Jere': Tournament Time: The Time to Let Moore Be Moore

When Connecticut’s Maya Moore committed early defensive lapses against Iowa State, Coach Geno Auriemma said nothing. When she committed a clumsy offensive foul, he stood with his arms folded, mute.

This must have required enormous restraint. Auriemma is one of college basketball’s inveterate talkers. Every time he opens his mouth, a banquet speech tumbles out. On Sunday, he was a statue.

This is the way he coaches Moore in the N.C.A.A. tournament. She is the reigning national player of the year, but like her defense, her confidence can sometimes lag. She needs frequent reassurance. And she sometimes thinks too much instead of playing freely. Paralysis by analysis.