During a recent unofficial visit to Stanford University, basketball coach Johnny Dawkins was giving Harrison Barnes a tour of campus.

The next meeting on the schedule was an 11:30 a.m. with a certain “Professor Rice.”

Turned out it was Condoleezza Rice, the former secretary of state who is now teaching at the school.

Barnes, a 6-foot-7 wing from Ames (Iowa) Senior High who is ranked No. 1 among small forwards in the Class of 2010, had only known Rice from TV appearances in which she didn’t seem to have much of a sense of humor.

But when he finally met Rice in her office, she was laughing and joking and making him feel right at home.

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