North Carolina State Basketball: Omer Yurtseven takes his talents to Raleigh

By Carmine Carcieri | May 16, 2016

Mar 9, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack head coach Mark Gottfried looks on to the court in the second half against the Duke Blue Devils during day two of the ACC conference tournament at Verizon Center. Duke Blue Devils defeated North Carolina State Wolfpack 92-89. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports /

Omer Yurtseven will greatly impact North Carolina State basketball with his size and skill level.

Mark Goffried and North Carolina State have dealt with unexpected departures this offseason. The Wolfpack lost leading scorer Anthony ‘Cat’ Barber to the NBA Draft, while two other critical pieces in Caleb and Cody Martin decided to surprisingly transfer to another program.

Related Story: North Carolina State grabs Dennis Smith Jr.

But on the bright side, North Carolina State is molding together a dangerous roster that could make them a real factor in a loaded ACC in 2016-17.

On Monday, the program landed five-star Turkish big man Omer Yurtseven (7’0″ 240 pounds), who gives the Wolfpack one of the top 2016 recruiting classes in the nation. Yurtseven is a potential lottery pick in the 2017 NBA Draft and Scout.com would have him placed him amongst the top 10 recruits for this year’s class if they ranked international prospects in their database.

Turkish forward Omer Yurtseven told ESPN he compares his game to Tim Duncan.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) May 16, 2016

Yurtseven clearly has all the talent in the world, as he scored 91 points (!) and grabbed 28 rebounds in a Turkish U-18 game on Sunday. He shot 34-of-49 from the field and knocked down five threes. The seven-footer has a solid frame for his age, he’s skilled offensively, has good hands and touch, and is an effective rebounder.

Yurtseven does have eligibility concerns – his coach at Fenerbahce Ulker claims he has been earning money for the last three years while the player himself denies it – but the risks outweigh the rewards.

One of the 17-year olds’ greatest strengths is his ability to operate in the pick-and-roll. The Wolfpack already have five-star point guard Dennis Smith Jr., who is one of the more athletic, impressive scoring guards, so this combo could be lethal at points in 2016-17.

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Smith and Yurtseven will create match-up problems and mismatches nightly. Smith is an attacker, has a scorers mentality and can make plays with his athleticism, while Yurtseven can catch the ball with his soft hands and finish at the rim, or he is capable of spreading the floor by popping out for a long range jumper.

The chemistry will not be there from day one, but the attack can open up the floor for others. Terry Henderson, who is coming off a serious ankle injury, and Maverick Rowan are lethal with open space from the perimeter, while Torin Dorn and Shaun Kirk will provide some offensive punch.

Then there’s the decisions of BeeJay Anya and Abdul-Malik Abu. Both players declared for the NBA Draft and did not elect to hire agents (they are able to return to school before May 25 without forfeiting any eligibility). Neither were invited to the Combine so it seems to be inevitable that the two big men will indeed return to Raleigh.

Yes, Anya and Abu do not offer much range and limit the team’s spacing, but they also provide valuable energy and an extra rebounding punch next to Yurtseven.

And remember Yurtseven is not even 18-years old and is very inexperienced in terms of playing basketball in the United States. He won’t be playing 25-30 minutes a night right away and cannot be relied on as the focal point of the team from the get-go.

The pick-and-roll will not be North Carolina State’s only offense and it won’t be the team’s primary offense. They have veterans that can make plays up and down their roster, but Yurtseven gives the Wolfpack that extra dimension that they have been missing. If he adjusts to the speed and the physicality of the game quickly, then the forward/center can become more entrenched into the team’s rotation.

Next: Isaiah Miles increases his draft stock on day two at the Combine

Goffried now has a deep, versatile roster that is capable of making noise in the ACC. They won’t be on the level of Duke, North Carolina, Virginia and Louisville, but watch out, the Wolfpack will not provide an easy win to any opponent in 2016-17.