Salih Altuntas Signs with the Hurricanes

CORAL GABLES, Fla. – University of Miami men’s basketball head coach Jai Lucas announced Friday morning the signing of Salih Altuntas.

Altuntas, a 6-foot-10 center from Turkey, joins the Hurricanes after playing overseas in the Turkish Basketball League. The center spent a majority of the 2024-25 season playing for Istanbul Anka Spor, averaging 10.1 points and 9.2 rebounds per game and shooting 54.1 percent from the field in 19 games.

“Salih is dominant force around the basket, using his size and skill to outwork his opponents,” Lucas said. “He brings several years of international experience to our roster and will make an immediate impact on the court.”

Altuntas also played 13 games for Anadolu Efes in the Turkey-U19 League in 2024-25, averaging 15.2 points, 13.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.5 blocks and 1.1 steals per contest.

The Turkey native has competed in numerous FIBA Junior Team events, including playing at both the U18 and U20 Euro Championship A tournaments in 2024. At the U18 Euro Championships, Altuntas averaged 11.6 points, 7.6 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in seven games played, helping Turkey to an 11th-place showing.