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A blog on UConn women's basketball.

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Geno Auriemma advocating rule changes for good of game


Geno Auriemma’s comments about advocating some changes in women’s basketball rules highlighted by lowering the rim from its current height of 10 feet certainly have drawn more attention than even a walking sound bit like Auriemma could have imagined.

Auriemma addressed the issue again on Thursday with the stipulation that it will be the final time he addresses the subject until the season is over.

“I am not advocating any changes because I want the University of Connecticut to have any advantage because what we are doing is not great,” Auriemma said. “I am not talking about me or my team. (Of) 109 Division I men's teams shot 45 percent or better. You know how many women's teams? 11. But according to a lot of the experts, our game is fine; don't worry about it.

“It is OK because our game is pure. It is pure, there is no dunking which I never said there was going to be dunking. It's not the men's game for people who went crazy about why can't we make it the men's game. I never said we should make it the men's game. All I said is I would like a scenario where the women could have the same success around the rim as the men have. Is that a lot to ask?”

Auriemma has received feedback insinuating that he is merely looking to change the rule to better serve his team. Auriemma said that is simply not the case.“If you don't change anything, it doesn't bother me one bit,” Auriemma said. “We are going win our 30 games every year and go to the Final Four every year so I am abdicating any changes because I want the University of Connecticut to have an advantage or what I think we aren't doing is not great. I am not talking about me and our team.

“I can't make it happen. There are a lot of us who want to make the 10-second rule happen and you don’t see it happening do you. The things that I think are not about making Connecticut women's basketball better. I never think about (rule changes) that can make rules changes better. How can you make it better? The changes I am thinking about is 10 years from now what is going to make the game of women's basketball better or will we just stay the same. So, I will just shut up and will wait to see what other suggestions what everybody else has that they haven't had the last 10 years that are going to grow our game.

"We are in the entertainment industry; that is what people don't understand. I am able to speak to it because we do sell tickets here at $24 a ticket so we are in the entertaining industry. People want to come and be entertained with the way that we play. Is it too much to ask that they come and see a team make more shots than they miss? It is not about our team, we make 47 percent from the field in a bad year. I am trying to help those teams who can only get 200 fans to watch them play every night. The suggestions I have are the same ones everybody else has - shorten the time clock, have a (10 second) time line all these things. If we don't figure out a way to enhance the game, I think we are going to get stuck. I don't want to see us get stuck. We have worked too hard to get to where we are to get stuck.”

"If I remember correctly, they widened the lane because of Wilt Chamberlain an all the purists said 'oh my God, what are you doing.' Imagine the lane now if it was the way it was. Remember the world came to an end when we add the 3-point goal. Imagine basketball now without the 3-point line. It is things like that. Or we are admitting we are inferior. I hate to say it, we are already playing with a small ball so aren't we already admitting it is not the same as men's basketball. We don't have a 10-second line, aren't you already saying it is not like men's basketball. If it makes the game more appealing to watch, how is that demeaning?"



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1 Comments:

Blogger Unknown said...

Geno I as much a purist as one may get. But the 3 point shot came with applause not jeers. Wilt may or may not have changed the base width, but most purist said HOO HUM!! Dunking acceptable in College, we fought that. It still does nothing for the game.
Wilt and Kareem got the 3 ball approved, it countered the big guy dominance. Calvin Murphy (5'10") guard/forward pro hit the three ball constantly--but could dunk too. He was from Fairfield U and Bridgeport Ct.
I agree with changing to men's ball and 10 second crossing mid court. Keep the nets at 10 ft, in 10 years there will be 30 woman in College who can dunk at 10 ft. Look back to see what's ahead.

2:29 PM 

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