PHOENIX \u2013 Three days before a January game at Boise State, Efe Demirel celebrated his 21st birthday nearly 7,000 miles from home. His Grand Canyon University teammates helped shrink that distance, surprising him with a video from his friends and family back home in \u0130zmit, Turkey.<\/p>\n
The video made Demirel emotional because it showed him how much the team has embraced him this season. He went out and celebrated with one of his best performances of the season, scoring 13 points, grabbing eight rebounds and blocking two shots in a 75-58 win.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The video was the least Demirel\u2019s teammates could do for a player they have relied on all season to help GCU\u2019s frontcourt on both ends of the floor. Demirel has started the fourth-most games among his teammates and is averaging 8.3 points and 4.9 rebounds per game.<\/p>\n
\u201cEfe is a great young man,\u201d Lopes coach Bryce Drew said. \u201cIt\u2019s his first time in America and he\u2019s really adjusted very well. He picks up things very fast, he reads screens really well and knows where to go in open areas.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Coming off three consecutive Western Athletic Conference championships and three straight NCAA Tournament appearances, the Antelopes (15-8, 8-4) headed into their first Mountain West Conference season with only two returning players. The task for Drew was to maintain the program\u2019s level of play with a glut of transfers and incoming freshmen. Few additions have made a greater impact than Demirel.<\/p>\n
Before beginning his freshman season with the Lopes, Demirel came through the youth ranks in Turkey, earning his way onto the first team with Istanbul club Andalou Efes SK. Playing for a successful Euroleague club brought attention to Demirel\u2019s game, and he represented his nation at the 2023 FIBA U19 World Cup and 2024 FIBA U20 Eurobasket.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is an incredible experience because you get to play for your country,\u201d Demirel said.<\/p>\n
That experience elevated Demirel in the eyes of scouts and recruiters. He was rated as one of the best rising European talents during the 2023 FIBA U18 European Championships. During that tournament, Demirel averaged 15 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks.<\/p>\n
A big influence on the Turkish big man\u2019s development was his father, Mehmet Senol Demirel. \u201cWhen I was 7 years old, he would push me to practice,\u201d Demirel said.<\/p>\n
Along with his father, Demirel looks up to his fellow countryman and center Alperen \u015eeng\u00fcn, who plays for the Houston Rockets.<\/p>\n
Demirel has similar pro aspirations. With the help of his managers and agents, he arrived at GCU to chase that dream.<\/p>\n
\u201cBasketball is global,\u201d Drew said \u201cThere is film on every player in the world. You can watch on your computer to get to know players. It started there, you can talk and build relationships with these players.\u201d<\/p>\n
Since arriving in the Valley, Demirel has built relationships with teammates.<\/p>\n
\u201cEfe has been a great help, especially since it\u2019s his first year,\u201d junior guard Makahi Williams said. \u201cComing from Turkey, he\u2019s my guy. When he came here, we just welcomed him overall, inviting him to team-bonding events.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Demirel has been consistent throughout the season with a few games where he has gone over his averages, showing greater potential. Most recently, on Jan. 30 during a home game against Boise State, Demirel scored 16 points, recorded three rebounds, two assists, a block, and a steal. Along with that, he shot a perfect 6 for 6 from the field and 4 for 4 from the free-throw line.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought Efe was really good, his presence down low, I thought it was important on both ends tonight,\u201d Drew said during a postgame press conference.<\/p>\n
Halfway through his first season of college basketball in the United States, Demirel has seen two different basketball cultures. While many claim that Europe offers a tougher style of basketball, Demirel disagrees.<\/p>\n
\u201cPhysicality is the difference,\u201d he said during a post-game interview. \u201cHere they are tougher and physical. They can run more, they have more energy and they are consistently hitting so it\u2019s really different from my country.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Demirel enjoys playing more physical basketball with GCU, and at 7-feet-1, 240 pounds, he is at no disadvantage when it comes to playing a bully-ball style.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It\u2019s just one of many reasons the Lopes have welcomed their newest center with open arms.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This <a target=”_blank” href=”https:\/\/cronkitenews.azpbs.org\/2026\/02\/11\/efe-demirel-gcu-men-basketball\/”>article<\/a> first appeared on <a target=”_blank” href=”https:\/\/cronkitenews.azpbs.org”>Cronkite News<\/a> and is republished here under a <a target=”_blank” href=”https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nd\/4.0\/”>Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTurkish delight: Efe Demirel, GCU men\u2019s basketball prove to be ideal fit<\/p>\n
