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The Texas Longhorns like the view from the top. The trick is staying there until early spring.
The Longhorns earned their first No. 1 ranking by The Associated Press this week. At 15-0, Texas is off to its best start since the 1932-33 season as the rugged Big 12 schedule begins.
``We deserve it. We've worked hard,'' senior forward Damion James said.
And that's about the extent of how long coach Rick Barnes wants them to think about it.
``If you would have asked me who the No. 1 team was in the second week of January last year, I couldn't tell you. But I do know who won the national championship,'' Barnes said. ``That said, it is a compliment to our players and program that they've worked to do something that has never been done here before.''
While still just a ranking - unlike football, college basketball plays a little tournament in March and April to crown a champion - the road to No. 1 has been 12 years in the making under Barnes.
A school that had been a basketball afterthought, Texas has been ranked in the Top 10 for 72 weeks under Barnes, compared to just three weeks total before he arrived.
In 2003, Texas reached its first Final Four since 1947 and the Longhorns have had two national players of the year in T.J. Ford (2003) and Kevin Durant (2007). Since 2002, Texas has won 16 NCAA tournament games, trailing only Kansas, North Carolina and Connecticut.
And leave it to the basketball team to give the school a much-needed shot in the arm after the football team lost the BCS championship game to Alabama last week. Asked if Texas is a ``basketball school,'' senior forward Dexter Pittman referred to the Longhorns' quarterback: ``No. This is Colt McCoy's school. He's just letting us borrow it.''
After three seasons as a role player, Pittman has turned into a force in the post and his 290-pound frame makes him virtually unstoppable when he stays out of foul trouble.
James, who thought about turning pro after last season, is now 11 rebounds shy of becoming the career leader in the Big 12 and has 45 career double-doubles. And Avery Bradley, ranked by some as the top recruit in the country, scored 29 against Colorado is his Big 12 debut.
The 15-0 start included convincing wins over No. 12 North Carolina and No. 7 Michigan State, and made the Longhorns an easy choice for No. 1 when previously unbeaten Kansas lost at Tennessee on Sunday.
``Up to this point, we've been a good basketball team,'' Barnes said.
James acknowledged that Texas players were a little jealous of the preseason hype heaped upon the Jayhawks, who fell this week to No. 3. Texas and Kansas meet Feb. 8 in Austin.
``We felt disrespected a little that we always heard 'Kansas, Kansas, Kansas,''' James said.
Now Texas and No. 2 Kentucky are the unbeatens with the targets on their backs.
The first test of the new No. 1 comes Wednesday at Iowa State, Texas' first road game in the Big 12. Then comes a tough home matchup against rival Texas A&M on Saturday before the Longhorns play at No. 13 Kansas State and at No. 15 Connecticut.
In other words, enjoy the view while it lasts.
Barnes warned his players to expect opponents to play even harder so long as Texas remains No. 1.
``I know from the other end,'' Barnes said. ``When (great teams) came rolling in you could feel it with the fans and players. That's what you have to admire about programs that are consistently good. They take everybody's best shot.''
