Georgetown lands the most promising transfer big man on the market

Jeff Eisenberg
·Senior writer
North Carolina State’s Omer Yurtseven takes questions during the NCAA college basketball team’s media day in Raleigh, N.C., Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2017. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)
North Carolina State’s Omer Yurtseven takes questions during the NCAA college basketball team’s media day in Raleigh, N.C., Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2017. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

Patrick Ewing’s stature as one of the best centers in NBA history has helped Georgetown land the most coveted transfer big man on the market.

The Hoyas received a commitment from former NC State center Omer Yurtseven on Monday morning.

A former five-star prospect who once scored 91 points in a Turkish U-18 game, Yurtseven did not make the impact he expected in his debut season at NC State. The skilled 7 footer sat out nine games because of NCAA eligibility issues before averaging a modest 5.9 points and 4.4 rebounds for an underachieving 2016-17 Wolfpack team that finished 4-14 in the ACC.

Yurtseven bounced back under new NC State coach Kevin Keatts during a breakout sophomore season. The third-team all-ACC center averaged 13.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in 23.6 minutes per game while extending his shooting range out beyond the 3-point arc.

While Yurtseven will have to sit out next season due to NCAA transfer rules, he projects as Georgetown’s eventual replacement for center Jessie Govan the following year. He’ll be able to use his redshirt year to get stronger, improve his defense and diversify his offensive game.

Georgetown finished 5-13 in the Big East in Ewing’s debut season, but the addition of Yurtseven is just one reason for optimism for the future. The Hoyas on Monday also received a commitment from four-star Class of 2018 point guard James Akinjo, a California native who had originally signed with UConn before Kevin Ollie was fired.

The Hoyas will need their 2018 recruiting class to make an immediate impact to avoid another rebuilding season. Forward Marcus Derrickson announced last week that he is forgoing his final season of eligibility and turning pro, while Govan has declared for the draft without hiring an agent, leaving open the possibility he could return for his senior year.

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Jeff Eisenberg is a college basketball writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at daggerblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!