College basketball analyst picks Geno Auriemma’s “greatest coaching job” in over 40 years at UConn

Geno Auriemma's UConn is a powerhouse in the women's basketball world, winning 11 NCAA titles since Auriemma took over the reins of the team in 1985. However, for college basketball analyst John Fanta, Auriemma's best coaching job didn't come in those title-winning seasons.

Connecticut Huskies head coach Geno Auriemma reacts against the Iowa Hawkeyes in the 2024 NCAA Women's Final Four semifinals at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Photo: Imagn

Flohoops, an Instagram page tracking college basketball, posted a chat between Fanta and NCAA content creator Nicole Beckelman on Tuesday. Fanta mentioned the Huskies as one of this year's tournament favorites while touching upon their campaign last season.

Fanta said that UConn's 2023-24 NCAA campaign was the Auriemma's best season. This was a surprise pick since the Huskies failed to win the NCAA title last season. They lost to Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Final Four and couldn't capture the title that has eluded them since 2016.

“Geno Auriemma’s program is a beast and continues to be a machine. And the fact that last year they made the Final Four was, in my humble opinion, Geno’s greatest coaching job considering the injuries and the amount of adversity that they had.” the analyst said.

Geno Auriemma steers injury-ravaged UConn to 2024 Women's Final Four

The Huskies clawed their way to the Final Four despite injuries ravaging their campaign last season. UConn missed the services of Azzi Fudd (torn ACL), Ayanna Patterson (left knee surgery), Jana El Alfy (torn Achilles), Aubrey Griffin (torn ACL), Caroline Ducharme (neck and back spasms) and Amari DeBerry (concussion) during the Final Four tourney.

UConn Huskies head coach Geno Auriemma talks to the media during his team's practice session at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Photo: Imagn

Despite this, they persevered and nearly reached the national championship game, losing 71-69 to Iowa in the semifinals. The Huskies led by six points at the break in that game but fell short in the end. With some of their key players back, Fanta sees Auriemma's UConn as a big contender.

“What you can expect to see is Connecticut contend for a national championship with Paige Bueckers, Azzi Fudd, KK Arnold, Ashlynn Shade and Sarah Strong - who I think is as good as any freshman in the country,” Fanta said.

The Huskies are off to a strong start this season, winning their first eight games by an average margin of 30.9 points. Paige Bueckers remains their main scoring weapon, averaging 18.9 points per contest. Sarah Strong has been a revelation in her freshman season, averaging 16.3 points and 7.6 rebounds.