Rutgers Basketball lands Kansas State transfer center Dorin Buca
For the second consecutive year, Rutgers Basketball has added a center transfer from Kansas State.
The Scarlet Knights landed a commitment from former Wildcats center and Italian native Dorin Buca, Jonathan Givony of Draft Express reported Monday night. Buca spent his only season in the United States in Manhattan. He entered the transfer portal after the dismissal of former head coach Jerome Tang.
The 7-foot-2 big man–who will be 24 years old by the time the season tips off in November–averaged 3.3 points and 3.2 rebounds in 27 games, playing an average of 12.9 minutes per game. He will have one year of eligibility remaining after his lone year as a Wildcat represented his junior year.
Buca will likely back up incoming center Christian Gurdak from Virginia Tech, as the Scarlet Knights’ frontcourt continues to be rebuilt with four newcomers in the transfer portal.
Buca’s background
Originally from Perugia, Italy, Buca holds dual citizenship in both Italy and Romania, as he was born in Galati, Romania.
He played for Libertas 1947 Livorno in the Italian Series B in the 2023-24 season, averaging 3.3 points per game on 56.6 percent shooting from the floor, along with 3.3 rebounds and 0.9 blocks in 10.8 minutes per game.
In the 2024-25 campaign, Buca played for Akern Livorno Libertas in the Italian Serie A2. He averaged 5.6 points on a 60.8 percent clip from the field, with 5.3 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 16.7 minutes per game.
At Kansas State, Buca originally joined the team in August of 2025 and played in 27 games with four starts, missing most of the final five games due to an ankle injury. He did have some of his best numbers of the season against the top competition, registering career-highs in points (12) against No. 1 Arizona, rebounds (11) against No. 19 Kansas and top portal player Flory Bidunga, and assists (three) against No. 10 BYU.
He registered a 93.5 offensive rating (100 is average) and a 10.6 percent block rate, according to KenPom, though did sport a 31.5 percent turnover rate in Big 12 play.
Buca was ranked as the 1048th-ranked portal player out of 2420 players, according to EvanMiya. He held a defensive performance rating of 1.94 and an offensive performance rating of -1.93.
Rutgers Basketball roster breakdown
Here is how the Scarlet Knights’ roster currently projects, with how many years of eligibility each has left, as the transfer portal is closed to new entrants.
Guards: Jamichael Davis (one year), Tariq Francis (one year), Lino Mark (three years), Kaden Powers (three years), Imahri Wooten (four years), Lewis Duarte (three years)
Forwards: Darren Buchanan Jr. (one year), Darin Smith Jr. (two years), Will Sydnor (three years)
Centers: Dorin Buca (one year), Christian Gurdak (three years), Gevonte Ware (three years)
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