A visit to Baton Rouge was all Ralston Turner needed to make his college decision.Turner, a 6-foot-5-inch, 190-pound shooting guard from Muscle Shoals, Ala., committed to LSU coach Trent Johnson during a visit Sept. 11-12, becoming the third pledge in the 2010 class. Turner joins Metairie Park Country Day School’s Matt Derenbecker and Jackson, Miss., native Jalen Courtney in the class. “It didn’t really hit me until I got home,” Turner said. “I was always high on LSU, but my visit sealed the deal.”Turner’s high school coach, Dennis Conner, said Johnson will not be disappointed in his most recent recruit. “He’s a coach’s dream,” Conner said. “He is probably the hardest worker I’ve ever been around.”Turner chose LSU from a host of suitors after considering offers from Alabama, Auburn, Ole Miss, Butler and Notre Dame. Conner said Johnson and assistant Donny Guerinoni were a constant presence throughout Turner’s recruitment. “They got on Ralston pretty early,” Conner said. “I think it really is all about the relationship Ralston has developed with Coach Johnson. He never said it, but I had an idea when he came back from down there it might be one of those, ‘All right, Coach, I’m done. I know where I want to go.’ And sure enough, that Monday, he was quickly finding a way to talk to me to make a decision.”Turner has built a relationship with both LSU coaches, and some of the players. Derenbecker, who committed to LSU in July, hit it off with Turner on their visit. But that wasn’t what triggered his commitment. “It wasn’t a big factor, but it was nice to get to know him,” Turner said. “He never really told me to come to LSU. He was just himself, and I was myself.”Turner’s skills leave no mystery as to why college coaches fantasized about adding him to their team. Conner compared Turner, a sharpshooter with good size, to current Boston Celtic and nine-time NBA All-Star Ray Allen. “You see that quite a bit on some of his evaluations,” Conner said of the comparison. “He’s that type of player. I’m not trying to say he’s Ray Allen, but he has that kind of potential. He’s just a pure shooter.”Turner doesn’t like to confine himself within the mold of another player, but he doesn’t mind the Allen comparisons. “I really try to make a name for myself,” Turner said. “I heard that I have some similarities to Ray Allen, but I just do me.”Turner’s scoring ability is not limited to beyond the arc. A lethal mid-range game and a quick first step improves his offensive credentials. “He can get to the rack now,” Conner said. “Obviously, he’ll have a little bigger bodies when he gets to the [Southeastern Conference]. He just wants to get open and if he can — he just needs a little bit of space — he can knock it down.”Aside from his shooting stroke, Turner’s secret weapon may be his on-court demeanor. “He’s never too high, and he’s never too low,” Conner said. “He’s a fierce competitor. He does not like the ‘L’ word.”——Contact Chris Branch at [email protected]