LOUDONVILLE, NY – New Siena Men's Basketball Head Coach Nevada Smith has officially announced his fourth new addition to the Saints 2026-27 roster, with the signing of Virginia Military Institute transfer Tan Yildizoglu.
 
"Tan brings experience to our group, having started 64 games at the Division I level while amassing over 600 points, 300 assists, and 250 rebounds in his first three collegiate seasons," said Smith. "He can really pass and his IQ is off the charts. Tan's ability to make others around him better both on and off the floor will be a big part of who we are this season."
 
A 6-4, 190-pound rising senior point guard from Istanbul, Turkey, Yildizoglu spent the past two years at VMI after playing his freshman season at Pacific. Spanning his first three collegiate seasons at the Division I level, he has averaged 7.1 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 3.4 assists over 91 games including 64 starts, and ranked third in the Southern Conference in assists each of the past two seasons.
 
Yildizoglu started all 31 games in which he played this past season at VMI, and ranked third in the SoCon in both assists and steals. He posted career-bests of 10.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 1.5 steals, while adding a 2.03 assist-to-turnover ratio. Yildizoglu scored in double figures 18 times, highlighted by a career-high 25-point performance to go along with seven assists at Wofford (Feb. 18). He added a pair of double-doubles fueled by double-digit assist performances.
 
Yildizoglu appeared in 32 games (31 starts) during the 2024-25 season, and ranked third in the SoCon in assists (3.9), punctuated by a career-high 15-assist performance in his Keydets debut.
 
Yildizoglu began his collegiate career at Pacific in 2023-24, averaging 2.4 points and 1.4 assists over 12.3 minutes as a freshman, spanning 28 appearances including a pair of starts.
 
A member of the Turkish National Team, Yildizoglu represented his native country at the FIBA EuroBasket, European Championship and Challengers, and World Cup from 2021-24 at the youth level, averaging 6.4 points and 3.8 assists spanning 39 international appearances. He led Turkey with 20 points and eight assists in an historic first-ever win over Team USA to capture the bronze medal at the 2023 FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup, and earned All-Star Second Team honors after ranking second at the event averaging 5.3 assists over seven games. Yildizoglu played his club basketball for Galatasaray Nef.
 
Yildizoglu becomes the ninth scholarship member of the Saints 2026-27 roster, and fourth newcomer since Smith took the helm. Yildizoglu joins fellow newcomers Tim Ibukunoluwa, Trent Egbiremolen and Pace Prosser, re-committed incoming freshman Parrish Edmond, Jr., and returners Brendan Coyle, Reid Ducharme, Isaiah Henderson, and Owen Schlager.