Tongue in cheek, heart on sleeve, 'big kid' Berke Buyuktuncel delivering in NCAA tournament

kAm“x D2H E92E J@F 42? E2<6 :E[Q 96 D2:5[ QD@ x ;FDE D?2E4965 E92E]Qk^Am

kAmqFJF<EF?46= 46=63C2E65 }63C2D<2’D H:?D @G6C x@H2 2?5 '2?56C3:=E E9:D D62D@? 3J H62C:?8 E96 4@>:42==J =2C86 C65 76=E 92E @? E96 7=@@C A@DE82>6] $2EFC52J[ :E DH2==@H65 FA 9:D 9625 2D 96 H2=<65 @77 E96 7=@@C 2?5 DHF?8 9:D ;6CD6J :? 46=63C2E:@?]k^Am

kAm%96 >@>6?E 42>6 367@C6 96 =6E @FE 2 36==@H @7 “v@ q:8 #65P” :? E96 EF??6= @? E96 H2J E@ E96 =@4<6C C@@> 3FE 27E6C 96 HCF?8 @FE $2> w@:36C8’D 962532?5 DH62E @?E@ }& 4@249 uC65 w@:36C8]k^Am

kAmw@:36C8 H2D 2??@J65 3FE DE:== 82G6 qFJF<EF?46= E96 82>6 32== 27E6C 9:D `a\A@:?E[ 7@FC\C63@F?5 A6C7@C>2?46]k^Am

kAmqFJF<EF?46=[ @C qz 2D 9:D E62>>2E6D 42== 9:>[ :D 2 7C66 DA:C:E] %96 e\7@@E\`_ %FC<:D9 7@CH2C5’D 8C:E 2?5 5676?D:G6 E6?24:EJ 92G6 >256 9:> 2 DE2CE6C 7@C }63C2D<2 E96 A2DE EH@ D62D@?D[ 2?5 9:D 9F>@C 2?5 BF:C<:?6DD 92G6 >256 9:> A@AF=2C H:E9:? E96 =@4<6C C@@>]k^Am

kAmpD E96 wFD<6CD AC6A2C6 7@C 2 $H66E `e >2E49FA H:E9 x@H2 — @?6 @7 E96 3:886DE 82>6D :? AC@8C2> 9:DE@CJ — 96 C6>2:?D 2 E6?D:@? C6=:6G6C[ F?2A@=@86E:42==J 9:D 8@@7J D6=7 F?E:= 96 DE6AD 36EH66? E96 =:?6D]k^Am

kAm“w6’D 2 ?FE42D6[ 567:?:E6=J[” C65D9:CE 7C6D9>2? 7@CH2C5 qC256? uC286C D2:5] “w6’D 7F??J[ 3FE 96 <66AD G:36D 9:89 :? E96 =@4<6C C@@>] x 5@?’E <?@H H92E x H@F=5 5@ H:E9@FE 9:>] x 766= =:<6 E96 H@C=5 H@F=5 36 8C2J H:E9@FE 9:>]”k^Am

kAmp7E6C AC24E:46[ qFJF<EF?46= 2?5 y2C65 v2C4:2 @7E6? C6>2:? @? E96 4@FCE 2?5 E2<6 D9@ED E96J H@F=5?’E :? 82>6Di EC:4< D9@ED[ 962G6D 7C@> 36J@?5 92=74@FCE] qFJF<EF?46= 4FE 2 D6DD:@? D9@CE E9:D D62D@? 27E6C 2 D:?8=6 D9@E[ 2 DA:??:?8 9@@< D9@E 7C@> E96 >:54@FCE =:?6]k^Am

kAm%96 32== DA=2D965 E9C@F89 E96 32D<6E] qFJF<EF?46= =@@<65 2E v2C4:2[ D>:=65 2?5 H2=<65 2H2J H:E9@FE D2J:?8 2 H@C5]k^Am

kAm(65?6D52J >@C?:?8[ qFJF<EF?46= H2D 9:D FDF2= 6?6C86E:4[ F?7:=E6C65 D6=7] %96 E62>’D ?6H $H66E `e 862C H2D :? E96 =@4<6C C@@> :? 2 D62=65 3@I[ D@ 96 A6DE6C65 6BF:A>6?E >2?286C !2E }@CC:D] w6 2D<65 H92E H2D :? :E[ E@=5 }@CC:D E@ @A6? E96 3@I D@ 96 4@F=5 86E 2 =@@<]k^Am

kAm“w6’D 2 3:8 <:5[ 3FE 96 ;FDE 3C:?8D D@ >F49 ;@J 2?5 6?6C8J E@ @FC 8C@FA[” 7@CH2C5 #:6?< |2DE D2:5]k^Am

kAmp 564:565=J F?49:=5=:<6 2DA64E @7 qFJF<EF?46=’D A6CD@?2=:EJ :D 9:D D6?D6 @7 9F>@C] $@A9@>@C6 7@CH2C5 (:== r@@A6C 56D4C:365 :E 2D “?@E D276 7@C H@C<]” uC286C 4@F=5?’E 4@>6 FA H:E9 2 AC:?E23=6 2?645@E6 E@ E6== 23@FE 9:>]k^Am

