David Glenn, for my money the best ACC sports journalist on the radio, has a very nice take on the Rick Barnes to NC State rumors. Glenn, as you might imagine, has some good contacts, so if he says that State has had conversations with Barnes via intermediaries, you can believe it.
Even though they have engaged Barnes in some unofficial talks, I don’t think they have any chance of landing him. Why would he leave Texas for Raleigh? Just because he’s originally from the state? He makes too much money in Austin and they have plenty of jack to pay him more (and it sounds like they will be), need be. The only knock on UT is that it’s a football school, but you’d think Barnes would be used to that by now. He’d be leaving a hell of a lot of talent behind if he left now. But he won’t.