Alihan Demir (born July 11, 1996) is a Turkish professional
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
player for
Merkezefendi Bld. Denizli Basket of the
Basketbol Süper Ligi
The Basketball Super League ( tr, Basketbol Süper Ligi; BSL), also known as the Türkiye Sigorta Basketbol Süper Ligi for sponsorship reasons, is the top men's professional basketball division of the Turkish basketball league system. It replac ...
(BSL). He played
college basketball
In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...
for the
Central Wyoming Rustlers,
Drexel Dragons
The Drexel Dragons are the athletic teams of Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The school's athletic program includes eighteen NCAA Division I sports including nine men's and nine women's teams, with most sports teams competing in ...
and
Minnesota Golden Gophers
The Minnesota Golden Gophers (commonly shortened to Gophers) are the college sports teams of the University of Minnesota. The university fields a total of 25 (12 men's, 13 women's) teams in both men's and women's sports and competes in the Big Te ...
.
Early life
Demir attended Arı College in his hometown of
Ankara
Ankara ( , ; ), historically known as Ancyra and Angora, is the capital of Turkey. Located in the central part of Anatolia, the city has a population of 5.1 million in its urban center and over 5.7 million in Ankara Province, maki ...
and played
point guard
The point guard (PG), also called the one or the point, is one of the five Basketball positions, positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position. Point guards are expected to run t ...
on the school's basketball team.
[ ] As a senior, he played for
Maliye Milli Piyango, a club team in Ankara.
After graduation, Demir moved to the United States and played for West Oaks Academy, a
postgraduate
Postgraduate or graduate education refers to academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications pursued by post-secondary students who have earned an undergraduate ( bachelor's) degree.
The organization and stru ...
program in
Orlando, Florida
Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County, Florida, Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Greater Orlando, Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, acco ...
, hoping to elevate his profile and earn a college scholarship.
[ However, he received zero ]NCAA Division I
NCAA Division I (D-I) is the highest level of College athletics, intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States, which accepts players globally. D-I schools include the major ...
offers and enrolled at Central Wyoming College
Central Wyoming College (CWC or CW) is a public community college in Riverton, Wyoming. In addition to its main campus, the college provides online classes and has outreach centers in Jackson, Lander, Dubois, and the Wind River Indian Reservati ...
in Riverton, Wyoming
Riverton is a city in Fremont County, Wyoming, United States. The city's population was 10,682 at the 2020 census, making it the largest city in the county.
History
The city, founded in 1906, is an incorporated entity of the state of Wyoming. ...
.[
]
College career
Central Wyoming
As a freshman at Central Wyoming College, Demir averaged 13.6 points and 7.3 rebounds while starting 28 of 29 games. He led the Rustlers to the NJCAA Region IX tournament quarterfinals and earned third-team Region IX honors.[ Demir later said that being in ]Wyoming
Wyoming () is a U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the south ...
helped him focus on basketball and school.
Drexel
In 2017, Demir signed a National Letter of Intent
National may refer to:
Common uses
* Nation or country
** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen
Places in the United States
* National, Maryland, ce ...
to play at Drexel University
Drexel University is a private research university with its main campus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Drexel's undergraduate school was founded in 1891 by Anthony J. Drexel, a financier and philanthropist. Founded as Drexel Institute of Art, S ...
in Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
.[ He missed the first five games of the season for the ]Dragons
A dragon is a reptilian legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as ...
due to participating in an unsanctioned summer league, but recorded five points and eight rebounds in his debut against NJIT
{{Infobox university
, name = {{nowrap, New Jersey Institute of Technology
, image = New Jersey IT seal.svg
, image_upright = 0.9
, former_names = Newark College of Engineering (1930–1975)Ne ...
on November 25.[ Injuries quickly reduced the Drexel roster to seven scholarship players, and Demir received his first start against La Salle on December 7, contributing five points, five assists, and three rebounds in the 72–70 victory.][ He remained a starter for the rest of the season.] On December 16, he scored a game-high 16 points in a 63–60 loss to crosstown rivals Temple
A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...
