Turkish center Salih Altuntas departs the Miami Hurricanes men's basketball program after a freshman season marked by flashes of potential but inconsistent production. Programs eye his size and international experience.
The Miami Hurricanes men’s basketball program seeks to contend following a historic 26-9 turnaround season. Coach Jai Lucas will have an opportunity to revamp the roster as players enter the transfer portal, the latest being Salih Altuntas. It was reported on Saturday that the Turkish center seeks to depart.
He’s coming off a limited freshman season: 1.6 points on 65.7 percent shooting and 1.9 rebounds, playing in 32 games.
Altuntas joined the Hurricanes after two years with the Anadolu Efes in the Turkish Basketball Super League. He joined the program alongside a couple of other international recruits in forward Timotej Malovec and guard Noam Dovrat, both of whom entered the transfer portal as well.
The 20-year-old is a physical center, listed at 6-10 and weighing 274 pounds. Altuntas had a career performance against the Delaware State Hornets: 13 points on 85.7 percent shooting, 11 rebounds, four steals, and an assist in 20 minutes. However, the production didn’t translate over throughout the season, recording 17 scoreless games after the double–double.
Altuntas can bring a presence to the paint, run up and down the court, block shots occasionally, and crash the glass. However, the Turkish native needs to improve on consistent production. He wasn’t known as a lob threat with the Hurricanes, unlike starting center Ernest Udeh Jr.
Programs will be interested in the big man, given his size and frame, plus international experience.
Meanwhile, the Hurricanes are linked to a top-market transfer portal center in Somto Cyril. He led the Southern Conference with 2.2 blocks in 33 games, earning SEC All-Defense honors. Another center on the program’s radar is Colorado Buffaloes transfer Bangot Dak. The Oregon Ducks, SMU Mustangs, and Vanderbilt Commodores are others in the mix for the 20-year-old.
Altuntas still has an opportunity to withdraw from the transfer portal and return to the Hurricanes roster. Given the lack of consistent production, there’s likely an unevenly balanced market for him.
Despite key departures, coach Lucas will have a foundation to build around, unlike last year after accepting the job. Also, retaining Shelton Henderson and Dante Allen gives the program some stability.
The Hurricanes seek to remain competitive after reaching the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the historic 2023 “Final Four” run. The program will have a ton of voids to fill, including Altuntas’ vacancy. As the offseason is relatively early, more player movement will unravel in the upcoming weeks.
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