Geno Auriemma and his No. 2-seeded UConn Huskies began the nationwide championship recreation towards the No. 1-seeded South Carolina Gamecocks on Sunday. He is some of the skilled coaches in faculty basketball, having been in 12 nationwide championship video games earlier than, successful 11 of them.
Earlier than the beginning of the sport, Auriemma spoke about how he was feeling heading into the gam:
“I believe every year that you just get into one among these, it is completely different. I believe it is extra nerve-racking every year, extra unsure every year. Perhaps since you’ve seen all the great and seen all of the unhealthy, however I do know our group’s excited to play.
“I do know these youngsters are actually pumped up, and so they’ve been like that the final three video games really to play in each video games. I really feel good, I belief them and we’ll see the place it goes.”
The final time Geno Auriemma and the UConn Huskies had been within the nationwide championship recreation was in 2022. They performed the South Carolina Gamecocks that point as properly however got here out on the shedding facet. Their most up-to-date win got here in 2016 once they received their fourth straight nationwide championship.
Geno Auriemma displays on UConn’s win over South Carolina earlier within the season
UConn coach Auriemma and the Huskies performed the South Carolina Gamecocks as soon as earlier than earlier within the season. The matchup befell on Feb. 16, with the Huskies successful 87-58.
Auriemma was requested if there was something his group may take from that recreation and produce into the nationwide championship recreation.
“You possibly can take among the issues that we did that labored exceptionally properly,” Auriemma stated. “Some issues we checked out that did not work so nice. Issues they did that did not work as a result of they missed photographs, not as a result of they did not have alternatives.
“Throw away the ultimate rating and also you notice, the depth stage of this recreation shall be manner completely different than it was in Columbia.”
So, regardless of the lopsided margin of the primary matchup, Geno Auriemma is ensuring his group does not take South Carolina evenly.
Heading into the nationwide championship recreation, each groups performed two days prior within the Last 4. UConn defeated No. 1 UCLA 85-51, and the South Carolina Gamecocks defeated No. 1 Texas 74-57 to arrange the matchup.