NC State adds Turkish 7-footer Omer Yurtseven
RALEIGH -- Turkish star Omer Yurtseven has signed with NC State on Monday morning, he told ESPN.
Yurtseven, a 7-foot, 240-pound power forward, also considered a long list of schools that included Utah and Syracuse. He also turned down a multiyear deal from his Fenerbahce (Turkey) club team.
One coach recruiting Yurtseven previously told ESPN that he would be a top-25-caliber player if he was in the United States.
"He is special," the coach said. "He does everything. Shoots it, rebounds, runs the floor well."
Yurtseven, who compares his game to Tim Duncan, made headlines this past weekend after finishing with 91 points, 28 rebounds and five assists in a Turkey U18 game.
His performance even caught the attention of fellow countryman Enes Kanter, who plays for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Yurtseven played in the European Championships on three occasions, including the last two summers. He averaged 9.8 points and 8.7 rebounds at the U18s in 2015 and 15.1 points and 8.1 rebounds at the U16s in 2014.
Mark Gottfried and NC State now have two high-level talents ready to take the floor next fall. Elite point guard Dennis Smith Jr. was a top-five prospect in the 2016 class, but he enrolled at NC State in January to continue rehabbing from a torn ACL. Three-star power forward Darius Hicks also signed with the Wolfpack last week.
