By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay
Heavily favored to win the NCAA women’s basketball tournament, the Connecticut Huskies nevertheless have been getting an earful from coach Geno Auriemma about staying in the moment.
About focusing on the present. About their first-round game, which just so happens to be set for Saturday afternoon on their home court against the upstart UTSA Roadrunners.
The coach of the 12-time NCAA champions met with the media on Friday in Storrs, Conn.
Among the first questions to Auriemma centered on how he keeps the players’ attention grounded in the moment and not on potential challenges in the later rounds.
“We were having the discussion this morning with some people about how much more difficult it is now to harness that concentration, that focus,” he said. “There’s two sides to this. The one side is, (it’s) hard to get them to concentrate on the same thing for 15 minutes, right?
“When you think about it, even me, you, anybody, we’re so — I’m guessing that them thinking about Fort Worth or beyond probably only lasts about 30 seconds, and then they’re on to something different. I’m hoping for that.”
If the defending champions and top overall seed in the field can win twice at home this weekend, they’ll move on to the regional semifinals next week in Fort Worth. The Final Four is the following weekend in Phoenix.
“All we can do is just keep reminding them that whatever they think is in the future isn’t going to happen if you don’t take care of the present,” Auriemma said. “That’s all. And you have to hope that the players that have been there already can explain to them, this is how it goes.
“And maybe the more games they watch on TV and see how close some people do get knocked out — I mean, there haven’t been any women’s games except for the first four games — but you saw some of the men’s games last night, and you see what can happen in the NCAA Tournament.”
UTSA players said it’s been “cool” to come to Storrs and see Gampel Pavilion for the first time.
“This is a really historical place, a place you dream of coming to play one day when you grow up and get to be in this position,” UTSA forward Idara Udo said. “It’s really exciting seeing all the banners, and it’s really cool to get to be a part of the culture and the history here.”
Asked if the first trip to historic Storrs to play the undefeated No. 1 team in the country was intimidating or exciting, UTSA forward Cheyenne Rowe said it’s a thrill to experience it.
“I would have to say it’s thrilling,” she said. “I wouldn’t say it’s intimidating at all. As a basketball player, playing UConn is just amazing. You know, it’s a chance to show us what we’ve got. Show the world what we’ve got.
“It’s definitely an exciting opportunity, so thrilling I would say is the world instead of intimidating.”
Auriemma holds a record of 1,284-165 for the most wins in NCAA history. UConn is in the tournament for the 37th consecutive season under his watch.
The Huskies are the No. 1 seed for the 23rd time, and they’ve competed in every NCAA Tournament since 1988-89.
Connecticut has reached an NCAA-record 24 Final Fours and has won a record 12 national championships. They enter the tournament undefeated for the 10th time in program history.
Records
UTSA 18-15
Connecticut 34-0
Coming up
Saturday’s NCAA tournament games at Storrs, Conn. – (16) UTSA at (1) Connecticut, 2 p.m. (ABC); (8) Iowa State at (9) Syracuse, 4:30 p.m. Times are central.
Notable
UTSA is 0-2 All-Time in the NCAA Tournament, falling in 2008 to No. 2 Seed Texas A&M, 91-52, in Baton Rouge, La. Again as the No. 15 Seed in 2009, UTSA took No. 2 Baylor to overtime before falling 87-82 at Lubbock.
Editor’s note
The JB Replay did not travel to Connecticut. The San Antonio-based website that has covered all of the UTSA women’s basketball home games on site this season has accessed transcripts of interviews provided by the NCAA.