. On January 5, 2018, Demir recorded a season-high 20 points in a 87–82 overtime victory over the College of Charleston
The College of Charleston (CofC or Charleston) is a public university in Charleston, South Carolina. Founded in 1770 and chartered in 1785, it is the oldest university in South Carolina, the 13th oldest institution of higher learning in the Unit ...
. On February 8, he recorded 18 points and eight rebounds in a 94–92 overtime loss to Towson
Towson () is an Unincorporated area, unincorporated community and a census-designated place in Baltimore County, Maryland, Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. The population was 55,197 as of the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Baltim ...
. As a sophomore, Demir averaged 10.7 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 31.3 minutes per game.[
Coming into his junior season (2018–19), Demir added weight to his frame to better manage the toll of a Division I schedule.][ On November 17, he scored 21 points, including 14 consecutive points during a second-half stretch, in an 89–84 win over La Salle. On November 28, Demir posted 18 points and 14 rebounds, both game-highs, in a 70–67 defeat to NJIT. It was his first ]double-double
In basketball, a double-double is a single-game performance in which a player accumulates ten or more in two of the following five statistical categories: points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocked shots. The first "double" in the term ...
for Drexel. On December 5, Demir recorded a then career-high 24 points in a 95–86 victory over Loyola Marymount
Loyola Marymount University (LMU) is a private Jesuit and Marymount research university in Los Angeles, California. It is located on the west side of the city near Playa Vista. LMU is the parent school to Loyola Law School, which is located ...
. He bested this mark two games later against Quinnipiac
Quinnipiac is the English name for the Eansketambawg (meaning "original people"; ''cf.'' Ojibwe: ''Anishinaabeg'' and Blackfoot: ''Niitsítapi''), a Quiripi-speaking Native American nation of the Algonquian family who inhabited the ''Wampano ...
, coming off the bench to score 26 points on 11-of-15 shooting to lead the Dragons to a 92–83 win. On January 10, 2019, Demir contributed 20 points in a 79–78 victory over the College of Charleston. On January 17, he recorded his fifth double-double of the season with 22 points and a career-high 16 rebounds in a 72–66 win over Towson. On February 7, Demir posted a game-high 20 points and eight rebounds in a 69–57 victory against UNC Wilmington
The University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW or UNC Wilmington) is a public research university in Wilmington, North Carolina. It is part of the University of North Carolina System and enrolls 17,499 undergraduate and graduate students eac ...
. In the following game, a 71–69 loss to James Madison
James Madison Jr. (March 16, 1751June 28, 1836) was an American statesman, diplomat, and Founding Father. He served as the fourth president of the United States from 1809 to 1817. Madison is hailed as the "Father of the Constitution" for hi ...
, he scored a game-high 23 points, including 15 in the second half. On February 28, Demir recorded 24 points on 9-of-13 shooting in a 80–77 loss to Hofstra
Hofstra University is a private university in Hempstead, New York. It is Long Island's largest private university. Hofstra originated in 1935 as an extension of New York University (NYU) under the name Nassau College – Hofstra Memorial of New ...
. As a junior, he averaged 14.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 2.9 assists in 30.3 minutes per game, earning third-team All-CAA
CAA may refer to:
Law
* Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 of India
** Citizenship Amendment Act protests, Protests regarding the Citizenship (Amendment) Act
* Copyright transfer agreement, Copyright assignment agreement, to transfer copyright to ...
honors. He was second on the team in both scoring and rebounding.
In April 2019, Demir entered his name into the NCAA transfer portal
The NCAA transfer portal is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) application, database, and compliance tool launched on October 15, 2018, to manage and facilitate the process for student athletes seeking to transfer between member i ...
as a graduate transfer. On May 3, he committed to transfer to the University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, formally the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, (UMN Twin Cities, the U of M, or Minnesota) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Tw ...
