-seeded, undefeated squad (37-0) to a victory in the Elite 8 against No. 6 Notre Dame Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.

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