One of the many reasons to respect Pat and Geno and what they do for women's game is to understand how thoroughly they demand excellence both on and off the court.

Remember when Auriemma sent Lorin Dixon back for the first and second-round of the NCAA tourney because of her poor performance in the classroom?

“That might have been the most embarrassing thing ever for me, because you want to be with your team, and you are in the tournament,” Dixon said. “It was a place I had never been before. Just to be sent home. I thought I let my team down and I thought I embarrassed my family and the program. That really took a toll on me.”

Nearly two year later, Dixon finally felt a rewarding sense of vindication. She was one of eight women's basketball players honored at halftime of Saturday's game for achieving a 3.0 grade point average.