CORVALLIS – The Oregon State men’s basketball team has added center Yaak Yaak to its roster for the 2025-26 season, head coach Wayne Tinkle announced Friday.
Yaak is a 6-foot-11 center from Adelaide, Australia
Yaak Yaak
6-foot-11
Center
Adelaide, Australia
Yaak averaged 10.6 points and 6.2 rebounds per game as a sophomore last season at Colorado Mesa. He blocked 50 shots in 27 games, and shot 48.3 percent from the floor. Yaak scored in double-figures 17 times, including eight-straight games in the latter phases of the season. He set a season-high with 20 points against Western Colorado on March 1.
“We’re very happy to be adding Yaak Yaak to our program,” Tinkle said. “At 6-foot-11, he brings some factors we don’t have in our other posts with this length and athleticism. He has the ability to protect the rim on one end and the ability to finish above the rim on the other, and he will provide a good balance to the rest of our group. He’s a great young man from a great family, and we are excited to be welcoming him to ours.”
Yaak started his collegiate career at New Mexico State, where he appeared in 15 games as a freshman. Before college, he had a two-year scholarship to the NBA Global Academy – an elite training center located at Basketball Australia’s Centre of Excellence at the Australia Institute of Sport in Canberra, Australia. Yaak has also played in the Australian national team system, representing his country at the U19 FIBA World Cup.
“In a very short time Coach Haslam and Coach Tinkle made it clear to me that this is the program I need to be in,” Yaak said. “Their history with bigs really intrigued me, and with the number of international players that have been with Coach Tinkle, it all made sense to me. They made it clear that I’m a missing piece in their puzzle. This is a chance to play in a league that a lot of Australians have done well in, while also getting ready to head into the Pac-12 next year. I feel confident that I can help make an impact with this program.”
Yaak will be joined next season by fellow newcomers Dez White, Malcolm Christie, Noah Amenhauser, Stephen Olowoniyi, Jorge Diaz Graham, Keziah Ekissi, and Olavi Suutela.
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