Even before he faced his first question, Geno Auriemma was already ready to roll.

With his top-ranked UConn women's basketball team one of three remaining Big East teams in the Philadelphia Regional, Auriemma couldn't help but throw some love towards conference rivals Georgetown and DePaul as only he could.

"We have been auditioning different places for the Big East Tournament, so this is as good a place as any. I don’t know how Duke got in," Auriemma said with a laugh.

Duke is the only non-Big East team still in contention for the Philadelphia Regional title.

UConn will meet up with Georgetown (for the third time in last 4 1/2 weeks) at 12:04 p.m. followed by the DePaul/Duke game. The winners will meet on Tuesday night with a spot in the Final Four at stake.

Facing a Georgetown team which has given the Huskies fits this season could be an interesting and rugged start to Sunday'as doubleheader.

"We have to make a few more shots. When I look back at the last two games," Georgetown coach Terri Williams-Flournoy said. "I thought we played defense. There are some things we need to work on defensively in terms of getting the ball in the post and not allowing (UConn freshman center Stefanie) Dolson to go off on us like she did in the second game, contain Maya Moore of course. We have to be a better offensive team. Defense is what we do, there is no need of going in and trying to change."

AURIEMMA'S COMMENT ON "SPOILED" FANS DRAWS REACTION
Naturally, Auriemma was asked about any backlash he has received after stating that "spoiled" UConn fans resulted in the smallest crowd at a UConn home game since 1994 in Tuesday's NCAA second-round game.

"That is the world we live in so I guess I shouldn't be amazed," Auriemma said. "With all the media out there, everybody's got a twitter account, everybody's got this, that and the other thing so everybody wants to say something. We've got people than nobody gives a damn what they think, what they say, how they feel but they feel compelled to say it. Especially when the subject is a little bit of an A-hole like me so why wouldn't you weigh in on it? Whether I am telling the truth or not, whether I said it the right way or don't say it the right way, the bottom line is when I am telling the truth people want to make a big deal about it so they make a big deal about it. Not here in philly, they don't care. Those guys on (Philadelphia radio station) 610, they hope I get hit by a bus on Broad Street so they don't care."

MIXED FEELINGS FOR DOTY
In a perfect world, Caroline Doty would be out on the Liacouras Center court Sunday afternoon playing in front of friends and family.

Doty, a junior guard at UConn who hails from Doylestown, Pa., will have plenty of supporters there to watch the Huskies play but Doty will be relegated to offering support from the bench since she has been sidelined all season long with a torn ACL.

"My family is coming to the game, friends, people from high school," Doty said on Saturday. "It is kind of tough not being able to play but still being a part of it, still being on the floor, being to see them absorb the atmosphere I am still having a great time."

Doty admits that she has learned to deal with her inactivity better this season than she did during her freshman season when she also suffered a serious knee injury and spent the second half of the season unable to play.

"You learn from your mistakes," Doty said. "I don't think I took the best approach my freshman year so this year I was focused on staying positive and what was important. what is important, number one, is gettign better and also being there for my teammates."