Prospect Spotlight: Alperen Kurnaz

Alperen Kurnaz is not like most teen basketball players for many reasons: most players aren’t a 6-foot 9-inch forward that can play any position on the court, they didn’t move here from across the seas to play ball and get better recognized, and they surely didn’t get to play alongside a seven footer who just so happens to be one of the top three players in the country.

Kurnaz is originally from Istanbul, Turkey; with hopes of getting more recognition from college recruiters, Kurnaz decided that he wanted to take his ball career to the states. Hillcrest Prep saw the talent that Kurnaz had and offered him the chance to come play alongside Deandre Ayton, who was the debatable number one player in the country for 2017, along with many other talented players. Like many others would have, Kurnaz accepted the offer. He said “Basketball had its influences [on moving to the U.S.] … I came for basketball and wanted to go to NCAA.”

After playing out his junior season, Kurnaz has received a couple of offers from DI schools, but has chosen to not have the names of these schools be released to the public. Being a big man does not hold Kurnaz back from showing off his talents on all aspects of the court, he can battle down low and get the boards or get the ball kicked out to him for a smooth three-point shot.

“I mean, I think I’m an all-around player… [I] can pass, shoot, and take it to the rim,” Kurnaz said. “I think my game and height is close to Tobias Harris and Chandler Parsons, and their type of play is close to mine.”