Written by: TJ Inman
Darian DeVries wanted to make sure his team got bigger and tougher for Big Ten play. That public declaration was delivered loud and clear after IU was eliminated from postseason play and missed the NCAA Tournament and the staff has been focused on making sure they are not undersized next season. With Alabama transfer target Aiden Sherrell rumored to be a heavy lean to the Hoosiers and wanting to play power forward instead of exclusively being a center, Indiana landed a bonafide “big fella” as 7’2” center Samet Yigitoglu committed after a Zoom call with the staff.
Yigitoglu is from Turkey and played his first two years of collegiate ball at SMU. He averaged 10.7 points and 7.9 rebounds with 1.3 blocks per game in 28.9 minutes per contest as a sophomore. Yigitoglu has two years of eligibility remaining and he represents substantial progress in Indiana’s goal to get much larger in the frontcourt.
Statistical Profile
- Points Per Game: 10.7
- Rebounds Per Game: 7.9
- Box Score Plus/Minus: 2.6
Yigitoglu is the fourth official commitment of the transfer portal class and he was one of the more coveted centers on the market with Michigan State and South Carolina both rumored to be pursuing him.
The Hoosiers are attempting to seal the deal with Aiden Sherrell and are confirmed to be hosting Colorado transfer Sebastian Rancik on Thursday. Hoosier Huddle will have more coverage of the transfer portal as Darian DeVries continues to build Indiana’s roster.