UCLA Basketball: 11 Powerhouse Programs Eye Transferring Ex-Bruins Forward

Former four-star freshman UCLA Bruins power forward Berke Buyuktuncel, who entered the NCAA's transfer portal this spring, seems to be circling several different collegiate powerhouse programs.

John Rothstein of CBS Sports reports that the 6-foot-9 big man is being eyed by 11 excellent schools. That tally: the Nebraska Cornhuskers, the Virginia Cavaliers, the Cincinnati Bearcats, the Washington Huskies, the Butler Bulldogs, the Ohio State Buckeyes, the Oklahoma State Cowboys (who produced his possible replacement with the Bruins next season, Eric Dailey Jr.), the Kentucky Wildcats, the BYU Cougars, the Iowa Hawkeyes, and the Louisville Cardinals.

Buckling under the weight of outsized expectations as a supposed top-50 prospect, Buyuktuncel played sparingly, averaging 4.5 points on .385/.297/.628 shooting splits and 2.5 rebounds in 16.3 minutes off the bench. He started in just eight of the 26 contests he managed to play for the 16-17 Bruins during an unhappy 2023-24 season.

Buyuktuncel, initially considered a possible first round one-and-done NBA draft prospect, is pretty raw, but he still has a chance to develop into a very solid NCAA player and, yes, a passable pro, too. But he needs more time, more seasoning, and more trust in an offense that can survive with him getting more touches. That's not this Bruins team anymore.

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