in his fifth season in bakersfield, barnes led the roadrunners to the programs' first appearance in the ncaa men's division i basketball championship. csub earned its berth with a buzzer-beating victory over new mexico state in the finals of the western athletic conference tournament. barnes's squad fell to oklahoma in the first round of the ncaa tournament, but he earned a five-year contract extension at the end of the campaign. he was also named a finalist for the ben jobe award, given annually to the top minority coach in ncaa division i men's basketball.