, choosing the Golden Gophers
The Minnesota Golden Gophers (commonly shortened to Gophers) are the college sports teams of the University of Minnesota. The university fields a total of 25 (12 men's, 13 women's) teams in both men's and women's sports and competes in the Big Te ...
after having also taken a visit to Kansas State
Kansas State University (KSU, Kansas State, or K-State) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Manhattan, Kansas, United States. It was opened as the state's land-grant college in 1863 and was the first public instit ...
. He ran the decision by Vincent Grier
Vincent Grier (born March 14, 1983) is an American former college basketball player for the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers. He has scored 1,118 points, but did not play during his junior season, due to an injury.
He played for Minnesota ...
, a Minnesota alum who had been Demir's teammate and mentor in Turkey seven years prior.[
]
Minnesota
Coming into his senior year (2019–20) at Minnesota, Demir looked to fill in the gap left at power forward by outgoing senior Jordan Murphy, who graduated as the second-leading rebounder in Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...
history.[ Head coach ]Richard Pitino
Richard William Pitino (born September 16, 1982) is an American college basketball coach. He is currently the head coach of the New Mexico Lobos men's basketball team. From 2013 to 2021, he was head coach of the University of Minnesota Golden Gop ...
said that he expected Demir to make "an immediate impact" considering "his skill, size and versatility." He was immediately thrust into the starting lineup after redshirt junior Eric Curry suffered a torn ACL before the season. In his exhibition debut on August 6, 2019, Demir scored 15 points on 7-for-11 shooting and grabbed 10 rebounds in an 84–79 win over Italian team Stella Azzurra
Associazione Sportiva Stella Azzura ( en, Blue Star) is an Italian amateur basketball club based in Rome. It plays in the third division Serie B as of the 2015–16 season. The club is mainly known for its excellent youth teams, which participate ...
. On November 5, he scored 10 points in Minnesota's season opener, an 85–50 blowout win over Cleveland State
Cleveland State University (CSU) is a public research university in Cleveland, Ohio. It was established in 1964 and opened for classes in 1965 after acquiring the entirety of Fenn College, a private school that had been in operation since 1923. ...
. However, he averaged just 4.8 points on 29.6 percent shooting over the next four games.[ Following this stretch where he struggled to find his role offensively, Demir began "quietly playing terrific basketball," as put by Pitino.]
On November 29, Demir posted a then season-high 14 points and six rebounds in a 73–68 loss to DePaul.[ He recorded 13 points and five rebounds in their Big Ten Conference opener, a 72–52 loss to ]Iowa
Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the ...
on December 9. On January 5, 2020, Demir put up 11 points and nine rebounds in a 77–68 win over Northwestern. On January 9, he recorded 10 points, eight rebounds and three blocks in a 74–58 loss to top-ten-ranked Michigan State
Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the United States. It i ...
. Demir added 13 points, all in the second half, and five rebounds in their next game, a 75–67 win over Michigan
Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
on January 12.[ He did not score in double figures again until ]senior day
Senior day or senior night (depending on the time the game is held) is a term used in high school sports and college sports, most notably football and basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players ...
on March 8, when he posted a season-high 19 points and 10 rebounds in a 107–75 victory over Nebraska
Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwe ...
. It was Demir's first double-double as a Golden Gopher. On March 11, he scored seven consecutive second-half points to jumpstart a comeback against Northwestern in the first round of the 2020 Big Ten Conference tournament, winning the game 74–57. This would be Demir's final game for Minnesota, however, as the remainder of the tournament was cancelled the next day due to the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
. As a senior, Demir averaged 7.1 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 24.8 minutes per game.[
]
Professional career
Tofaş (2020–2021)
On June 8, 2020, Demir signed with Tofaş
Tofaş (acronym for ''Türk Otomobil Fabrikası Anonim Şirketi''; ''Turkish Automobile Factory Joint-Stock Company'' pronounced ) is a Turkish automobile manufacturer which was established in 1968 by Vehbi Koç, who was the founder of Koç Hold ...
of the Turkish Basketbol Süper Ligi
The Basketball Super League ( tr, Basketbol Süper Ligi; BSL), also known as the Türkiye Sigorta Basketbol Süper Ligi for sponsorship reasons, is the top men's professional basketball division of the Turkish basketball league system. It replac ...
