Utah Men’s Basketball Lands Commitment From Turkish Forward
Jul 18, 2023, 10:52 AM | Updated: 12:02 pm
SALT LAKE CITY – Turkish forward Karahan Tuan Efeoğlu announced his commitment to join the University of Utah men’s basketball program.
Efeoğlu’s commitment fills the 13th and final scholarship spot for the Runnin’ Utes in their 2023-24 roster. He will be joined by Jake Wahlin, Hunter Erickson, Deivon Smith, Cole Bajema, and Lawson Lovering in the 2023-24 class. Utah also got a big boost to their upcoming efforts when center Branden Carlson withdrew his name from the NBA Draft and committed to his fifth and final season with the Utes.
Runnin’ Utes head coach Craig Smith is entering his third year at the helm and looking to improve Utah once again, after taking a step forward in the 2022-23 season. The Utes ended last season with a 17-15 record, including 10-10 in Pac-12 Conference play as compared to 11-20 and 4-16 in Smith’s first season.
Karahan Tuan Efeoğlu commits to Utah
Efeoğlu, 19, announced his commitment to Craig Smith’s program on Tuesday, July 18.
.@UtahMBB rounds out their 2023-24 roster with the addition of Turkish forward Karahan Efeoglu 🏀#GoUtes #UteProud #RunninUtes
— Michelle Bodkin (@BodkinKSLsports) July 18, 2023
About Karahan Efeoğlu
Efeoğlu played for Istanbul Basket in 2020-21 and put up 2.0 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 0.5 assists per game. In 22-23, Efeoğlu played for Anadolu Efes and averaged 1.4 points, 0.6 rebounds, and 0.4 assists.
In the recent U20 European Championship, the Utah commit averaged 9.4 points per contest on 63.3 percent shooting. He also recorded 4.4 reboudns, 0.6 assists, 0.6 steals, and 0.2 blocks per game.
During the 2021 FIBA U18 European Challengers tournament, Efeoğlu averaged 11.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game.
Efeoğlu stands at 6’8″ with the ability to be moved around in the rotation for the Utes, making him a very intriguing and versatile pickup for Smith and crew.
Michelle Bodkin is the Utah Utes Insider for sports.ksl.com and host of both the Crimson Corner Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and The Saturday Show (Saturday from 10 a.m.–12 p.m.) on The KSL Sports Zone. Follow her on Twitter, Instagram, and Threads: @BodkinKSLsports
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