Advertisement
Published Nov 19, 2023
NCAA clears UCLA freshman Berke Buyuktuncel
Tracy McDannald  ā€¢  BruinBlitz
Staff Writer
Twitter
@Tracy_McDannald

The good news continued to roll in late into Saturday evening for UCLAā€™s athletic department.

Hours after the football teamā€™s convincing 38-20 win at rival USC, the menā€™s basketball team landed in Honolulu for the Maui Invitational and learned that freshman Berke Buyuktuncel has been cleared to play by the NCAA.

The Bruins (3-0) will now have one of their prized recruits available Monday against No. 4-ranked Marquette. It will be the first of three games in three nights at the event, which features a loaded field that also includes top-ranked Kansas, No. 2 Purdue, No. 7 Tennessee and No. 11 Gonzaga.

Buyuktuncel, a 6-foot-9 forward from Turkey, sat out the Bruinsā€™ first three games of the season in addition to a preseason exhibition contest while waiting for a decision. He has only been allowed to practice with the team since arriving in Westwood in September.

Buyuktuncel is one of seven freshmen and eight newcomers on a roster that includes fellow international additions Aday Mara, Jan Vide and Ilane Fibleuil.

Over the summer, Buyuktuncel was named one of the five standout players at the FIBA U19 World Cup. He had 19 points, four rebounds, five assists and two steals while leading Turkey to an 84-70 win over the United States to secure a third-place finish.

UCLA and Marquette will tip off at 8:30 p.m. PT and the game will air on ESPN2.

ucla
FUTURECAST
2026Top Targets
question circle
recruiting
2025Team Rankings
recruiting Team Rankings
ucla
FOOTBALL
Scores / Schedule
footballfootball
5 - 7
Overall Record
3 - 6
Conference Record
2024 schedule not available.