Head coach Leonard Perry announced a final member of the 2023-24 recruiting class, 6-4 point guard Tan Yildizoglu from Turkey, who played for the Galatasara Nef club.
 
Vildizoglu represented Turkey in the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup where he helped his country to a third-place finish. He earned All-Second Team honors at the event after leading his team with an impressive 5.0 assists per game, second best in the tournament.  He averaged 9.4 points and 5.3 assists in seven games with an explosive offensive performance against Team USA with 20 points, including three made three-pointers, and eight assists.  
 
"Tan is a young man we have had our eye on for a while now," said head coach Leonard Perry. "We really loved the way he saw the floor and his IQ for making the right play at the right time. We believe he will be a good fit for us.
 
"His experience at the international level and the competition that he has faced makes him a great addition," Perry continued. "Tiger fans will enjoy watching him grow with us in the WCC. We are elated to have him join our program."
 
This year, Yildizoglu also played for U20 Turkey in the U20 European Championships, competing in five games where he tallied 23 points with 18 rebounds and 25 assists, helping Turkey to three wins. His best game was the final contest when he scored seven points with eight rebounds and 12 assists in a 31-minute effort, helping the team to a 70-66 win over U20 Lithuania.
 
He's played in international competition since 2021. In that year, he played in three events, including the FIBA U18 European Challengers, where he averaged 10.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and 6.0 assists in five games.
 
Yildizoglu joins three other new Tigers in the recruiting class: 6-8 freshman guard Villiam Garcia Adsten from Stockholm, Sweden; 6-2 senior guard Lesown Hallums, Jr., a transfer from South Carolina State; and redshirt junior Burke Smith, a 6-11 forward transfer from Boise State.
 
The Tigers open the 2023-24 season on Monday, Nov. 6 against Sam Houston State in the Alex G. Spanos Center. Season tickets are on sale at PacificTigers.com.