Storrs – Much of this UConn basketball season — for both genders — has been awash in the old days, honoring championship teams and great players past, because let’s face it: They’re more interesting than the current narrative. A game against Tulane on a Tuesday night doesn’t move the needle as much as it makes us want to gouge our eyes out with it.

And so they turn now to the women of Storrs for a glimmer, a reason to trumpet the present, a reason to thump a few chests again around here.

The UConn Huskies opened March Madness at Gampel Pavilion on Friday night as a No. 2 seed, numerical evidence of what has been evident this season. The greatest program of them all isn’t the greatest this season, leaving Geno Auriemma in an unfamiliar postseason spot: with something other than the best team.

No worries Friday night, not with 15-seed Towson serving as lunchmeat for the 11-time national champs. The Huskies scored 64 points in the first half and barely missed a shot, en route to the expected demolition. But it’ll get hard enough soon enough, with a potential killer diller of a regional final game in Albany against Louisville.

But for now? We can hope. And we should. With a potential gauntlet of Louisville, Notre Dame and Baylor standing in the way of title No. 12, this would very likely be Auriemma’s greatest trick. And one that Connecticut would not merely celebrate wildly, but need desperately.

In case you haven’t noticed, there just hasn’t been much to applaud lately at old State U. The athletic department immersed itself in the past this winter as a form of self-medication. Where’s the positive news, really?

Even the good stuff feels a bit forced now, the residual effect of the $40 million budget deficit, the dubious future of the XL Center, absurd rent paid to The Rent for football games, a football program swirling the bowl and the unfortunate inclusion into the NCAA’s version of witness protection, otherwise known as the American Athletic Conference.

Maybe that’s what makes Auriemma’s program, the perpetual “overdogs” as he likes to say, such appetizing underdogs. For now, anyway. Half the country, for which UConn is the only frame of reference to women’s basketball, wouldn’t buy the narrative, but might tune in to see Geno and his Little Huskies That Could anyway.

Maybe like the last time UConn went into March as something other than the favorite: 2013. That was the year Notre Dame beat the Huskies three times during the regular season and Big East tournament. Then they got to the Final Four.

And after hearing about Notre Dame suddenly “having their number,” they did a number on the Irish, riding rejuvenated freshman Breanna Stewart to one of the sweetest titles of all.

Auriemma likes to say that when he plays poker, the only hand acceptable to him is four aces. And most times he’s been part of March Madness, he’s had the best hand. Not so much now. Yet he’s done this before, both in 2013 and back in 2003. The graduations of Sue Bird, Asjha Jones, Swin Cash and Tamika Williams were no match for Diana Taurasi’s brilliance, which willed the Huskies past Tennessee in the championship game — after beating Texas by a gnat’s eyelash in the semifinals.

Good days all.

So what of 2019?

“The difference in this year is that we know even if we play our best game we could lose,” Auriemma said. “We just don’t have enough pieces. Which is OK. Then the goal becomes ‘let’s see how close we can come to playing great and then take our chances.’ The other team still has to play great, too, and there’s no guarantee of that.

“It’s going to be a little bit of fun for however long this lasts. Hopefully past Sunday, where we’re finding out things I find kind of enjoyable. Like watching Christyn (Williams) play today was fun. We’re usually in a situation where freshmen really aren’t counted on. I’m enjoying watching the guys reap the benefits of a lot of hard work this year.”

Then Auriemma paused and cracked, “Now am I getting ready to going back to having that party at the Final Four where we stay out till 4 in the morning the night before the championship game? I’m not even having a party before Sunday night’s game against Buffalo. Those days are over.”

So at least Katie Lou Samuelson returned Friday night and, if nothing else, acclimated herself to game conditions. Her teammates had the Eyes of March, the ones so many of their predecessors had at this time of year.

Things get a bit tougher Sunday against plucky Buffalo. And then come games that will have UConn women’s fans keeping the Mylanta and Makers Mark handy. Ringo said it don’t come easy. It won’t. But it would be a heck of a story. One we need badly around here.

This is the opinion of Day sports columnist Mike DiMauro