A chat with Harrison Barnes’ head coach

I finally got through to Vance Downs, the head coach at Ames High School, in Ames, Iowa. Downs, you may know, coaches Harrison Barnes, ESPN’s top-ranked recruit for 2010.
Barnes, a 6-8 small forward, is graded at a 98 by ESPN, and would be a huge grab for UCLA, which is on his small list of final destinations.
First off, Downs is a great guy. Great, great guy. He was completely open to chatting and is handling the whole recruiting game really well it seems.

It’s not Ames’ first time.
“We’ve had a number of guys from this school go D-1, and even a couple NBA guys,” Downs said. “We do have a rich tradition. But we haven’t had this type of recruiting noise about a young man before.”
And for good reason: Barnes is a once-in-a-lifetime player, some scouts say.
ESPN’s scouting report has this to say about Barnes:
“July, 2009: Barnes had some dominate possessions today (LeBron James Skills Academy). He displayed all around scoring ability. … Barnes is a silky smooth player. … Not flashy just productive. … Good ball handler and passer when he draws multiple defenders. … above the rim finisher in transition with excellent hang time and concentration on the rim in the lane. Smooth skilled wing.”
But, most importantly, Downs said, he is humble and grounded.
“Mom (Shirley) and Harrison handle it remarkably well,” Downs said. “If you were drawing up guidelines, and said, ‘You’re the No. 1 recruit in the nation, how would you deal with it?’ they’d be the design. It’s very professional, it’s very thought out, well researched, and to be quite honest, he is handling it in as humble a fashion as a young person can.”
Probably because he’s handled it for so long.
Barnes was offered scholarships by the in-state schools after his freshman year, but things truly took off during the summer after his sophomore season.
Downs said he has handled the pressure of expectations extremely well, even attempting to table any recruiting discussion during the season.
“A year ago, I was really concerned about it,” Downs said. “It started to build his 10th grade year, and it obviously added attention. It was quite a big deal. But the kids, his teammates, kind of feed off him. During the season, he really shuts it down as far as recruiting. When he handled it so well, it really put me at ease.”
Downs made it quite clear that Barnes was going to take his time with the decision.
“I think, and I’m being sincere with this, he doesn’t know yet,” Downs said. “He has his six schools, but he’s not learning toward any particular institution. He will research it very well, and he will make his decision well after our season.”