Berke Büyüktuncel

Berke Büyüktuncel
Nebraska Cornhuskers
PositionSmall forward
LeagueBig Ten Conference
Personal information
Born (2004-09-02) September 2, 2004 (age 20)
Bursa, Turkey
Listed height6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Listed weight215 lb (98 kg)
Career information
College
Playing career2021–present
Career history
2021–2023Tofaş
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing  Turkey
FIBA U19 World Cup
Bronze medal – third place 2023 Hungary Team
FIBA U18 European Championship
Silver medal – second place 2022 Turkey Team

Berke Büyüktuncel (born September 2, 2004) is a Turkish basketball player for the Nebraska Cornhuskers of the Big Ten Conference. He previously played for the UCLA Bruins of the Pac-12 Conference.

Early life and career

Büyüktuncel was born and grew up in Bursa, Turkey.[1] He played for the youth teams of Tofaş S.K.[2] Büyüktuncel averaged 11.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.5 blocks for the Under-19 team and made his Basketbol Süper Ligi debut with the senior team during the 2020–2021 season.[3]

College career

Büyüktuncel committed to play college basketball in the United States for UCLA and signed a National Letter of Intent on August 5, 2023.[4] He enrolled at UCLA in September 2023 after being granted his release from Tofaş. Büyüktuncel was not declared eligible to play by the NCAA before the start of the Bruins' 2023–24 season.[5] He was cleared to play three games into the season.[6] Hampered by injuries and uneven play, he averaged 4.5 points and 2.5 rebounds in 16.3 minutes per game.[7]

National team career

Büyüktuncel was named to the Turkey under-18 national team and played in the 2022 FIBA U18 European Championship. He was also selected as Turkey's team captain in the 2023 FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup.[8]

References

  1. ^ "Berke Büyüktuncel kariyerine NCAA'de devam edecek". Bursa Hakimiyet (in Turkish). August 5, 2023. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  2. ^ Terzi, Berkay (December 14, 2022). "Berke Buyuktuncel: The latest top product of Turkish Basketball". EuroHoops.net. Retrieved October 29, 2023.
  3. ^ Hein, David (February 14, 2022). "Berke Büyüktuncel: Made in Tofas". Basketball Champions League. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  4. ^ Bolch, Ben (August 5, 2023). "UCLA adds Turkish star Berke Buyuktuncel to freshman class". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  5. ^ Bolch, Ben (October 27, 2023). "UCLA still awaiting NCAA clearance on freshmen Aday Mara and Berke Buyuktuncel". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 29, 2023.
  6. ^ DeCourcy, Mike (November 19, 2023). "TSN exclusive: UCLA forward Berke Buyuktuncel cleared by NCAA to compete as freshman". Sporting News. Retrieved November 21, 2023.
  7. ^ Bolch, Ben (March 15, 2024). "'Everybody's a free agent': UCLA is headed for what might be its wildest offseason". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 16, 2024.
  8. ^ Arslancan, Metin; Afşar, Sezer (July 5, 2023). "ABD'yi deviren U19 milliler, galibiyetin sırrını anlattılar" (in Turkish). Demirören News Agency. Retrieved October 27, 2023.