The Jackson State girls’s basketball staff has lengthy been top-of-the-line within the Southwestern Athletic Convention and all of HBCU hoops, however their seeding within the NCAA match hasn’t mirrored that in latest journeys to the dance.
UConn head coach Geno Auriemma believes that notion isn’t actuality because the Tigers performed a aggressive recreation earlier than falling 86-64 to his No. 3 seed Huskies on the XL Middle in Hartford, Connecticut, Saturday afternoon.
“They go on the street towards one of the best groups, in all probability lose, and the popularity is ‘They’re good of their league, however they don’t compete nationally,” Auriemma mentioned of the road-intensive schedule Jackson State and most HBCUs play to start out the season. “Jackson State and a number of the packages have confirmed they’ll go on the street and compete.”
Seeding Issues! Glad this was mentioned out loud. https://t.co/0LCqoQEykw pic.twitter.com/i98rcEdDMg
— Hezekiah Williams (@regalking_) March 23, 2024
Auriemma additionally mentioned that the Tigers incomes a 14 seed could possibly be a step in the best path for themselves and related packages.
“I keep in mind once we have been the No. 1 seed, we’d play colleges from that league as a 16 seed. So I feel them being a 14 means there’s some understanding that hey, these guys deserve it a bit of greater than a staff that finishes with a dropping report in their very own convention and will get a 6 or a 7 seed.”
Jackson State head coach Tomekia Reed was inspired by Auriemma’s remarks, and in addition steered a technique to even the taking part in discipline.
“I’d like to see this match to go to a impartial website like males’s basketball. We might have a greater probability, groups coming in on the 16 seed, 15, 14 have a greater probability to compete and never have these jitters and be on a good taking part in discipline,” Reed mentioned. “So I’d like to see the sport proceed to develop to that, however general, it’s all about agreeing the sport of ladies’s basketball, and having these big-time coaches speak about us is phenomenal. It’s excellent and far appreciated.”
