Indiana’s summer look at Samet Yigitoglu paints the picture of a massive interior piece who already knows exactly what he wants to be at IU: a force around the rim, a willing passer and a fit next to another big man.
The 7-foot-2, 280-pound center from Istanbul, Turkey arrived in Bloomington after two seasons at SMU, where he put together a steady stretch across 66 games. He averaged 10.4 points, 7.1 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.2 blocked shots in 26.7 minutes per game for the Mustangs. He was not available for the Hoosiers during the FISU America Games in Lima, Peru, but he did appear in the July exhibition against Collège Jean-de-Brébeuf in Assembly Hall, finishing with six points on 3-for-4 shooting, five rebounds and a blocked shot in 22 minutes.
What stood out this summer, though, went beyond the box score. In open practices, Yigitoglu kept showing the same traits over and over: size, mobility and a screen-setting presence that changes how a defense moves.
On June 18, he was described as “massive and moves well for a 7-foot-2, 280-pound player,” with enough touch to knock down a few 3-pointers during live drills. He also looked like a natural rebounder on both ends, and the work against Sherrell in practice was noted as something that should help him.
A week later, the focus shifted to how he defends. He was again praised for how well he moves for his size, though the staff clearly won’t be eager to ask him to live on the perimeter. The other issue that came up was foul trouble: last season at SMU, Yigitoglu averaged 4.5 fouls per 40 minutes, per KenPom.com.
By July 7, the notes had a different flavor. Yigitoglu was described as smiling constantly and looking like he was enjoying himself in every practice observed that summer.
He also flashed passing ability from the high post and showed he doesn’t need to dominate the ball to matter. When he gets deep position, the expectation is simple: he can overpower most defenders.
He’s also aggressive on the offensive glass, and most of his attempts should come inside five feet, which should lead to a high shooting percentage and frequent trips to the line.
Yigitoglu’s own words matched the picture. He said Indiana may use him differently than SMU did, and practice has already shown that the staff is exploring two-big lineups with Aiden Sherrell.
“Yes, yes, absolutely. In practice right now, the coaches are always trying to put me on the court with Aiden so we can play with two bigs on the court. Right now Aiden (Sherrell) is just killing it, he’s shooting it.
“I’m just trying to make plays for others and to go get my own stuff in the paint.”
He also made clear why Indiana was the right move.
“Indiana is a great program and they have history. Everybody wants to be here.
Everybody wants to go to March Madness and play on the big stage. That made me come here and choose Indiana.”
On his departure from SMU, he framed it as a step he needed to take.
“I mean, SMU taught me a lot of things about college basketball. You know, it was great two years out there, but I just had to move on from there because if you want to do big things, sometimes you got to change up something or just got to get to another level. And then Indiana was like that for me.”
He also pointed to Indiana’s style and patience as part of what pulled him in, including how the staff laid out its plan for his development and his future.
“I mean, playing style and then, you know, they’re patient. They were so patient and they explained the whole story like what they want to do next year and how they want to develop me and how they want to get me better for the next level, which is the NBA.”
And when asked why he seems to be smiling so much at practice, he pointed straight to the group around him.
“I mean, it comes from my teammates because everybody’s happy, everybody’s laughing, everybody’s cheering for each other. So, you know, it’s just picking me up.”
Darian DeVries also sees a player whose size is part of the selling point, not just a detail in the scouting report. He said Yigitoglu embraces what he is and doesn’t shy away from it.
“Samet, he’s a big, big guy and he’s not afraid of knowing that he’s big either. Like, he knows what he is and he likes it.
When he sets a screen, people are going to feel that. He can play in short roll.
He can play in the post. He’s great at duck-ins.
“He just gives you that physical presence and I think the two of them together is going to be something that’s going to be a lot of fun for us as we go through the summer workouts and stuff of finding new ways to utilize both of them when they’re out there together.”
In Other News...
Former Hoosier Reed Bailey Just Closed The Book On His Indiana Exit
A federal court ruling out of Colorado has stirred another round of roster churn for Indiana, restoring eligibility for college athletes from the high school Class of 2022 for the 2026-27 season and sending a few Hoosiers back into the mix. Football players Stephen Daley and Kellan Wyatt, along with basketball player Sam Alexis, are set to return, while Darian DeVries has already been busy reshaping the basketball roster with a well-regarded transfer haul for the coming season.
For Reed Bailey, the update only reinforces how much has changed since his name first entered the conversation. He spent one season at Indiana before moving on and is now settled into a new stop in the Big East, leaving the Hoosiers to sort through the ripple effects of a ruling that reopened a path he no longer plans to use. [Read more 🡒]
Fernando Mendoza Sacrificed More Than Fans Realized To Choose Indiana
Fernando Mendozas move from Cal to Indiana was never just about chasing the biggest payday on the table. He had offers from Miami and Georgia, but he chose the Hoosiers for the chance to develop under Curt Cignetti, a decision shaped in part by the voice of his mother, Elsa, and by a belief that Indiana was the best place for his career to grow. The financial gap was real, and it made the choice look even more striking in hindsight.
What followed turned the gamble into one of the defining stories in recent Indiana football history. Mendoza won the Heisman Trophy, became the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft and helped lead the Hoosiers through a 16-0 season to a national championship. For Indiana, it was a reminder that the most important recruiting victories are not always the ones measured in dollars. [Read more 🡒]
Curt Cignetti's Rise Is Fueling A New Memorial Stadium Debate
Indianas football surge under Curt Cignetti has done more than change the mood around the program. It has also helped push Memorial Stadium into a new phase of planning, as Indiana University looks at a major renovation aimed at modernizing the fan experience after extensive surveys of supporters and other stakeholders. The project is being framed as part of the programs broader momentum, with the recent rise in interest making the building issue feel a lot more urgent than it did a few years ago.
For now, the athletic department is still working behind the scenes on the financing for the larger capital project, which means the public view of the plan is still limited. Even so, the direction is clear enough: Indiana wants to update the stadium without losing what already makes it usable on game days, and the growing enthusiasm around Cignetti has only strengthened the case for getting it done. [Read more 🡒]