Barnes on 'Rome is Burning' @3:30pm

Said that KU is the best team we've played (as in better than UCLA, Tenn, Wisconsin, etc.). I don't personally believe that, but whatever.

Also hinted that he'd still take KD over Beasley.

Also said that schools should be begging for Bobby Knight to coach their team.
 
Not really much about this team.

Rome started off by asking about how remarkable it was that Texas is better after losing Durant, and how Texas did it.

(Barnes said that all the players worked hard over the offseason, and they added 3 post players as freshmen).

Asked Barnes to compare this team to the 2003 Final Four squad.

(Barnes drew parallels to DJ to TJ, Abrams to Mouton, Mason to Ivey, but then said the 2003 team had more experience in the front court, but that he liked this team, and how hard they work to improve).

Asked him to talk about DJ Augustin at more length.

(Barnes told a story about sitting down with DJ in the spring and asking him about his goals. DJ went on at length regarding what he wanted to see Texas do next year. Barnes said, "But those are all team goals. What are your goals as an individual?" And DJ told Barnes his only goal as an individual was to make the Academic All American team).

The rest of it was about Kansas, Michael Beasley, the Big 12 overall as a conference, and Bob Knight.

As has been already posted, he said KU is the best team they've faced. Talked specifically about their guards, how quick they are on the ball and how fast they are to recover. He said Beasley was special, and doesn't get enough credit for how well he shoots from outside. He's sneaky in that it seems like he's contained, then he'll find a crack to squirt through for the basket or rebound. He did acknowledge he's partial to Durant, but he didn't say it in a way that took away from Beasley.

He said this was the best the Big 12 has been from top to bottom, which I disagree with strongly. That was 2002 and 2003.

Regarding Bob Knight, he said that if he was an AD, he'd beg Bob Knight to come take the job. Rome asked him if he thought Knight would say yes if the offer came along, and Barnes replied that he didn't have any special insight into it, but he felt like Knight was a competitor, basketball was his life, and that if a job came along that offered the chance to compete at the highest level, he felt pretty sure Knight would take it.

Barnes also went on and on --- as he usually does when the subject of Knight comes up --- about how much he's meant to young coaches, especially the generation of Barnes' age when they were moving up in the profession, how much respect Knight always had for the men who came before him, like Hank Iba and Clair Bee, and how he's never had any improprieties --- not even a hint of any --- his entire time in the profession, and how Bob Knight has left basketball a better place than what he found it.

Not much to it.

I'm always finding myself wishing he'd break out with a quip or two. He's such a funny guy, but he so rarely comes across that way in interviews. It's probably for the best, since a lot of times humor --- especially as cutting as Barnes' sense of humor can be --- is not received well, but it's still what I'd prefer.

Nice exposure, although it's fun to say Texas is at the point now where it's expected more than necessary. It's still fun, though.
 
I think Kansas looks like the best team we've played. They pass extremely well and take high percentage mid-range shots. They're all long and athletic. They all get involved and play tough defense. I think they would be perfect for Bob Knight's motion offense.

However, they don't have the dominant creator/point guard, and they don't shoot as many 3's. I'm interested to see how that style willl do in the tournament. It seems the recent recipe for a "tourney" team is a top PG, a top post, 3 pt shooters, and good defense. I understand how a coach would love to watch them play, though. They play very pretty, very fundamental baketball.
 
KU is friggin good because they are near impossible to defend. All 5 guys can score. Defensively, they are good...but just from KSU-KU games KSU has had no problem scoring on Kansas. Texas is a much tougher matchup for KSU imo, because of interior defense.
 
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