Historic Ranking a 'Compliment' for Texas

The University of Texas Longhorns and head coach Rick Barnes have become accustomed to looking up at the No. 1 team in the country.

Now, they will have to enjoy the view as the consensus top-ranked team in the country after the latest polls came out Monday. The 15-0 Longhorns move into the No. 1 spot in both the ESPN/USA Today Coaches poll and Associated Press poll for the first time in program history.

"I think for the program it's a compliment," Barnes said during Monday's Big 12 media conference call. "I don't think there is any question about that, you want to be looked upon as one of the best programs in the country. But we've been ranked before here, not as high as No. 1 but as high as No. 2 in the past and we've been there this year: It's like I told our guys, I cannot honestly tell you who the No. 1-ranked team in the country was two weeks into January a year ago. I don't know. But I do know who won the national championship.

"It's a compliment to the guys and their work, but it is what is right now."

Texas, which began the season as the third-ranked team in the AP poll, made the jump from No. 2 to No. 1 after Big 12 foe Kansas lost on the road, 76-68, to short-handed Tennessee Sunday to force the first change at the top of the polls this season. It was the second lackluster performance in a row for the Kansas Jayhawks, who barely escaped Cornell last week with a 71-66 win at home.

Kansas (14-1) dropped to No. 3 in both polls while Kentucky jumped into the No. 2, which means the Big 12 can no longer boasts it has the top two teams in the country.

"I can only tell you we pull for Kansas," Barnes said. "People who didn't think we were pulling for Kansas yesterday they are wrong because I want our league to get the kind of recognition we deserve. Obviously the better our league does, the better it is for all of us later on in the year."

But for the immediate future, it also means a much tougher road for the Longhorns. Led by seniors Damion James and Dexter Pittman, Texas has breezed through a fairly challenging non-conference slate that included a neutral-site win over North Carolina and a home win against Michigan State in back-to-back games.

They are now in conference play where every team has improved. As a league, Big 12 teams have only lost one home game and during last weekend's opening round of league play the home team was the winner in every game.

The Longhorns hit the road this week to take on a dangerous Iowa State team Wednesday night. Barnes is fully aware the No.1 ranking places a bull's-eye on his squad.

"What it means when you are ranked No. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, when you go on the road and play, it gives more energy and more emotion to your opponent which I think is a good thing you have to embrace because it's going to make you have to decide what you are going to do now to get better," said Barnes, whose team returns home to host rival Texas A&M on Saturday. "You are definitely going to have to get out of your comfort zone if you are in a comfort zone because the emotion, the energy level is going to be even higher."

In perfect world, Barnes would like to think nothing changes for his team as the new No. 1 team in the nation. But he knows better so he's bracing his team for the difference.

"In terms of the way we go about our business here, it's not going to change," he said. "We haven't even talked about being ranked No. 2 this year. I will have to address the fact we are No. 1 now because I'm sure our guys are getting a thousand texts about this. But that's not what it's about. It really isn't.

"It's a compliment to our program, but other than that I don't what else I can say about it other than we just want to continue to improve."