'I've got the best player in the country' - Rick Barnes recalled his reaction after Kevin Durant committed to Texas

Rick Barnes is a college basketball coaching legend. His first head coaching job was at George Mason University in 1987, but his best tenure so far has been with the University of Texas, where he spent 17 seasons. In those seasons, Barnes worked with some good NBA players, but none more special than Kevin Durant.

"Best player in the country"

Durant joined Texas in the 2006-07 season, with Barnes playing a pivotal role in his recruitment. Even though the Longhorns weren't one of the college powerhouses, they got their freshman, and the coach instantly knew who he would become.

"Fran [Fraschilla] called me that early that fall, and he said, what do you think about your team? I said, I don't know yet about our team, but I do know this 'I've got the best player in the country.' And he said, 'You've got the best freshman.' I said, 'No, I've got the best player,'" Barnes recalled in a recent episode of the Goodman & Hummel podcast

KD's first college year was one of the most dominant freshman seasons in NCAA history. He averaged 25.8 points per game on 47.3 percent from the field and 40.4 percent from three, along with 11.1 rebounds per game. His performance earned him the Naismith College Player of the Year and John R. Wooden awards.

"I said, I've never had a guy like this. And not, I mean, every day. I mean, it was something different every single day," Barnes said.