Penn State men's basketball suffered, to say the least, in 2025-26 despite head coach Mike Rhoades bringing in a number of fresh faces on a nearly entirely new roster. One of those young players is already on his way out just one season into his collegiate career.
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Guard Melih Tunca is reportedly entering the Transfer Portal, per Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.
Penn State guard Melih Tunca will enter the transfer portal, his agent Tolga Beritan told DraftExpress.
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) March 24, 2026
The 6'5 Turkish freshman averaged 7.8 points and 2.3 assists in 23 minutes per game. pic.twitter.com/RcdLgGY4w3
Penn State freshman gaurd Melih Tunca reportedly set to enter the Transfer Portal
Tunca started his collegiate journey as a starter before transitioning into a rotational player. Over 31 contests, he averaged 7.8 points and had a .449 field goal percentage, .313 three-point percentage, and .770 free throw percentage. Tunca also had 73 assists, 62 defensive rebounds, 22 steals, 13 offensive rebounds, and six blocks in 2025-26.
The freshman guard started his collegiate season on a high note, registering 10 or more points in the first eight games of the season. His highest-scoring matchup was at La Salle in mid-November. The Nittany Lions won 83-69 and Tunca was responsible for 20 of those points over 32 minutes. He went four-for-four in three-point shots, and missed just one of nine shots from the field. Tunca had four assists as well in that game.
Whichever team picks up Tunca out of the Transfer Portal is also getting a player with elite international experience. Prior to his time in Happy Valley, Tunca played for the Turkish Basketball Super League with the Turk Telekom. In the best professional Turkish league, he was recognized as the Young Player of the Regular Season.
Rhoades' other international players he added to his roster in 2025-26 were freshmen forwards Ivan Juric and Tibor Mirtic. Junior forward Sasa Ciani from Slovenia joined the squad from a one-season stint at UIC.
Aside from Tunca, Rhoades also loses senior forward Josh Reed who spent the first three seasons in the NCAA at Cincinnati. It's expected for more than just Tunca to enter the portal, but with a majority of the talent on the roster coming from the freshmen group, there's potential for Rhoades to build off that moving forward.