UCLA Basketball: Potential Future Bruin Shines In International Play

Will he be a late summer addition to UCLA's 2023 freshman class?

Turkish southpaw swingman Berke Buyuktuncel, rumored to be a UCLA Bruins recruiting target for its class of 2023 roster replenishing, showed international hoop heads exactly why he's so tantalizing in the FIBA U19 World Cup this summer, per David Woods of 247Sports.

Highlights of his performance are viewable here:

A raw, high-upside 6'9" forward, Buyuktuncel logged averages of 5.8 points with .477/.310/.703 shooting splits, 2.7 boards, 0.6 blocks and 0.6 dimes with Turkish pro team Tofaş Spor Kulübü.

While playing for Turkey's national team in the FIBA U-19 World Cup, Buyuktuncel stood out a bit more than he had among his more seasoned Tofaş teammates. The young swingman helped Team Turkey beat the U.S. club en route to finishing third overall in competition. 

In FIBA competition this past summer, Buyuktuncel averaged of 11.4 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.6 rejections and 1.3 swipes in seven games.

How can he help your Bruins, you ask? Buyuktuncel is an athletic, energetic player, and his high motor and upside as a versatile scorer could help UCLA replace the lofty of contributions of Camarillo native Jaime Jaquez Jr., the reigning Pac-12 Player of the Year and a consensus All-American Second Teamer who was drafted by the Miami Heat this summer.

But before he can replace Jaquez, Buyuktuncel needs to actually be on the team this season. Let's see if the Bruins can successfully land this plane and bring Buyuktuncel to town.