Women's Hoops Guru

(Guru's note: An AP story previewing the game)

Staley hopes to emulate Auriemma’s program
By PETE IACOBELLI
AP Sports Writer

COLUMBIA, S.C. — How good are Dawn Staley’s chances to turn South
Carolina into a women’s basketball powerhouse? About the same as Geno
Auriemma’s were 24 years ago of winning championships at Connecticut.

Auriemma didn’t have a shot at luring Staley to Storrs, Conn., a
quarter-century back. Five national titles later, Auriemma has his
choice of the country’s best recruits — a position Staley, the
first-year South Carolina coach, hopes her program reaches.

Staley will get the chance to watch Auriemma’s team up close when
the top-ranked Huskies (10-0) take on South Carolina (6-4) on Sunday.
Auriemma sees no reason why Staley, driven to succeed as a player, a
pro, an Olympian and a college coach, can’t bring that to Columbia.

“They either buy into what you represent or are trying to create or
there’s a tradition that already exists,” Auriemma said Saturday after
his team’s workout. “If you have both, then you’ve got it made.”

“I think with Dawn’s name, and her reputation and with the facility
here, I certainly think that it’s not only possible but highly
probable” that Staley will turn the Gamecocks into an elite team in the
Southeastern Conference, Auriemma said.

Just don’t count on seeing it Sunday.

Connecticut (10-0) brings its high-powered offense to the Colonial
Life Arena against a South Carolina team that frankly, according to
Staley, isn’t prepared to handle such an attack.

She cut practice short Saturday because she couldn’t take the
errors as the Gamecocks drilled for their first game in a week.

South Carolina already dropped a 78-47 decision to then
third-ranked Stanford earlier this month. When asked if her team was
closer to competing with elite teams than before, Staley shook her head
and replied, “No.”

Staley, who left Temple after eight seasons and took the job in May, has vowed this won’t last. She points to Auriemma’s business plan as a model for what South Carolina
can accomplish.

The two coaches, among the most influential on the women’s game the
past two decades, haven’t coached against each other, or have much of a
relationship. Staley went to Virginia a couple of seasons after

Auriemma left for UConn. Auriemma was an assistant on the 2000 U.S.
women’s Olympic team that featured Staley at the point and won
America’s second straight gold medal. Auriemma was a late addition to
the team and the two had little interaction on the trip to Sydney,
Staley said.

Count Staley a Husky fan, though.

“They play at another level of basketball that we’re trying to get
to,” Staley said.

Connecticut is cruising this season. Led by Maya Moore, the Huskies
have opened with 10 wins in a row for the third straight season. They
came into the season ranked No. 1 and have done nothing to change
anyone’s opinion. Connecticut beat then-No. 4 Oklahoma 106-78 in
November.

Moore, who’s averaging 19.2 points to lead the Huskies, thinks she
and her teammates understand the challenges they’ll come up against in
every game as the country’s top team.

Auriemma said this group is mature enough to handle whatever they
take on, as long as they continue to work as hard as they have.

Staley’s trying to get that same commitment from her group. But
with just three of 12 roster members upperclassmen, Staley says it’s
hard to get those lessons to take root.

Staley will get all the inspiration she needs that even the biggest
building projects can succeed by watching Auriemma and the Huskies in
this one.

“When you’ve built you’re program up with that kind of tradition,
you have the pick of the litter,” she said. “You got to take your hat
off for what he’s done.”