UCLA Basketball: Timeline Established For International Forward To Arrive In Westwood

Your UCLA Bruins men's basketball team is strengthening its front line tonight.

Per Ben Bolch of The Los Angeles Times, 6'9" Turkish freshman forward Berke Buyuktuncel will arrive in Los Angeles Tuesday evening. He missed all three of the club's exhibition bouts overseas last month due to his own prior hoops commitments.

This moment will not only mark Buyuktuncel's first-ever visit to his new team's Westwood campus, but also his first trip to the United States."

According to a new ranking via 247Sports, Buyuktuncel, a four-star recruit, is considered the No. 36 prospect among his incoming freshman class. He is ranked seventh among all power forwards (though he can play either forward spot), and is seen as the second-best incoming piece for Mick Cronin's program this season, behind 7'3" Spanish center Adey Mara (the No. 15-ranked prospect among their class). Mara is also scheduled to arrive on campus this evening.

Buyuktuncel looks like a lock to start somewhere. What remains to be seen is if he will be slotted in at the three or at former All-Pac-12 Bruin Jaime Jaquez Jr.'s old spot as the playmaking four. A player with terrific versatility, Buyuktuncel is clearly well-versed in school lore: he recently spoke about his fondness for former UCLA great Kevin Love.