(BSL). He appeared in 26 league games, averaging 3.5 points and 1.7 rebounds per game. Demir also played in nine Basketball Champions League
The Basketball Champions League (BCL) is an annual professional basketball competition for European clubs, organised by FIBA. It is the top-level competition organised by FIBA Europe, therefore the champion participates in the FIBA Intercontin ...
games in the 2020–21 season, averaging a modest 1.2 points and 1.1 rebounds in the continental competition.[
]
Balkan Botevgrad (2021)
On August 13, 2021, Demir signed a one-year deal with Balkan Botevgrad of the Bulgarian National Basketball League (NBL).[ He recorded 16 points and five rebounds in his team debut, a 97–75 win over ]Yambol
Yambol ( bg, Ямбол ) is a town in Southeastern Bulgaria and administrative centre of Yambol Province. It lies on both banks of the Tundzha river in the historical region of Thrace. It is occasionally spelled ''Jambol''.
Yambol is the admi ...
on October 8. Demir appeared in five NBL games and averaged 9.6 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.6 assists. He also made two Balkan League
The League of the Balkans was a quadruple alliance formed by a series of bilateral treaties concluded in 1912 between the Eastern Orthodox kingdoms of Greece, Bulgaria, Serbia and Montenegro, and directed against the Ottoman Empire, which at the ...
appearances, averaging 6.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game.[
]
Beşiktaş (2022)
On January 14, 2022, Demir signed with Beşiktaş
Beşiktaş () is a district and municipality of Istanbul, Turkey, located on the European shore of the Bosphorus strait. It is bordered on the north by Sarıyer and Şişli, on the west by Kağıthane and Şişli, on the south by Beyoğlu, and ...
, making a return to the Turkish BSL in the middle of the 2021–22 season. He played in just three BSL games, averaging 1.3 points and 2.0 rebounds, in addition to one game in the Basketball Champions League.[
]
Rayos de Hermosillo (2022)
In March 2022, it was announced that Demir had joined the Rayos de Hermosillo
Rayos de Hermosillo is a Mexican professional basketball club based in Hermosillo, Sonora. The Rayos play in the Circuito de Baloncesto de la Costa del Pacífico (CIBACOPA) and play their home games at the Gimnasio del Estado.
They have won thre ...
of the Mexican Circuito de Baloncesto de la Costa del Pacífico
The Basketball Circuit of the Pacific Coast ( or ''CIBACOPA'') is a basketball league based in Northwestern Mexico. As of 2018, it involves 10 clubs, primarily from northwest Mexico. The matches take place from March to June.
History
A league wi ...
(CIBACOPA). He made his team debut on April 1, putting up 12 points and 11 rebounds in a 90–61 victory over the Ostioneros de Guaymas The Ostioneros de Guaymas was a professional baseball club based in Guaymas, a city located in the southwest part of the state of Sonora, Mexico.
The Ostioneros were one of the four original founding members of the Mexican Pacific Coast League, a ...
. On April 6, Demir recorded a season-high 31 points, along with 12 rebounds and five assists, in a 107–96 overtime win over the Tijuana Zonkeys
The Tijuana Zonkeys are a Mexican professional basketball team based in Tijuana, Baja California. The Zonkeys are part of the Circuito de Baloncesto de la Costa del Pacífico (CIBACOPA). They play their home games at the Auditorio Academia Zonkeys ...
.[ On April 13, he posted 21 points, seven rebounds and a season-high eight assists in a 102–86 win over the Ostioneros de Guaymas.][ In the following game on April 19, Demir recorded 22 points and 10 rebounds in a 92–73 loss to the ]Astros de Jalisco
Astros de Jalisco (English: ''Jalisco Astros'') is a professional Mexican basketball team, based in Guadalajara, Jalisco. The Astros are part the CIBACOPA and the Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional, the top professional basketball league in M ...
. On April 27, he recorded 27 points and a season-high 19 rebounds in a 80–77 victory over the Caballeros de Culiacán
Caballeros de Culiacán is a professional basketball club based in Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico. The team currently plays in the Circuito de Baloncesto de la Costa del Pacífico ( CIBACOPA). In the past the team played in the Liga Nacional de Balonc ...
