Xavier University Athletics
Xavier Nation Magazine Feature: Young Turk
01.18.18 | Men's Basketball, Featured
Turkish-born Kerem Kanter hopes to fulfill his championship dreams after transferring to Xavier for one season.
At 6-foot-10 and 240 pounds, Kerem Kanter is grand in stature but gentle in speech. On a summer day in a Cintas Center office he responds to questions with smiles and short sentences, speaking so softly that at times he's difficult to hear. He's different than other Xavier newcomers. Turkish-born Kanter is a student of the world, the son of a doctor and a former nurse, the brother of NBA star Enes Kanter, an Under-18 Turkish National Team gold medalist.
The things he does not say about himself—like scoring a perfect 800 on the math portion of the SAT, or the close relationship he has with Enes—make him even more intriguing.
It's worth leaning in when the 22-year-old forward, who began his career at Wisconsin-Green Bay, has something to say.
"I had a really good game last year against Central Michigan and made it to SportsCenter," Kanter says. "I had 20 straight points in four minutes. Lay-ups, free throws, all kinds of stuff. At the half I had three points, but from the 14-minute mark to the 10-minute mark of the second half, I had 20."
The game was last December. Green Bay lost despite Kanter's burst, but it was in some ways a national debut for the moderately utilized big man. His 23 points were a career high. The first of his nine double-doubles in 2016–2017 arrived several games later, and Kanter evolved into one of the most productive post players in the Horizon League.
In his final game in a Phoenix uniform (against former Xavier assistant Kareem Richardson's University of Missouri-Kansas City team in the College Basketball Invitational on March 15), Kanter amassed a team-high 20 points in just 18 minutes behind eight of nine field-goal attempts, including a three-pointer.
His propensity to maximize points in limited minutes while drawing opponents' best defenders spoke volumes to the programs that sought him as a graduate transfer. Xavier assistant basketball coach Luke Murray learned about Kanter on the AAU circuit several years prior and was a little surprised Kanter wasn't an impact player earlier at Green Bay.
"It took him some time to kind of get going," Murray says. "Green Bay had a style of play on offense with a previous coaching staff where they played really, really fast and they got the ball up and down the court in a hurry. It wasn't necessarily an ideal fit for Kerem, who's probably somebody who's a little bit better in more of a half-court, slower-paced game."
How Kanter even landed at Green Bay is a story unto itself. He arrived in the United States eight years ago to pursue his education and basketball, spending the bulk of his prep career at Wilbraham and Monson Academy in Massachusetts. He headed to IMG Academy in Florida for a year after that.
Kanter flew home to Turkey over spring break his final season and was offered a $2 million Turkish lira professional contract by Galatasaray, "one of the best professional teams in Europe," Kanter says. He weighed his options.
"I was leaning toward more playing professionally but then me and my family had a talk," Kanter says. "I was like, 'I already did high school in the States. Why not continue what I started?' But by the time I decided to go back to college, all the big names that recruited me already had players because I told them I was going to go professional. Schools like Miami, Pittsburgh, Auburn, Michigan State…they had players on their rosters. The only schools I had left were Green Bay and Tulane."
He chose Green Bay, sight unseen, from nearly 6,000 miles away.
Mehmet Kanter, a respected physician and researcher, was a big force behind his son's educational pursuits. Besides, a pro contract wasn't a rarity in the family; Kerem Kanter says Enes was offered "$4 or $5 million [Turkish lira] because he was the top player in Turkey" as a teenager. "My dad had a bigger vision," Kanter says.
Kanter's transition to college ball was tinged by surgery he underwent for tendinitis in his right knee. The procedure was completed before his freshman year at Green Bay. The Green Bay Post-Gazette reported that Kanter arrived on campus about 30 pounds heavier than he is now.
Kanter developed and stuck with Green Bay through a coaching staff change. His stats ballooned last season (11.3 points per game, 6.3 rebounds), and after graduating in the spring with a business administration degree, he re-opened his recruitment.
