Myles Turner Eager to Flourish in 'Perfect Situation' with Deep, Seasoned Texas

NEW YORK — Myles Turner arrived at Texas last summer as a McDonald’s All-American, a consensus top-10 recruit and a potential NBA lottery pick—maybe as early as this summer.

Still, as much as he has in common with the other highly touted members of the Class of 2014, there is also something glaringly different about Turner.

His role.

While freshmen such as Duke’s Jahlil Okafor and Kansas’ Cliff Alexander are vital to their team’s success, Turner isn’t under nearly as much pressure at Texas, where the Longhorns boast one of the deepest squads in the country.

Texas posted a 71-57 victory over Iowa in the 2K Sports Classic at Madison Square Garden on Thursday despite getting a season-low five points from Turner, a 7’0” center with the wingspan of a pterodactyl. Forward Jonathan Holmes scored a team-high 19 points for Texas, while guards Isaiah Taylor and Javan Felix combined for 26.

“It’s a perfect situation for me,” Turner told Bleacher Report. “I can learn under a core group of experienced players and then hopefully move into a bigger role.”

Texas coach Rick Barnes is hoping that happens sooner rather than later, as the Longhorns could be one of the country’s top teams if the 7-footer becomes a consistent presence down low.

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Turner opened the season by averaging 12.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.0 blocks in back-to-back wins against North Dakota State and Alcorn State. But he seemed to drift at times in Thursday’s win over Iowa, a borderline Top 25 team.

"The first two games I was assertive on offense,” Turner said. “This game, I was a little more laid-back. It wasn’t on purpose. The whole thing is just a process. It was only the third game of the season.”

Freshmen at schools such as Duke, Kentucky and Kansas can’t afford to have that mindset, because their team’s fortune depends heavily on their performance. That’s why Turner, who comes off the bench, said he isn’t going to get caught up comparing his statistics to those of his classmates in other programs.

“I don’t really pay much attention to it,” he said. “I want to see how their season is going, but I don’t really look at it in a sense of who is doing better. I mean, I definitely want to go out there and put up big numbers and show what kind of player I am. I want to contribute in more ways than just rebounding and blocking shots.

“But more than anything, I’m worried about winning. Coach Barnes knows what he’s doing. Whatever he wants me to do, I’ll do.”

Barnes said he’s been pleased with Turner’s progress thus far, adding that the presence of Maryland transfer Shaq Cleare has been huge for his development. The 6’9”, 265-pound Cleare is sitting out this season under NCAA transfer rules, but he’s able to practice with the team and has toughened up the 235-pound Turner by getting physical with him in the paint.

Barnes said the mental part of the game is what Turner needs to work on the most.

“Our practices are very, very physical,” Barnes said. “The game just has to slow down for him. Players either play in the past, the present or the future. I told him, ‘You’re somewhere between the past and the present. You’ve got to start looking toward the future a little bit. You’ve got to start seeing ahead.’

“He wants to be really good. There’s no doubt about that. But he’s not a selfish kid at all. He’s doing just fine.”

Jason King covers college sports for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @JasonKingBR.