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 İzmit, Turkey.
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.
The video was the least Demirel’s teammates could do for a player they have relied on all season to help GCU’s 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.
“Efe is a great young man,” Lopes coach Bryce Drew said. “It’s his first time in America and he’s really adjusted very well. He picks up things very fast, he reads screens really well and knows where to go in open areas.”
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’s level of play with a glut of transfers and incoming freshmen. Few additions have made a greater impact than Demirel.
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’s game, and he represented his nation at the 2023 FIBA U19 World Cup and 2024 FIBA U20 Eurobasket.
“It is an incredible experience because you get to play for your country,” Demirel said.
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.
A big influence on the Turkish big man’s development was his father, Mehmet Senol Demirel. “When I was 7 years old, he would push me to practice,” Demirel said.
Along with his father, Demirel looks up to his fellow countryman and center Alperen Şengün, who plays for the Houston Rockets.
Demirel has similar pro aspirations. With the help of his managers and agents, he arrived at GCU to chase that dream.
“Basketball is global,” Drew said “There 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.”
Since arriving in the Valley, Demirel has built relationships with teammates.
“Efe has been a great help, especially since it’s his first year,” junior guard Makahi Williams said. “Coming from Turkey, he’s my guy. When he came here, we just welcomed him overall, inviting him to team-bonding events.”
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.
“I thought Efe was really good, his presence down low, I thought it was important on both ends tonight,” Drew said during a postgame press conference.
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.
“Physicality is the difference,” he said during a post-game interview. “Here they are tougher and physical. They can run more, they have more energy and they are consistently hitting so it’s really different from my country.”
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.
It’s just one of many reasons the Lopes have welcomed their newest center with open arms.
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