Experienced, versatile, and immediately eligible, Kanter was a hot commodity. Kansas State, Creighton, Pittsburgh, Washington, Baylor, Purdue, Seton Hall, and Providence expressed interest. More programs might have followed, but Kanter made just one official visit—to Xavier—and committed.
He sought a program that could win and compete deep in the NCAA Tournament while preparing him for the NBA. Coach Chris Mack and the Musketeers had everything on his wish list.
"One thing I wanted was to have good players on my team," Kanter says. "At Green Bay I was getting double-teamed as soon as I would catch the ball, especially in the second half of the season. I wanted to play with good players and then I wanted to win more than individual stats. That's why I thought Xavier was the top school."
He tested the NBA draft waters without hiring an agent but did not participate in any workouts before withdrawing his name from contention May 22. At nearly the same time, his brother Enes became embroiled in controversy abroad.
The Oklahoma City Thunder center was detained at a Romanian airport because Turkey canceled his travel documents. Enes Kanter contended it was the result of his political views, including his criticism of the Turkish president.
Asked if he was comfortable shedding light on his brother's situation, Kerem Kanter abstained. He said he "generally stays away" from political discussions. "I don't want to get into much detail, but he's standing for what he thinks is right," Kanter says.
Kanter keeps his focus on academics (sport management, specifically) and developing relationships with his teammates. He also plays a mean game of Ping-Pong, loves chess, and adores soccer and his family. He stays in touch with his parents and siblings in Turkey via Web chats and remains in regular contact with Enes.
Cincinnati provided a soft landing for the student-athlete, who was recognized immediately by fans while out and about. The late timing of Kanter's commitment to Green Bay in 2014 doused the effect of a Twitter announcement, but this time around he has been able to soak in congratulations and well wishes.
Murray, who headed up Kanter's recruitment, considers him a valuable addition to the program. "He can shoot the ball from the three," Murray says. "He can really, really pass. He can play with his back to the basket. He's not very athletic. He's not super quick. He doesn't jump very high. But he's got a kind of savvy, cerebral game, kind of what you think or envision a European big guy would play."
After a long journey to his final year of collegiate eligibility, the world traveler is eager to finally fulfill his basketball aspirations. "I want to get to the Final Four," Kanter says, smiling. "And I want to be one of the reasons we get there."
The things he does not say about himself—like scoring a perfect 800 on the math portion of the SAT, or the close relationship he has with Enes—make him even more intriguing.
It's worth leaning in when the 22-year-old forward, who began his career at Wisconsin-Green Bay, has something to say.
"I had a really good game last year against Central Michigan and made it to SportsCenter," Kanter says. "I had 20 straight points in four minutes. Lay-ups, free throws, all kinds of stuff. At the half I had three points, but from the 14-minute mark to the 10-minute mark of the second half, I had 20."
The game was last December. Green Bay lost despite Kanter's burst, but it was in some ways a national debut for the moderately utilized big man. His 23 points were a career high. The first of his nine double-doubles in 2016–2017 arrived several games later, and Kanter evolved into one of the most productive post players in the Horizon League.
In his final game in a Phoenix uniform (against former Xavier assistant Kareem Richardson's University of Missouri-Kansas City team in the College Basketball Invitational on March 15), Kanter amassed a team-high 20 points in just 18 minutes behind eight of nine field-goal attempts, including a three-pointer.
His propensity to maximize points in limited minutes while drawing opponents' best defenders spoke volumes to the programs that sought him as a graduate transfer. Xavier assistant basketball coach Luke Murray learned about Kanter on the AAU circuit several years prior and was a little surprised Kanter wasn't an impact player earlier at Green Bay.
"It took him some time to kind of get going," Murray says. "Green Bay had a style of play on offense with a previous coaching staff where they played really, really fast and they got the ball up and down the court in a hurry. It wasn't necessarily an ideal fit for Kerem, who's probably somebody who's a little bit better in more of a half-court, slower-paced game."
