Auriemma’s call to Mo’ne Davis violates rule

The NCAA determined Thursday that UConn women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma violated a secondary rule when he made a congratulatory phone call to pitcher Mo’ne Davis after the Little League World Series.

Auriemma was told that Davis, who said her dream in life is to play point guard at UConn, is not defined by the NCAA as a prospective student-athlete because she has not begun classses at the high school level and that the call was permissible.

After a rival coach reportedly raised an issue bout the call, UConn officials opted to self-report it as a potential violation.

UConn athletic director Warde Manuel said the school does not agree with the ruling but will comply. There was no word on what sanctions the school might face.

“The nature of coach Auriemma’s two-minute conversation with Mo’ne had nothing to do with recruiting and instead had everything to do with congratulating and encouraging Mo’ne to continued success,” Manuel said.

Davis, 13, is in eighth grade. Auriemma said he has no idea if she even plays basketball, but told the Hartford Courant of being called out “That’s the world we live in.”