Berke Büyüktuncel
No. 9 – UCLA Bruins
PositionSmall forward
LeaguePac-12 Conference
Personal information
Born (2004-09-02) September 2, 2004
Bursa, Turkey
Listed height6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Listed weight215 lb (98 kg)
Career information
CollegeUCLA (2023–present)
Playing career2021–present
Career history
2021–2023Tofaş
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing  Turkey
FIBA U19 World Cup
Bronze medal – third place2023 HungaryTeam
FIBA U18 European Championship
Silver medal – second place2022 TurkeyTeam

Berke Büyüktuncel (born September 2, 2004) is a Turkish basketball player for the UCLA Bruins.

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' season.[5] He was cleared to play three games into the season.[6]

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.[7]

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". Championsleague.basketball. 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. ↑ Arslancan, Metin; Afşar, Sezer (July 5, 2023). "ABD'yi deviren U19 milliler, galibiyetin sırrını anlattılar" (in Turkish). Demirören News Agency. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
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