Here are Van Coleman’s (hoopmasters.com, and 30+ year veteran of the talent evaluation business) thoughts on Barbee that I shared in that item:
The C-USA coach of the year has improved his wins each year at UTEP (14/19/23/24+) and plays an up-tempo game that attacks opponents on both ends of the court. Team averages 75.9ppg and he will play up tempo. As an assistant he was the chief recruiter on four top ten recruiting classes (under John Calipari at Memphis). He has strong networks in the Midwest, South and Texas. Tireless recruiter will add talent to base in a hurry. Great promoter will sell program to fans!
UTEP won Conference USA this year and snapped Memphis’ 64-game league winning streak. Barbee is considered one of the best recruiters in the nation, and I think it’s fair to call him a John Calipari disciple. He played for Coach Cal at UMass and he was involved in the program in the mid to late 1990’s. He was Calipari’s top recruiters while they were at Memphis together for between 2000-2006, before Barbee left to take over the UTEP job. Barbee was replaced in large part by Josh Pastner, who was on my Tuesday morning list.
He likes to play up temp, he is a great communicator and he is a top flight recruiter. In my opinion, the Iowa basketball program needs all three of those things very badly. I think Barbee is a name you should definitely keep an eye on. So does Rob Howe at hawkeyeinsider.com, who posted in a 9am update on Wednesday that he was hearing more and more about Barbee, and that he was high on Iowa’s list of candidates.
Word is that Auburn is interested in Barbee, too.
Here are some excerpts from Barbee’s file from the UTEP website, emphasis added being mine:
Barbee’s first freshman class made quite the impact, with Culpepper nailing 81 three pointers — the second-best total in school annals — en route to being tabbed the C-USA Sixth Man of the Year. Stone made 25 starts and led all freshmen nationally with a 2.28 assist/turnover ratio — a figure which rated 30th in the NCAA. Claude Britten, Gabriel McCulley and Wayne Portalatin were all key reserves as rookies.
Last year, Barbee’s up-tempo style of play produced 75.6 points per game, putting the Miners second in C-USA in scoring offense. UTEP led the league in assists (15.3 avg.). The Miners forced 572 turnovers, an average of 18.5 per contest to pace C-USA.
As expected, Barbee and his staff put together a blockbuster recruiting class in their first season in the Sun City. The Miners signed six high school phenoms, including two players (Culpepper and McCulley) from the Memphis area. UTEP landed five players 6-6 or taller, including some much-needed inside help in 6-11 Britten and 6-10 Portalatin.
Barbee brought an amazing track record of success to the Sun City. He went to 15 consecutive postseason tournaments as a player and coach from 1992-06.
He joined the Miner program following a highly successful six-year run (2000-06) as an assistant coach at the University of Memphis. During that span the Tigers won 148 games, an average of nearly 25 victories per season.
A native of Indianapolis, Ind., Barbee has had a long-standing relationship with Memphis head coach John Calipari. He played for “Coach Cal” at Massachusetts, before reuniting with him as an assistant coach at Memphis. Not only is Barbee recognized as an up-and-coming young coach, but he is regarded as one of the nation’s premier recruiters as well. He was named the top assistant in Conference USA in Street & Smith’s 2005-06 preseason college basketball yearbook. He was also honored by Rivals.com as the no. 3 recruiter in the country while at Memphis. HoopScoop magazine tabbed him as one of the nation’s top assistant coaches in 2004.
Memphis produced top-10 recruiting classes in each of Barbee’s last six years on staff, including a 2001 group that was rated number one in the country. The 2002 class also would have been top-ranked had it not lost a player to the NBA.
Besides his on-the-floor duties and coordinating all recruiting activities at Memphis, Barbee supervised all academic activities for the men’s basketball program.
As a player at Massachusetts, Barbee was instrumental in the Minutemen posting a 91-39 record and earning four straight postseason tournament bids. UMass won back-to-back Atlantic 10 Conference regular season and tournament trophies in 1992 and 1993. Barbee still rates among the school’s all-time leaders in numerous statistical categories, including scoring (1,643 points). His collegiate honors included second team All-Atlantic 10 in 1991 and 1993, and All-Atlantic 10 Freshman Team in 1990.
Following his days at UMass, Barbee enjoyed a professional playing career in Spain and France.
He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Sports Management from UMass in 1993, with a minor in African American studies.
Barbee and his wife, Holly, have a daughter, Hayden Alexandra (9) and a son, Andrew Marsh (5).
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