DALLAS -- Texas Tech's Bob Knight was one of six league coaches who weren't in Dallas at a Big 12 function last week. But his presence could be felt througout the the conference's headquarters.

Now, just wait until the games start.

"Bob Knight on the sideline affects everything," said Baylor coach Dave Bliss, a former Knight assistant at Army and Indiana, who hasn't coached against his former mentor in 26 seasons of coaching. "He affects the crowd, where it won't only be sold out in his arena but at everyone else's. He'll have an affect on the referees because he's there. An opposing coach will have to battle against the effects he has on his own team because they'll play hard for him and give you an overachieving effort."

	Iowa State head coach Larry Eustachy says Bob Knight brings a unique aura to the Big 12 sidelines.

Bliss then added opposing coaches better get adjustments ready because Knight will be more prepared for the game than almost any other coach. That's why the consensus among the league's coaches is that the Big 12 possesses the best bunch in the nation. None, however, have ever created as much of a sensation as Knight.

Not Oklahoma State's Eddie Sutton, with his 697 career wins -- 29 coming in 21 trips to the NCAA Tournament with four different teams.

Not Kansas' Roy Williams and his 355 wins -- 22 of which have come in 12 trips to the NCAAs.

Not Dave Bliss (498 career wins), Kelvin Sampson (332) or any of the other seven coaches who've combined to win 951 games and make 40 trips to the NCAA Tournament.

"Any coach in our league and throughout the country is lying if they don't think there's an aura from a coaching standpoint," Iowa State coach Larry Eustachy said. "There will be an aura for me. He's one of the best coaches in the history of the game and the players and coaches understand that."

Knight will change the game in all facets, regardless of the talent at Texas Tech. The Red Raiders are in a rebuilding phase, but that won't matter whenever they play a Big 12 team. The scores might not reflect the "Bob Knight Effect," but the league's coaches expect to have to prepare for one of the toughest games of the season.

"Whenever we played his teams at Butler, we got tested," said Nebraska coach Barry Collier, who was 1-5 against Indiana during his tenure at Butler. "The reason is their execution and intensity. You'll find out how to get the ball in the paint, execute your transition defense. It was always a great test and a revealing opportunity to where your team was."

Collier called coaching against a Knight-coached team a great learning opportunity, no matter the type or level of talent at Indiana at the time. The same will likely be true at Texas Tech.

"It's clear coach Knight runs a system," Collier said. "He adapts to the players somewhat, but there is a consistent flavor to teams he coaches. It's regardless of the players who are there."

Kansas State coach Jim Wooldridge said Knight's arrival in the Big 12 enhances the league, largely because of the attention. But he understands there could be distractions for his coaches and players, at the very least during warm-ups and timeouts. But not everyone is caught up in bowing to Knight.

Missouri's Quin Snyder said a coach would be making a mistake if he were to think about coaching against Knight. He said Knight wouldn't do that if he were coaching against himself.

"If he gets a 'T', maybe I'll get a 'T'," said Snyder, who like Knight, couldn't make the Dallas event. "He would be the first one to say never worry about the opponent. That's his greatness. He focuses on what he's doing."

Colorado's Ricardo Patton coached against Knight in the NCAA Tournament and beat him and Indiana in the first round in 1997.

"The first time there was a degree of uncertainty of what would unfold in the course of the game and I always wondered what adjustments he would do," Patton said. "But I talked to the players about respecting, but not fearing. I respect coach Knight, but if we have as good a talented team, then we have as good a chance to win. The best coaches have the best players and that will determine how successful coaches are. His success at Texas Tech will be based on the caliber of players he brings in."

Bliss said the toughest thing for Knight will be realizing he's selling a different product in recruiting, even though he's the same "salesman." Bliss said he never was faced with as much of an adjustment as a head coach -- going from Oklahoma to SMU to New Mexico to now Baylor -- as Knight is experiencing going from Indiana to Texas Tech.

"He'll be surprised how tough the places in the Big 12 are to win," said Sutton, who wasn't pleased with the way his former assistant James Dickey was removed as head coach to make way for Knight at Texas Tech. "He'll find its tougher to get players to Lubbock than it was at Indiana, but it won't take him long to be competitive in this league."

Maybe Knight already is, just by making coaches think about how he'll change the game, well before one has even been played.

Andy Katz is a senior writer at ESPN.com.