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UCLA basketball just lost one of its transfer players to a conference rival. Former Bruins big man Berke Buyuktuncel is headed to Big Ten school Nebraska, per Draft Express. Buyuktencel is a 6-foot-9 power forward, who is expected to immediately work into the Cornhuskers' player rotation.
The forward is from Turkey and has played one season of American college basketball, at UCLA in 2023-4. Buyuktuncel played in 26 games for the Bruins, averaging just under 5 points in 16 minutes of action per game. The former UCLA basketball forward also averaged 2.5 rebounds a game last season. He saw his minutes decrease as the season went on. Buyuktuncel was considered one of the best players left in the transfer portal heading into the summer.
Nebraska basketball surely welcomes the commitment from the Turkish power forward. The Cornhuskers are trying to build on the 2023-24 campaign, one of the most successful in program history. Nebraska made the NCAA tournament for the first time in ten years.
UCLA's new conference
UCLA basketball, on the other hand, did not have one of the most successful seasons in program history last year. The Bruins ended up with a rare losing season, going 16-17. The Bruins are looking to rebound this season, and will have to do it while playing in a new conference. UCLA is headed to the Big Ten, playing against Nebraska in conference play. The Bruins join USC, Oregon and Washington in the Big Ten.
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The news isn't all bad for the Bruins. UCLA basketball has a talented group of players, as it starts its journey in the new conference. UCLA added six transfers this offseason, including four star power forward William Kyle from South Dakota State. The Bruins also have two four star freshmen guards entering the program, in Trent Perry and Eric Freeny. While these names may not be familiar to everyone who follows college basketball, there is truly a large pool of talent in Westwood that should be able to compete in the Big Ten.
Nebraska's 2024 season outlook
Nebraska basketball now has two former Pac-12 players in its transfer class. Along with Buyuktuncel, the Cornhuskers also got a commitment this offseason from former Washington player Braxton Meah. Like UCLA, Nebraska is also bringing in six transfers. Buyuktuncel is arguably the most high-profile player in that group for Nebraska. The Turkish big man entered the Bruins basketball program with NBA aspirations. He struggled to meet those expectations, as he shot only 38 percent from the floor during the season.
It will certainly be interesting to see which team has a better season with all of these new transfer players. Nebraska and UCLA have had two completely different stories in the annals of college basketball. UCLA has won 11 national championships in its history, while Nebraska has never won a NCAA tournament game.
