Rockets' Alperen Sengun Has Legitimate EuroBasket Title Hopes After 4-0 Start

Houston Rockets All-Star Alperen Sengun has taken steady leaps into NBA stardom over the last few years. The Turkish center has risen to basketball prominence both on United States soil and abroad, particularly in representing his home country.

This year, Turkey had high expectations heading into EuroBasket 2025 with Sengun at the helm. So far, the team has been living up to, and in some ways exceeding, those expectations.

Turkey most recently picked up an 84-64 win over Estonia, pushing the team to a perfect 4-0 record and the top seed in Group A with eight points. Sengun put up yet another impressive performance, with 21 points, eight rebounds and five assists while shooting the ball at a high clip. This is the first time the country has hit four wins since 2009.

The 23-year-old center is averaging 20.0 points, 8.8 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game, ranking in the top 10 in each category. Turkey has won each game by an average margin of 23.8 points, more than the expected winners of Group A, Serbia (17.8, led by Nikola Jokic).

As Turkey continues their group play dominance, it looks like the country could exceed hopes of finishing on the podium for the first time since 2001. Few teams have looked more dominant than Sengun and company, namely Germany, led by former Rocket Dennis Schroder.

This year, the 6-foot-11 big man is surrounded by viable talent. EuroLeague superstar and former NBA player Shane Larkin has been the lead guard, while former NBA forward Cedi Osman and Ercan Osmani have emerged as an elite forward duo.

It looks like this is Sengun's best shot at a EuroBasket title, and Turkey's best in a long time. While many were focused on stars NBA superstars like Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Luka Doncic before the tournament, Sengun has looked like a potential top-three player in the tournament.

Turkey's ultimate test will come in its final group play game against Serbia. Two undefeated teams will go at it, along with two of the top big men in the world: Sengun and Jokic. A win won't decide whether or not each team makes the knockout round, but the game means so much more in terms of pride and seeding.