Yes, I’m well aware that this is a big recruiting weekend for Pitt football. I hope/expect a few commits to be made by Monday or so.

That said, July recruiting is really about basketball. All the tournaments. The players making announcements. Kids not just for the upcoming class but beyond making noise and getting noticed.

It is presumed that Pitt is looking to bring in a guard to this 2012 class to replace senior Ashton Gibbs. That and the fact that Pitt already has a verbal from the New Zealand big man Steve Adams. There are exceptions to this. For example, Pitt has pursued Amile Jefferson who is a power forward. He is also a top-20 player in the 2012 class. (And before anyone jumps in to correct me, yes I know that he is likely to transition to small forward given his 6-7 or 6-8 size, but he is classified as a power forward in recruiting rankings.)

A rough look at the the roster for 2012 right now shows 4 front court players (Birch, Gilbert, Taylor and Zanna). The back court has 4 players (Epps, J. Johnson, Woodall and Wright). Then there are 3 wing players who are the guard/forward type (D. Johnson, Moore and Patterson). Obviously, this presumes no transfers or early pro declarations — so that can completely change needs or players that Pitt is willing to take.

Based on that, a guard isn’t necessarily a given. Pitt could very well take a forward who can play more on the perimeter. And given the youth at the spot, might even be willing to take a player that might need time to develop.

Or Pitt could be looking hard to find a guard.

The 6-foot-3+, 177-pound combo guard has a versatile offensive game, being able to create for himself or teammates with the ball in his hands. He has the ability to score attacking the rim, shooting from mid-range or long-range as well.

Many college coaches made sure to search him out this summer on the AAU trail. Earlier in his career the presence of elite college coaches would impact him, but now he is used to playing in front of an important crowd.

“No not really,” said Jelon Hornbeak when asked if the coaches in the stands is something he notices while playing. “I start to get used to the stands being filled.”

The list of schools recruiting him is filled with high-major conference programs. Expect more to take a look this weekend in Las Vegas and the current list of schools recruiting him the hardest stretches from the East Coast to the West Coast.

“Pitt, Oregan, Cal, Iowa, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Providence and Penn State,” replied Hornbeak when asked who is recruiting him the hardest.

Jelon (or Je’lon) Hornbeak is out of Arlington, Texas. Height is anywhere from 6-1 to 6-4. His recruitment is wide-open and he’s not looking to make his decision right now. He’s also got offers from Texas, WVU, Arizona and Marquette.

Scout.com has him as a 3-star, as does ESPN.com — albeit with a “91” grade, that puts him just barely under 4-stars. Rivals.com has him as a full 4-star recruit and in their top-100 players.

Pitt is also trying to get an early start on a 2013 player that has gotten attention in the D.C. area.

It was a big 24 hours for Paul VI Catholic guard Stanford Robinson. The 6-foot-3 rising junior led the Panthers to a pair of summer-league victories at different sites — one over host DeMatha in a league championship game — then picked up a scholarship offer from Pittsburgh.

“He has all the tools, all the intangibles and he’s working hard,” Paul VI Coach Glenn Farello said, noting that Robinson just turned 16 last week. “He has a shooting guard’s mentality and he’s a playmaker too.”

Robinson already has scholarship offers from Rutgers, Miami, Massachusetts, Virginia Commonwealth and Drexel.

Robinson is considered a 3-star recruit from Rivals and a 4-star player by both Scout.com and ESPN.com.

Tools and demeanor are there for him to be a high-major prospect. Plain and simple he’s a good basketball player with a big ceiling.

Expect a lot more competition for his services before the signature hits a NLI.