Arop Kual, Cronkite News
\nFebruary 11, 2026<\/p>\n
PHOENIX \u2013 Three days before a January game at Boise State, Efe Demirel celebrated his 21st birthday nearly 7,000 miles from home. His Grand Canyon University teammates helped shrink that distance, surprising him with a video from his friends and family back home in \u0130zmit, Turkey.<\/p>\n
The video made Demirel emotional because it showed him how much the team has embraced him this season. He went out and celebrated with one of his best performances of the season, scoring 13 points, grabbing eight rebounds and blocking two shots in a 75-58 win.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The video was the least Demirel\u2019s teammates could do for a player they have relied on all season to help GCU\u2019s frontcourt on both ends of the floor. Demirel has started the fourth-most games among his teammates and is averaging 8.3 points and 4.9 rebounds per game.<\/p>\n
\u201cEfe is a great young man,\u201d Lopes coach Bryce Drew said. \u201cIt\u2019s his first time in America and he\u2019s really adjusted very well. He picks up things very fast, he reads screens really well and knows where to go in open areas.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Coming off three consecutive Western Athletic Conference championships and three straight NCAA Tournament appearances, the Antelopes (15-8, 8-4) headed into their first Mountain West Conference season with only two returning players. The task for Drew was to maintain the program\u2019s level of play with a glut of transfers and incoming freshmen. Few additions have made a greater impact than Demirel.<\/p>\n
Before beginning his freshman season with the Lopes, Demirel came through the youth ranks in Turkey, earning his way onto the first team with Istanbul club Andalou Efes SK. Playing for a successful Euroleague club brought attention to Demirel\u2019s game, and he represented his nation at the 2023 FIBA U19 World Cup and 2024 FIBA U20 Eurobasket.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is an incredible experience because you get to play for your country,\u201d Demirel said.<\/p>\n
That experience elevated Demirel in the eyes of scouts and recruiters. He was rated as one of the best rising European talents during the 2023 FIBA U18 European Championships. During that tournament, Demirel averaged 15 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks.<\/p>\n
A big influence on the Turkish big man\u2019s development was his father, Mehmet Senol Demirel. \u201cWhen I was 7 years old, he would push me to practice,\u201d Demirel said.<\/p>\n
Along with his father, Demirel looks up to his fellow countryman and center Alperen \u015eeng\u00fcn, who plays for the Houston Rockets.<\/p>\n
Demirel has similar pro aspirations. With the help of his managers and agents, he arrived at GCU to chase that dream.<\/p>\n
\u201cBasketball is global,\u201d Drew said \u201cThere is film on every player in the world. You can watch on your computer to get to know players. It started there, you can talk and build relationships with these players.\u201d<\/p>\n
Since arriving in the Valley, Demirel has built relationships with teammates.<\/p>\n
\u201cEfe has been a great help, especially since it\u2019s his first year,\u201d junior guard Makahi Williams said. \u201cComing from Turkey, he\u2019s my guy. When he came here, we just welcomed him overall, inviting him to team-bonding events.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Demirel has been consistent throughout the season with a few games where he has gone over his averages, showing greater potential. Most recently, on Jan. 30 during a home game against Boise State, Demirel scored 16 points, recorded three rebounds, two assists, a block, and a steal. Along with that, he shot a perfect 6 for 6 from the field and 4 for 4 from the free-throw line.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought Efe was really good, his presence down low, I thought it was important on both ends tonight,\u201d Drew said during a postgame press conference.<\/p>\n
Halfway through his first season of college basketball in the United States, Demirel has seen two different basketball cultures. While many claim that Europe offers a tougher style of basketball, Demirel disagrees.<\/p>\n
\u201cPhysicality is the difference,\u201d he said during a post-game interview. \u201cHere they are tougher and physical. They can run more, they have more energy and they are consistently hitting so it\u2019s really different from my country.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Demirel enjoys playing more physical basketball with GCU, and at 7-feet-1, 240 pounds, he is at no disadvantage when it comes to playing a bully-ball style.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It\u2019s just one of many reasons the Lopes have welcomed their newest center with open arms.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This article first appeared on Cronkite News and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.<\/p>\n
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