Calipari Travels to the European-Asian Border in Search of Razorbacks
It seems the Arkansas coach has a particular target in mind.
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Everyone expected that having John Calipari as the coach at Arkansas would be unique, but no one anticipated that searching for top recruits in Istanbul would be part of the plan.
Just days after the NBA swept through Europe for its draft, Calipari is navigating Turkey’s largest city, where Europe and Asia converge by the Sea of Marmara. However, he’s not just relying on Google Maps to find good food and the homes of potential future Razorbacks. Instead, he’s spending time with his former player, Derek Willis, leveraging his connections.
It makes sense to wonder how an Arkansas basketball coach learns about a player from Turkey. Naturally, Willis might have heard about a player or met one at a skills camp and informed Calipari.
However, there is a database used by the NBA to monitor several basketball players in Turkey for past and future drafts. Given Calipari’s background as a former NBA coach and his strong connections with league scouting departments, he’s likely well aware of these databases of international players.
There’s certainly precedent. That’s how Croatian Zvonimir Ivisic, a 7-foot-2 standout, ended up with the Razorbacks after his time in Kentucky.
Unless Calipari discloses his recruitment target—which Arkansas fans would prefer he doesn’t, as it’s one of the few recruiting regulations the NCAA still enforces—it’s tough to pinpoint who he’s scouting. The pool of top-tier basketball talent from Turkey is relatively small.
By narrowing it down to those within the current recruitment period and focusing on areas in and around Istanbul, the list shrinks to three names. This highlights a third potential method Calipari uses to identify international talent.
All three potential candidates are enrolled at prep schools in Florida. Kerimalp Karahan attends DME Academy, while Demir Demiralp and Melih Basatli are reportedly teammates at Montverde.
Although Basatli is listed as a forward despite being only 6-foot-2, his performance this past season clarifies this somewhat, as he competes against players who are physically more mature.
Furthermore, Basatli doesn’t play like a traditional forward. He excels as a catch-and-shoot three-point shooter with significant range and uses his size and European-style movement to make short jumpers and layups from difficult positions.
As for Karahan, it’s probably safe to count him out. His standout moment is a game where DME is trailing by nearly 50 points, and he manages to score one point and make one assist. He’s not exactly Razorback material, even for those “walk-on” spots that Calipari often mentions.
Regarding Demiralp, there is footage showing him as a promising outside shooter. However, he seems to fade from the scene after 2023, so it’s unlikely that Calipari is traveling across the world to recruit him, despite how pleasant a working vacation it might be.
So, while it’s impossible to know for sure under the current circumstances, it appears Basatli is the most likely candidate. Otherwise, Calipari just wanted to take a nice summer trip and find a way to write off a lot of the expenses.