How Kanter even landed at Green Bay is a story unto itself. He arrived in the United States eight years ago to pursue his education and basketball, spending the bulk of his prep career at Wilbraham and Monson Academy in Massachusetts. He headed to IMG Academy in Florida for a year after that.
Kanter flew home to Turkey over spring break his final season and was offered a $2 million Turkish lira professional contract by Galatasaray, "one of the best professional teams in Europe," Kanter says. He weighed his options.
"I was leaning toward more playing professionally but then me and my family had a talk," Kanter says. "I was like, 'I already did high school in the States. Why not continue what I started?' But by the time I decided to go back to college, all the big names that recruited me already had players because I told them I was going to go professional. Schools like Miami, Pittsburgh, Auburn, Michigan State…they had players on their rosters. The only schools I had left were Green Bay and Tulane."
He chose Green Bay, sight unseen, from nearly 6,000 miles away.
Mehmet Kanter, a respected physician and researcher, was a big force behind his son's educational pursuits. Besides, a pro contract wasn't a rarity in the family; Kerem Kanter says Enes was offered "$4 or $5 million [Turkish lira] because he was the top player in Turkey" as a teenager. "My dad had a bigger vision," Kanter says.
Kanter's transition to college ball was tinged by surgery he underwent for tendinitis in his right knee. The procedure was completed before his freshman year at Green Bay. The Green Bay Post-Gazette reported that Kanter arrived on campus about 30 pounds heavier than he is now.
Kanter developed and stuck with Green Bay through a coaching staff change. His stats ballooned last season (11.3 points per game, 6.3 rebounds), and after graduating in the spring with a business administration degree, he re-opened his recruitment.
Experienced, versatile, and immediately eligible, Kanter was a hot commodity. Kansas State, Creighton, Pittsburgh, Washington, Baylor, Purdue, Seton Hall, and Providence expressed interest. More programs might have followed, but Kanter made just one official visit—to Xavier—and committed.
He sought a program that could win and compete deep in the NCAA Tournament while preparing him for the NBA. Coach Chris Mack and the Musketeers had everything on his wish list."One thing I wanted was to have good players on my team," Kanter says. "At Green Bay I was getting double-teamed as soon as I would catch the ball, especially in the second half of the season. I wanted to play with good players and then I wanted to win more than individual stats. That's why I thought Xavier was the top school."
He tested the NBA draft waters without hiring an agent but did not participate in any workouts before withdrawing his name from contention May 22. At nearly the same time, his brother Enes became embroiled in controversy abroad.
The Oklahoma City Thunder center was detained at a Romanian airport because Turkey canceled his travel documents. Enes Kanter contended it was the result of his political views, including his criticism of the Turkish president.
Asked if he was comfortable shedding light on his brother's situation, Kerem Kanter abstained. He said he "generally stays away" from political discussions. "I don't want to get into much detail, but he's standing for what he thinks is right," Kanter says.
Kanter keeps his focus on academics (sport management, specifically) and developing relationships with his teammates. He also plays a mean game of Ping-Pong, loves chess, and adores soccer and his family. He stays in touch with his parents and siblings in Turkey via Web chats and remains in regular contact with Enes.
Cincinnati provided a soft landing for the student-athlete, who was recognized immediately by fans while out and about. The late timing of Kanter's commitment to Green Bay in 2014 doused the effect of a Twitter announcement, but this time around he has been able to soak in congratulations and well wishes.
Murray, who headed up Kanter's recruitment, considers him a valuable addition to the program. "He can shoot the ball from the three," Murray says. "He can really, really pass. He can play with his back to the basket. He's not very athletic. He's not super quick. He doesn't jump very high. But he's got a kind of savvy, cerebral game, kind of what you think or envision a European big guy would play."
After a long journey to his final year of collegiate eligibility, the world traveler is eager to finally fulfill his basketball aspirations. "I want to get to the Final Four," Kanter says, smiling. "And I want to be one of the reasons we get there."
Players Mentioned
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