Freshman Samet Yigitoglu ruled eligible by NCAA, set for SMU debut vs. UNC-Greensboro
Turkish center Samet Yigitoglu was cleared last Thursday by the NCAA and is now eligible for SMU, the school announced on Monday before its matchup against UNC Greensboro.
The 7-2, 265-pound center missed SMU’s first two games, both blowout wins over Tarleton State and Florida A&M, but will make his debut against UNC-Greensboro on Monday. The third game of the Andy Enfield era on the Hilltop tips off at 7 p.m. CT on ACCNX.
A native of Istanbul, Turkey, Yigitoglu is versatile in what he can provide to the Mustangs this season. The coaching staff and his teammates are excited for him to debut.
“On the court, he’s a true low post threat,” Enfield said before the season. “You throw the ball to him, he can score the ball himself. He’s an exceptional passer and he’s also very good on ball screen roles where he can catch the ball and make the right decision. He’s very skilled and very high IQ big man.”
“Samet’s a funny guy. I love Samet. He’s been a very comfortable guy,” captain Keon Ambrose-Hylton said before the season. “I asked him where he’s been or what part of America he’s liked the most and he said he’s never been, this is his first time. I was like ‘What?’ I’m Canadian and I’ve been to America multiple times before going to school for the first time. But he’s enjoying it. He’s loving the process. He’s very quick with understanding our terminology and understanding the way we play because you know he’s been playing overseas already.
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“I think he’s fitting right into it. He’s very aggressive. He doesn’t just want to post, post, get to the basket. He’s willing to shoot the three ball, willing to pass the ball out through pick and rolls, so he’s a big asset for us.”
Samet Yigitoglu averaged 13.3 points, 10.3 rebounds, 1.0 blocks and shot 82.6% on field goals in four games with Sigortam Istanbul in the Turkey in 2023-24. He also played for Turkey in the 2023 FIBA U20 European Championship in Greece, averaging 12.7 points and 8.6 rebounds while hitting 66.0% on field goals (33-50).
That type of experience is a piece of why the staff is excited for Yigitoglu. He’s a 20-year old freshman who is ready to help the team now.
“Generally, when you play on the club teams as an amateur overseas as a high school player, you play against older people and he’s had great experience playing against older, more mature players that know how to play the game the right way, that are physically mature,” Enfield said. “He’s a very tough young man, he’s physical. He can use his big body to gain angles. You can tell he’s played against some pretty good players just with his concepts and how he thinks the game.”
