Durant’s coach shares recruiting tips

AUSTIN – University of Texas basketball coach Rick Barnes said the other day the key to recruiting a player for a college team is to show how he can become better in the school program.

“It all depends on what you’re looking for and what you need for your team,” Barnes told La Salle head coach Juno Sauler who drove over an hour from San Antonio to observe the Longhorns practice at the Erwin Center here. “You could get a player with ability but who’s a knucklehead or you could get someone who’ll work hard to improve. I can spend a day with a guy who’s willing to work hard.”

Barnes, 59, credited assistant coach Russell Springmann for bringing the school’s most outstanding player ever Kevin Durant to Texas. Durant played with the Longhorns in 2006-07 when the varsity posted a 25-16 record and reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament. “Russ scouted Kevin when he was still in ninth grade,” said Barnes. “I think we won him over because he saw how he could improve with our system. North Carolina and Connecticut were after him but they would’ve used him at the post. With us, he could do what he wanted. He’s that good.”

Barnes, entering his 16th season with the Longhorns, said it’s important to know the person most influential to the player being recruited. “We had a player who grew up with his grandmother so we talked to her and she was 82,” he said. “All she asked was if the kid had a place to live and if we would feed him. We’ve gotten kids right off the streets. What we look at is positive attitude. Does the kid want to work hard to improve?”

Barnes and his staff conducted practice from 4 to 6:30 p.m. with Sauler watching closely from the sidelines. Barnes hollered and raised his voice to drive home a point but never cussed his players. In the halfcourt, he worked on offensive and defensive patterns. After every play whether executed or not, he called his players to a huddle at midcourt. Barnes also drilled his team in transition on both ends. The Longhorns did repetitions on playing zone defense and attacking it. When practice ended, Barnes stayed in the gym to work with certain players to hone their skills.

Barnes’ squad has four freshmen and no senior. The varsity is coming off a 16-18 season where the Longhorns failed to advance to the playoffs for the first time in 15 years. It was only the second year where Texas did not compile at least 20 wins, the first was the 19-13 mark in 1998-99. Barnes, who has been a college coach for 21 years, said 5-11 guard Javan Felix could emerge as the team’s leading scorer this season. “He’s got the best floater in the league,” said Barnes, a three-time Big 12 Coach of the Year. Others in the lineup are 6-9, 285-pound Cameron Ridley, 6-10 Prince Ibeh and the four freshmen, 6-9 Kendall Yancy, 6-1 Isaiah Taylor, 6-9, 190-pound beanpole Danny Newsome and 6-2 Damarcus Croaker.

“We’re teaching our new players what they need to know to get better,” he said. “One of our rookies takes 2,000 shots a day and Javan is helping him develop into a consistent scorer.” Barnes’ associate coach Rob Lanier was once head coach at Siena College and is a defensive specialist. Former assistant coach Ken McDonald now calls the shots for the San Antonio Spurs’ D-League farm team Austin Toros. McDonald coached Japeth Aguilar at Western Kentucky and described the 6-9 Filipino as extremely “freakish” athletic.

University of Texas has produced about 30 NBA players in history, including Spurs guard Cory Joseph, Portland’s LaMarcus Aldridge, Toronto’s D. J. Augustin, Cleveland’s Daniel (Boobie) Gibson, Boston’s Avery Bradley and Oklahoma City’s Durant. The list includes former NBA cagers Maurice Evans, LaSalle Thompson, T. J. Ford, Travis Mays, Johnny Moore and Lance Blanks.

Sauler said he was impressed by Barnes’ ability to communicate with his players. “He made sure they understood him,” said Sauler. “In US college basketball, I notice teams strive for consistency. They don’t adjust too much, regardless of their opponent unlike in the pros. Coaches like to keep things simple. They don’t want to overload the college players with too much information. I notice Texas runs a few of the Spurs plays, particularly for Tony Parker. They also like to run. I’m not a big zone fan but I saw how Texas uses it to advantage.”

Also at the Texas practice was newly-appointed Dallas Mavericks director of player personnel Mike Wilson who was in charge of collegiate scouting with the Washington Wizards the last nine years. Wilson used to head the scouting group of the Denver Nuggets. A player who was recently cut by the Mavs was former Petron import Renaldo Balkman.

“We picked up Balkman for defense,” said Wilson. “He had a chance to prove himself in the preseason. It was really up to him. We heard he played really well for Puerto Rico at the FIBA Americas Championships. He’s an energy guy and we gave him a serious look.” Last Tuesday, Balkman was cut by the Mavs.