Breaking Down Berke Buyuktuncel, Vanderbilt Basketball's Newest Addition
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NASHVILLE—-It's all come full circle.
A month after Berke Büyüktuncel and Nebraska took Vanderbilt down in the Round of 32, he's a Vanderbilt Commodore. Buyuktuncel averaged 6.5 points and 5.6 rebounds per game this season while shooting 46.8% from the field and 24.1% from 3-point range. He’s a 6-foot-10 forward from Bursa, Türkiye.
Here's a breakdown of the Nebraska transfer and what he brings to the table.
Breaking down Buyuktuncel’s game
Remember when questions remained in regard to Vanderbilt’s level of physicality around the rim and its ability to rebound with the SEC’s best teams? Well. Those questions won’t pop up as often as they did a season ago.
Don’t mistake Büyüktuncel’s lack of scoring output for his value as a transfer. He’s exactly what Vanderbilt was missing in year two of Byington’s tenure and immediately gives Vanderbilt a higher ceiling because of the dimension he gives it.
Büyüktuncel is built like a bull and as difficult to move as anyone that Vanderbilt has had in the Byington era. That may appear to be a relatively insignificant detail, but it’s one that matters in regard to the makeup of this Vanderbilt team.
In Vanderbilt’s NCAA Tournament loss to Nebraska, Büyüktuncel was among the biggest difference makers and was the antithesis of this Vanderbilt team. He was big, physical and nasty–more so than any of Vanderbilt’s bigs. He mirrored Vanderbilt by demonstrating that it needed a player like him. Büyüktuncel finished that game with 12 points on 5-for-6 shooting, which was mostly a result of him imposing his will.
The four KenPom efficiency categories in which Büyüktuncel is nationally ranked appear to emphasize the type of player he is. Büyüktuncel is nationally ranked in offensive rebounding rate, defensive rebounding rate, block rate–which is his best attribute according to KenPom–and two-point field goal percentage. Nothing flashy, but practical.
At his best, Büyüktuncel is scoring it, rebounding and generating open looks for others. At his worst, he’s a dirty work big that allows Vanderbilt to compete physically with most of the SEC’s best frontcourts. For that reason, he’s far more valuable than his 6.5 points per game would indicate.
If Byington’s past track record in transfer portal recruiting holds here, Büyüktuncel is a piece that he feels could be more than just a dirty work big. Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg always seemed a little puzzled as to why Büyüktuncel’s smooth 3-point stroke didn’t translate to better than a 24% efficiency mark by the end of the season.
This isn’t the type of player that a program like Vanderbilt gets and stashes on the bench, Büyüktuncel would’ve gone elsewhere or stayed at Nebraska if that was the case. Büyüktuncel is going to make an impact offensively, and it appears as if Vanderbilt believes he can take a step forward in its more spaced out, faster-paced attack.
Büyüktuncel won’t have as many bodies to go through in the lane, and he’ll likely be able to change the dynamic of games show off his 3-point stroke as well as his passing ability–which manifested in a 10-assist game against North Dakota–if Byington opts to utilize him on the perimeter often.
Defensively, Büyüktuncel will protect Vanderbilt from giving up a number of easy baskets to physical bigs and can insulate it from being overmatched against frontcourt-heavy teams. Vanderbilt has often been fine trading 2s for 3s early in the Byington era, but it no longer has to be.
How Büyüktuncel fits
Büyüktuncel embraced Nebraska with his fun personality and even got a tattoo commemorating the Huskers’ historic season. Expect him to embrace Vanderbilt in the same way he did Nebraska.
At the same time, though, Büyüktuncel will be Vanderbilt’s nastiest player. He’s the type that those who root for love and the type that is often viewed as a nemesis by those who are against him. Büyüktuncel demonstrated that as he played a pseudo enforcer role in Nebraska’s Round of 32 win over Vanderbilt and went back and forth with a few Vanderbilt players.
Büyüktuncel didn’t come here to be Vanderbilt’s leading scorer. He came here to eat a whole lot of minutes, provide more offensively than he has in the past and make this team much more imposing on the interior.
That’s why this is a win for Byington and company.
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Joey Dwyer is the lead writer on Vanderbilt Commodores On SI. He found his first love in college sports at nearby Lipscomb University and decided to make a career of telling its best stories. He got his start doing a Notre Dame basketball podcast from his basement as a 14-year-old during COVID and has since aimed to make that 14-year-old proud. Dwyer has covered Vanderbilt sports for three years and previously worked for 247 Sports and Rivals. He contributes to Seth Davis' Hoops HQ, Basket Under Review and Mainstreet Nashville.
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