SAN JOSE, Calif. - Incoming San Jose State men's basketball transfer Tibet Görener gave Spartan Fans a small taste of what to expect this winter with an impressive performance as a member of the Turkish U19 team at the 2021 FIBA U19 World Cup in Latvia. The small forward ranked second on the team with 10.3 points per game as he helped Turkey to a ninth place finish in the tournament.
Görener appeared in all seven games with a team-leading 26.3 minutes per contest. Making the most of his minutes, the Istanbul native shot 42.9 percent (27-of-63) from the floor while pulling down 3.4 rebounds per contest. He had a pair of 18-point games, first coming in the round of 16 in a 2-point loss to Argentina in which he finished 6-of-14 from the field and knocked down four 3-pointers. He then reached 18 points again on 7-of-13 shooting against Iran. Against Mali in group play, Görener scored nine points and pulled down three boards in just 15 minutes of action.
By the numbers
— San Jose State Men's Basketball (@SanJoseStateMBB) July 8, 2021
1??8?? points
6?? of 1??4?? FG
4?? 3-pointers
6?? rebounds
3?? assists
Tibet Gorener was all over the place in Turkey's narrow 76-74 loss in the Round of 16 ????
Check the highlights ?? pic.twitter.com/PBQQAgPIPr
Görener, who joins the Spartans after one season at Arizona, is no stranger to playing on national teams. In 2016 he helped lead Turkey to a third-place finish at the FIBA U16A European Championships by leading the team with 14.4 points per game while shooting nearly 40 percent from 3-point range.
Check out the highlights from Tibet Gorener's time at the FIBA U19 World Cup ???? #SpartanUp pic.twitter.com/VgE5zv5mK0
— San Jose State Men's Basketball (@SanJoseStateMBB) July 6, 2021
Tibet closed out his time in Latvia with a bang, averaging 10.6 ppg in Turkey's final three outings.
— San Jose State Men's Basketball (@SanJoseStateMBB) July 12, 2021
This guy is going to be a lot of fun to watch this season ??#SpartanUp pic.twitter.com/pddkwlKa3u