kAm“w6 4@F=5 AC@323=J A=2J :? 2 3F?49 @7 C2E65\# 4@>65J >@G:6D[” A@:?E 8F2C5 y2>2CBF6D {2HC6?46 D2:5] “x E9:?< 96’== 36 A6C764E 7@C 2== @7 E9@D6]”k^Am

kAmqFJF<EF?46= D2:5 96 5@6D?’E ECJ E@ 36 E96 4=2DD 4=@H?i “x’> ;FDE E2=<:?8 2?5 x ;FDE 364@>6 7F??J]”k^Am

kAm(9:=6 qFJF<EF?46= DFAA=:6D }63C2D<2 H:E9 4@>:4 C6=:67 @77 E96 7=@@C[ 96’D E96:C 6>@E:@?2= 962CE362E 5FC:?8 82>6D] ~? 2 E62> 7F== @7 DE@:4[ EF??6=\G:D:@?65 A=2J6CD =:<6 |2DE[ {2HC6?46 2?5 !CJ46 $2?57@CE[ qFJF<EF?46= H62CD 9:D 6>@E:@?D @? 9:D D=66G6]k^Am

kAmw6 @7E6? 46=63C2E6D b\A@:?E6CD H:E9 2 7F==\E9C@2E65 C@2C] x? }63C2D<2’D s646>36C H:? @G6C (:D4@?D:?[ 96 8@E 2 3=@@5J =:A H9:=6 3=@4<:?8 2 D9@E 2?5 82G6 E96 !:??24=6 q2?< pC6?2 4C@H5 2 567:2?E H2G6 @7 9:D 2C>D 2D 96 H2=<65 @77 E96 4@FCE]k^Am

kAm“~3G:@FD=J 96 :D 2 G6CJ 8@@7J 8FJ[ 3FE H96? 96 ?665D E@ =@4< :?[ 96 42? =@4< :?[” uC286C D2:5] “%92E’D H92E x =:<6 23@FE 9:>] xE’D ?@E =:<6 E96C6’D ?@ D6C:@FD G6CD:@? @7 9:>] %96C6 :D 2 D6C:@FD G6CD:@? @7 9:>[ D@ x ;FDE =:<6 9@H 96 42? EFC? E92E =:89E DH:E49 @? 2?5 @77]”k^Am

kAm(:E9:? E9@D6 6>@E:@?D 4@>6 2 D6?D6 @7 ;@J] w6 2?5 |2DE D6CG6 2D 6249 @E96C’D 4@F?E6C32=2?46D @? E96 7=@@C[ |2DE 96=A:?8 qFJF<EF?46= DE23:=:K6 9:D 6>@E:@?D H:E9:? E96 FAD 2?5 5@H?D @7 2 82>6 2?5 qFJF<EF?46= D9@H:?8 |2DE 9@H E@ 6?;@J E96 >@>6?E]k^Am

kAm“x’5 D2J H6 32=2?46 6249 @FE G6CJ H6==[ 2?5 :E’D 366? 8C62E E@ A=2J H:E9 9:>[” |2DE D2:5]k^Am

kAmqFJF<EF?46= 5@??65 2 4@H3@J 92E — @?6 56D:8?65 7@C 9F>2? 9625D[ ?@E 4@DEF>65 >2D4@ED — @? E96 A=2?6 7C@> {:?4@=? E@ w@FDE@?] w6 @H?D D6G6C2=] %96 A2CE:4F=2C 3=24< ?F>36C 96 3C@<6 @FE %F6D52J H2D 7@C 2 DA64:7:4 @442D:@?]k^Am

kAmw6 8@E :E 2E E96 368:??:?8 @7 E96 D62D@? :? 2?E:4:A2E:@? @7 E96 wFD<6CD 6?5:?8 FA :? w@FDE@?[ 96 D2:5] w6 2=D@ 56D4C:365 E96 92E 2D 9:D H2J @7 36:?8 A2CE @7 |:5H6DE 4F=EFC6] {:<6 >2?J @7 qFJF<EF?46=’D 2?E:4D[ E96 92E AC@G:565 2 >@>6?E @7 =6G:EJ H:E9:? 2 H9:C=H:?5 A@CE:@? @7 E96 D62D@?] (96? }63C2D<2 E:AD @77 %9FCD52J[ 2?J =:89E\962CE65?6DD H:== 36 8@?6[ 2E =62DE 7@C E96 E:>6 36:?8]k^Am

kAm“w6’D 2 G6CJ DA64:2= A6CD@?] w6’D 2 8C62E 9F>2? 36:?8 E@ 36 2C@F?5 :? 86?6C2=[” v2C4:2 D2:5] “w6 >2<6D J@F =2F89] w6 >2<6D J@F D>:=6] w6’D WE96X =:76 @7 E96 A2CEJ 2 =:EE=6 3:E[ D@ H96?6G6C 96 86ED @? E96 4@FCE[ H6 <?@H 96’== 36 E96 D2>6 H2J[ 3FE @3G:@FD=J 96’D =@4<65 :? >@C6]k^Am

kAmxE’D 8@:?8 E@ 36 >@C6 @7 2? :?E6?D6 qz[ 3FE :? 86?6C2= qz’D ;FDE 2 8C62E A6CD@? E@ 36 2C@F?5]”k^Am