Miami basketball receives another big commitment from foreign center.
The University of Miami has added Turkish forward Salih Altuntas, a 6-foot-10 center who is known for his rebounding and interior presence. Altuntas joins the Hurricanes after playing for Istanbulspor in the Turkish Basketball League (TBL) where he averaged 10.1 points and 9.1 rebounds per game, shooting 54.1% from the field.Altuntas has been a member of the Turkish U16, U18, and U20 national teams, participating in the 2023 and 2024 European U18 Championships and the 2024 European U20 Championship. He also competed in the 2022–23 Adidas Next Generation Tournament in Belgrade, averaging 12.0 points and 10.8 rebounds over four games with a 65.7% field goal percentage.Altuntas made his professional debut with Anadolu Efes Istanbul during the 2023–24 season, appearing in 16 games in the Turkish Basketball Super League (BSL). In limited minutes, he averaged 1.6 points and 1.4 rebounds per game. In January 2025, Altuntas underwent surgery to repair a fracture in his left ankle, sidelining him for about four months.
Altuntas is the second international player to join Miami’s roster this offseason, following the addition of Slovakian forward Timotej Malovec. The Hurricanes hope that Altuntas’s size and international experience will strengthen their frontcourt.
Since Lucas has taken over as the head coach of Miami the entire roster has shifted. In his introductory press conference, Lucas mentioned that the team would need 13 new players. This was during the time when Miami’s current roster was in question. By the time all of the dust settled the Hurricanes lost the entire 2024-25 roster.
In addition to Malovec and Altuntas, Miami has added combo G Jordan Kee, SG Tru Washington, power forwards Marcus Allen and Malik Reneau, C Ernest Udeh Jr. and PG Tre Donaldson. The Hurricanes also hold some top commitments in the 2025 recruiting class with 5-star forward Shelton Henderson and 4-star guard Dante Allen.
