Why Geno Auriemma Should Take His Own Advice

Geno Auriemma caused a stir on Wednesday when he expressed his dissatisfaction with NCAA men’s basketball during a Final Four teleconference. The UConn women’s head coach blasted college basketball from a spectator’s perspective, calling the men’s program “a joke.”

“Forget that I’m a coach, as a spectator, watching it, it’s a joke. There’s only like ten teams, you know, out of 25, that actually play the kind of game of basketball you’d like to watch,” Auriemma said.

While he did comment that women’s basketball is “behind the times,” all the focus has been on his harsh critique of men’s college hoops. Ironically, Auriemma’s words can be reflected onto his own team perfectly.

As a Connecticut native born and raised, I was conditioned to be a UConn basketball fan. Watching both the men and women’s programs take home the national title last year invoked a sense of state pride like no other. But of the two teams, I followed the men’s journey to the championship with much more enthusiasm.

The UConn women’s basketball program is undoubtedly one of the best in the country, with nine total National Championships and counting under Auriemma’s 29 years at the helm.  They’ve also become one of the most boring teams to watch.

While Auriemma may be correct that men’s basketball has seen a dip in scoring, resulting in games that are less than thrilling, his own squad has the opposite problem. In this season alone, UConn’s scoring margin has been an average of 41 points per game on their opponent. That kind of point gap does not produce the most exciting games much after halftime.

When it comes down to it, Auriemma had a point when he slammed men’s college basketball. However, he should also take his own advice and think about watching his own games as a spectator. I’m not saying the Huskies have to hold back on scoring and lower their level to make games exciting; they are at the top of college basketball and should play like it. However, Geno Auriemma might want to consider his own advice for college basketball and think about how to make it great again.