.[ On May 24, Demir scored 27 points in a 109–86 win over the ]Venados de Mazatlán
Venados de Mazatlán ( en, Mazatlán Deer) are a professional baseball team in the Mexican Pacific League based in Mazatlan, Sinaloa.
In 2016, the team won the Mexican Pacific League Championship and went on to win their second Caribbean Series ...
. Demir suffered a fractured nose in a game against the Astros de Jalisco, forcing him to miss two weeks of action. He made his return during the Rayos' first-round playoff series against the Halcones de Ciudad Obregón
The Halcones de Ciudad Obregón (English: ''Ciudad Obregón Falcons'') are a Mexican professional basketball team based in Ciudad Obregón, Sonora. The Halcones are members of the Circuito de Baloncesto de la Costa del Pacífico (CIBACOPA) and p ...
. In 35 games, Demir averaged 14.6 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.5 assists, earning league all-star honors.[
]
Türk Telekom (2022–2023)
On September 3, 2022, Demir joined Turkish team Türk Telekom
Türk Telekom is a state-owned Turkish telecommunications company. Türk Telekom was separated from Turkish Post (PTT) in 1995.
Türk Telekom Group provides integrated telecommunication services for PSTN, GSM, and wide-band Internet. The Türk ...
of the Basketbol Süper Ligi
The Basketball Super League ( tr, Basketbol Süper Ligi; BSL), also known as the Türkiye Sigorta Basketbol Süper Ligi for sponsorship reasons, is the top men's professional basketball division of the Turkish basketball league system. It replac ...
(BSL). He appeared in nine BSL games, as well as four games in the EuroCup.
Héroes de Falcón (2023)
In April 2023, Demir signed with Venezuelan club Héroes de Falcón of the Superliga Profesional de Baloncesto
The Superliga Profesional de Baloncesto, commonly known as the SPB, is the Venezuelan first division national professional basketball league. Founded in 1974 as the Liga Especial de Baloncesto, it adopted the name Liga Profesional de Baloncesto i ...
(SBP).[ In 12 league games, he averaged 6.5 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game.]
Merkezefendi Bld. Denizli Basket (2023–present)
On July 4, 2023, Demir signed with Merkezefendi Bld. Denizli Basket of the Basketbol Süper Ligi (BSL).[
]
Personal life
Demir was born to Mustafa and Nebahat Demir, and has one sister named Didem. While at Drexel, Demir became close friends with Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers, colloquially known as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eas ...
player Furkan Korkmaz
Furkan Korkmaz (born 24 July 1997) is a Turkish professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was born and raised in Istanbul, and was selected 26th in the 2016 NBA draft. Korkmaz is ...
; the pair had previously played against each other several times in youth competitions in Turkey.[ Demir received a ]bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...
in marketing before pursuing a master's degree
A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice. in youth development leadership at the University of Minnesota.
References
External links
Alihan Demir
at Eurobasket
Alihan Demir
at RealGM
RealGM.com is a sports website created in 2000. The site was originally a basketball site, but has since expanded its scope to provide information about American football, baseball, ice hockey and soccer. According to Alexa, the site ranked in the ...
Minnesota Golden Gophers bio
Drexel Dragons bio
Central Wyoming Rustlers bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Demir, Alihan
Living people
1996 births
BC Balkan Botevgrad players
Beşiktaş men's basketball players
Central Wyoming Rustlers men's basketball players
Drexel Dragons men's basketball players
Merkezefendi Belediyesi Denizli Basket players
Minnesota Golden Gophers men's basketball players
Power forwards
Rayos de Hermosillo players
Sportspeople from Ankara
Tofaş S.K. players
Türk Telekom B.K. players
Turkish expatriate basketball people in Bulgaria
Turkish expatriate basketball people in Mexico
Turkish expatriate basketball people in the United States
Turkish expatriate basketball people in Venezuela
Turkish men's basketball players