ESPN Andy Katz Blog

Get used to Rick Barnes being associated with the top college basketball coaches of the past 30 years.

The numbers are hard to argue against.

Barnes has single-handedly put Texas in the position of consistently being one of the top programs in the country, a Final Four threat every season and Kansas' rival for years to come in challenging for the Big 12 title.

Barnes' selection as the 2009 John R. Wooden "Legends of Coaching" recipient puts him in select company. The previous 10 winners were: Pat Summitt, Gene Keady, Jim Boeheim, Jim Calhoun, Mike Montgomery, Roy Williams, Denny Crum, Lute Olson, Mike Krzyzewski and Dean Smith. Among those 10 coaches, only Keady and Montgomery aren't in the Basketball Hall of Fame, and they are also the only two who didn't win a national title (Montgomery is back in college coaching at Cal after a stint in the NBA).

Barnes said he was shocked by the honor. Coincidentally, he was recruiting in Los Angeles, less than a half-mile from Pauley Pavilion, when he got the call from the Wooden committee earlier this week.

"I was taken aback," Barnes said.

But his former assistants weren't taken aback at all.

"He's done at Texas exactly what he said he could, and that was be right there to win a national championship," said former assistant Frank Haith, now the head coach at Miami. "It's amazing how he made Texas a winner. Over the last 10 years, I don't know if there is another program that has been as consistent at Texas."

Barnes, 54, has taken the Longhorns to a school-record 10 straight NCAA tournaments and nine straight 20-win seasons, and he is now the all-time winningest coach in Longhorns history with 247 wins (93 losses). Only seven other programs have gone to every NCAA tournament the past 10 seasons: Arizona, Duke, Gonzaga, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan State and Wisconsin.

Texas is one of only three programs to be in the Sweet 16 in five of the past seven seasons, along with traditional powers Duke and Kansas. The Longhorns reached the 2003 Final Four; it was the third Final Four trip in school history and first since 1947. The Longhorns reached in the Elite Eight in '06 and '08 as well as the Sweet 16 in '02 and '04.

But his evaluation of talent and his ability to recruit might be one of Barnes' lasting legacies. The Longhorns produced national player of the year winners T.J. Ford and Kevin Durant, one from in state (in the Houston area) and the other from Maryland. Texas had back-to-back No. 2 draft picks -- LaMarcus Aldridge and Durant in '06 and '07 -- and added another lottery pick last June (D.J. Augustin). Ford was also selected in the lottery.

"He's an incredible judge of talent," said former assistant Ken McDonald, who is now in his first year as head coach at Western Kentucky. "He puts together a great staff that fits together. He's also never afraid to take a guy who is underrated. Royal Ivey and P.J. Tucker are great examples of that. He recruits talent and character. He's passed on some players since he got to Texas because of that. He has a long-term contract so he doesn't have to deal with the off-the-court stuff. He can take a kid who is deemed less talented and develop him."

Barnes, who is known for his quick wit and dry sense of humor, has figured out a way to match his passion for the sport with balance in his personal life. Barnes is in terrific shape, combining yoga and cycling (remember, he's in Lance Armstrong's hometown of Austin, where cycling is king).

"He is balanced, but he's driven and relentless and yet he has found a way to be balanced," McDonald said. "It's hard to do, but he's knocking down the door of a national championship that's almost within his grasp."

Barnes also is refreshingly honest when it comes to talent evaluation. He didn't hesitate to bring Durant to the Big 12 media day two years ago -- a first for a freshman in the conference at the time. Barnes proclaimed then that he had the top player in the country, not just the conference, but the country. He was right. Durant won all the national player of the year awards. Last year, Barnes pushed Augustin as the top point guard in the country and one of the best players. Once again, he wasn't off, as Augustin helped lead Texas to the Elite Eight.

Texas is a destination job. The Longhorns should be the dominant program in the state, and Barnes has proven that he can recruit anywhere in the country. He was in L.A. last week and picked up one of the top players of the 2009 class when Jordan Hamilton of Dominguez High (Calif.) committed to Texas.

"I'm at a great place and love being here," Barnes said. "I knew this was an unbelievable opportunity. I knew it could be one of the top programs in the country."

Barnes said he bristled at the football-school mentality. It's a nonissue today. Texas basketball is as consistent as its football counterpart. The facilities in Austin are on par with any in the country. At Texas, amenities are expected. Barnes also has kept intact most of his inner circle on his staff, like strength coach Todd Wright (outside of assistants who go on to get head coaching jobs). Barnes did well at Providence and Clemson, but he has shined at Texas.

"He's a winner, a great teacher and a great basketball coach," Haith said. "He loves what he's doing. His passion always comes out. He's got such a positive attitude and handles the profession extremely well."

Barnes always keeps his assistants and staff in check, making sure they are never too self-centered with the zingers he loves to dish out. He can take them, as well. But when it's time to practice or play, he doesn't mess around.

"I'm not sure I respect anyone more than him in this business," Haith said. "He's someone I look up to, care about and consider a dear friend."

Of course, we would be remiss without allowing Barnes to be prophetic one more time about his team. He's usually right. So, Barnes offers up a little tip that freshman shooting guard Varez Ward will be a factor for this season's team, returning big men Gary Johnson and Dexter Pittman will provide hard-nosed play inside and have improved greatly, and the surprise contributor this season will be oft-injured big man Matt Hill. His cerebral play will be a help for the Longhorns. Barnes doesn't have to promote the obvious, though, as the Longhorns expect Justin Mason, A.J. Abrams and Damion James to be the key scorers for this squad.

Final nugget

• Coach Scott Edgar's abrupt suspension at Southeast Missouri State on Thursday came in large part because of an unethical conduct charge for providing false information. Edgar's attorney, Stuart Brown, issued a statement on Edgar's behalf denying that he knowingly violated NCAA rules. The charges were that he observed summer weightlifting and provided extra benefits. Edgar will continue to deny the charges, according to Brown. But the consensus within the Edgar camp is that the school probably wouldn't have suspended him if they weren't heading toward eventual termination. Brown also represents Jeff Meyer, the former Indiana assistant who worked under Kelvin Sampson during the Indiana mess last season.