RALEIGH — NC State’s tumultuous offseason has finally stabilized for now.
The Wolfpack signed Omer Yurtseven, a 7-foot center currently ranked as the No. 3 center in the 2016 class by 247Sports. A Turkish standout from Istanbul, Yurtseven turned down offers to play for Syracuse and Utah to join NC State’s frontcourt.
Evan Daniels of Scout.com was the first to report, giving NC State fans some insight on the towering center.Omer Yurtseven is the equivalent to a top 10 prospect. Mark Gottfried and N.C. State just added some serious star power to their 2016 class. Evan Daniels (@EvanDaniels) May 16, 2016
Omer Yurtseven and Dennis Smith will make a heck of a 1-2 punch for NC State. In fact, will be one of the best in the country. Evan Daniels (@EvanDaniels) May 16, 2016
N.C. State moves to No. 6 in the 2016 recruiting class rankings with the addition of Omer Yurtseven. He joins Dennis Smith & Darius Hicks. Evan Daniels (@EvanDaniels) May 16, 2016
Head coach Mark Gottfried and NC State confirmed the signing on Monday.
“Omer is a tremendous addition and we’re very excited to have him join our program,” Gottfried said in a release. “He’s a very skilled and athletic player for his size, and will bring great versatility and another dimension in a position of need for us.”
Yurtseven told Jeff Goodman of ESPN where he believes his game is before heading to college.Turkish forward Omer Yurtseven told ESPN he is 7 feet and weighs 240 pounds. Just committed to NC State. Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanESPN) May 16, 2016
Turkish forward Omer Yurtseven told ESPN he compares his game to Tim Duncan. Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanESPN) May 16, 2016
Already equipped with a deep backcourt in Dennis Smith, Maverick Rowan, Terry Henderon and Torrin Dorn, the Pack needed more arsenal in the post. If Abdul-Malik Abu does in fact return, which is currently in question, NC State would have a lineup that stacks up against the rest of the ACC.
Yurtseven provides that depth, but also some serious talent. Currently viewed as the No. 14 overall pick by DraftExpress in the 2017 NBA Draft, Yurtseven is only eight picks behind Smith on the list. He also finished with 91 points(!) and 28 rebounds in a U-18 game on Sunday.
The 2016-17 roster is starting to come together nicely for NC State, but the question of Abu’s status still remains. Having Abu and Yurtseven in the frontcourt with BeeJay Anya, Lennard Freeman and recent signee Darius Hicks off the bench gives State depth and talent at every position, which is a huge swing from the start of the offseason for Mark Gottfried’s team.
