Just one month after contributing to Nebraska’s victory over Vanderbilt in March Madness, power forward Berke Buyuktuncel has announced his decision to join the Commodores for his final collegiate season.
The 6-foot-9, 245-pound player becomes Vanderbilt’s initial addition from the transfer portal, which opened its doors on April 7. Over his past two seasons with the Cornhuskers, Buyuktuncel posted averages of 6.3 points and 5.5 rebounds while making 61 starts.
Buyuktuncel left his mark during Nebraska’s 74-72 triumph over Vanderbilt on March 21, which secured the Cornhuskers their first Sweet 16 berth. The forward contributed 12 points while connecting on 5 of 6 field goal attempts, earning recognition from KenPom.com as the contest’s top offensive performer with a 177 Offensive Rating.
Nebraska now faces the departure of its fourth starter from the 28-7 team that secured a No. 4 tournament seed. Buyuktuncel’s exit follows the graduation of seniors Rienk Mast, Sam Hoiberg, and Jamarques Lawrence. For Vanderbilt, the acquisition brings a versatile big man capable of floor spacing, rim protection, and ball distribution.
During his most recent campaign, the left-handed forward recorded 6.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.0 block across 24.3 minutes per contest. His three-point shooting remained a concern at 24.1%, continuing a downward trend from his 29.7% mark as a UCLA freshman and 27.7% as a Nebraska sophomore.
The Cornhuskers have responded by securing two transfer portal additions of their own. Redshirt junior Kadyn Betts joins the program after spending three seasons at Minnesota followed by a year at Montana, where he averaged 3.1 points in 6.6 minutes. The 6-foot-8 forward brings perimeter shooting ability, having connected on 12 of 31 three-point attempts (38.7%) despite limited playing time.
Nebraska has also reportedly landed Utah Valley junior Trevan Leonhardt, a 6-foot-4 guard who earned first-team all-WAC recognition. Leonhardt averaged 11.9 points, 6.0 assists, and 5.4 rebounds last season, providing the Huskers with additional versatility in the backcourt.
