What the heck. It makes me a little nervous, but I’ll take some pressure for the early love going Pitt’s way.

Here’s video of Aaron Gray talking about his decision to return (Windows Media). It’s 5:48 long. Sounds like he was more hoping to go in the 18-25 range, and definitely couldn’t get the assurances. He also seems very positive about the decision to come back. Cool.

At ESPN.com, Chad Ford is positive on Gray going back to Pitt (Insider Subs).

Aaron Gray, C, Pittsburgh: A good decision. The draft was weak for big men, but Gray wasn’t generating a lot of buzz. Another strong year at Pitt should solidify his position in the first round.

This despite having Gray going at the end of the first round in his previous mock draft. Heck, knowing Portland could draft you had to be a little bit of a scary prospect.

As for how impacts Pitt, Andy Katz also agrees it’s big (Insider Subs).

Pitt: Getting Aaron Gray back was a must for the Panthers to be a Big East contender. Gray finally realized that being the BMOC for his senior season was worth waiting on the NBA. Smart move, since he would have been a likely first-round pick but just another Joe in the NBA for the foreseeable future. Now he has a shot to make a splash. Dixon said Gray’s “a lock for the lottery” in 2007.

Unless Gray has a monster season, his draft range probably won’t be too different. So there is the economic argument of not getting the same money for another year plus with the NBA rookie contracts, he also has to wait for his next contract. The contrary view is that another year to develop in college means he is a shorter project in the pros and that first free agent contract could be far better than he would have earned if he was still a project come that time. Of course it is all speculative and nebulous, but that’s the fun.

So now that the early entries of staying and going are done, how about the pressure for Pitt of another way too early pre-season top-25.

4. Pittsburgh (25-8)

• Aaron Gray returned for his senior season. He’ll be the immovable man in the middle for the Panthers.

• Sam Young might be the least-publicized elite forward in the country. Remember his name. He is a stud.

• The loss of Carl Krauser will hurt, but Ronald Ramon, Antonio Graves, Levance Fields and Keith Benjamin are all savvy enough to be the lead guard.

Pitt as an early consideration for a top-4 team? Not simply top-10. Yeep.

Luke Winn at SI.com also calls Pitt a big winner with Gray’s return.

Mike Gray said his son, Aaron, didn’t make up his mind about the draft until Sunday morning. “We talked about so much over the past two and a half days,” Mike said. “[Aaron] would keep sleeping on [the decision], but we processed all the information and he decided he wanted to go back to Pitt and enjoy his senior year.” The Panthers, no doubt, are rejoicing after hearing their 7-foot junior center’s intentions. By returning, Gray vaulted Pitt into the preseason top 15 — and became the front-runner for Big East Player of the Year following a junior season in which he averaged 13.9 points and 10.5 rebounds. “It’s a completely different team if I don’t come back,” Aaron said at the Pre-Draft Camp. With Gray and solid guards Levance Fields and Ronald Ramon — a backcourt that may get better now that Carl Krauser is gone — Pitt is a very dangerous team.

Interestingly, Winn thinks the Big East as a whole did not come out well with the early entry situation with all the players that left early.

…but what’s left now that they’ve departed? A duel between Pitt and Georgetown for the league title? Not nearly as scintillating as what transpired in Year 1.

The nervous thought for Pitt is that Georgetown has beaten Pitt the last 2 years and will also be very, very good and Hibbert is a 7-footer to match Gray. Katz had Georgetown ranked at #6.

Other teams Pitt will face in those rankings includes Wisconsin at #9, UConn #15, Marquette #20, ‘Nova #23 and Louisville #24.