The newest commit, Ryan Turnley, has created a bit of head-scratching over getting a 1-2-star ranking yet have schools like Wisconsin, Louisville and GT being interested. Not to mention being listed in some rankings for top Pennsylvania players.

There is no question that Turnley will be a bit of a project. He’s only been playing football since 8th grade. What the rankings contrasted with the teams that have recruited him reflect is a lot of raw potential. The “kid” is a 6′ 5″ and 295 pounds offensive tackle. Clearly, this is a diamond-in-the-rough type player the Pitt coaches hope to reach. He’s only been a starter at Hopewell for one year.
It helps that Turnley was eager for a Pitt offer.

“Like I said before, I grew up a huge Pittsburgh fan and I told people my whole life that it was my dream to play for the Panthers in college,” Turnley added. “I’ve known Coach (Greg) Gattuso, Coach (Bob) Junko and Coach (Dave) Wannstedt for a long time now and they are all great people. When I went on a visit there this Thursday I was able to sit down and talk with Coach (Paul) Dunn for about an hour and he was a great guy too. They took me around and showed me everything on campus and I liked it even more then I thought I would going down there. I just loved everything about Pittsburgh from the coaches, to the campus to the facilities, it has just always been the dream. I knew I was going to commit there when I left campus on Thursday.”

You look at West Virginia, and their O-line. They have done it with finding players who were overlooked and then developing the potential. Turnley wasn’t being overlooked by coaches and teams, just the recruiting sites because there was very little to go on with him in high school.

The timing was impeccable. The article on Aaron Gray being a potential 1st round pick. The first 1st round pick in the modern renaissance of Pitt basketball. So in 6 different mock drafts, naturally Gray is outside the 1st round in 4 of them.

• DraftExpress — #41 to the T-Wolves
• Hoops Hype.com — #41 to the T-Wolves
• NBAdraft.net — #38 to the Sixers
• RealGM.com — #38 to the Sixers
• InsideHoops.com — #30 to the Sixers
• CollegeHoops.net — #22 to the Bobcats

I’m trying to figure out how Sean Williams keeps being listed ahead of Gray. A guy who failed multiple second chances with BC. A guy who you can guarantee a couple suspensions for failed drug tests. Someone who is a shot blocker and little else.

Otherwise, I do understand how Gray can be outside of the first round. A few years ago, Gray would have been a top-15 pick on his size. Now, for centers, the focus is on which players can get up and down the floor and shoot from further out.
In a big number breakdown of college centers, Aaron Gray comes out pretty good, and Spencer Hawes has bust written all over him. Oden, obviously dominated the stats.

As lame as Pitt’s home schedule is this fall, the road schedule receives recognition as being a challenge. Really, it’s on the strength — or brutality — of playing the expected best three teams on the road. Plus playing two other BCS conference schools in Michigan St. and Virginia on the road.

Rivals.com listed Pitt’s schedule as the 23d toughest in the country, and the 2d toughest in the Big East. That’s with Grambling and Eastern Michigan on the schedule. It’s either a bit of a reflection of the perception of the top three teams in the Big East now, or just how bad other schools schedule that Pitt’s sched. would make the top 25 in schedule difficulty.
Ideally, 2-3 on the road this season would be amazing progress. 1-4 would be tolerable.