Sophomore (will be a Junior next year) Trey Wertz is a talented guard who entered the transfer portal from Santa Clara. He was impressive, but struggled to make an elite-level impact due to the quality of talent around him. Top schools know his value, though, so he is one of the most sought-after transfers in this cycle.
Wertz averaged over ten points a game in each of his two seasons at Santa Clara, and he shot an impressive 40% from three-point range this past season. It’s pretty obvious why he’s looking to transfer to a school with more exposure and bigger upside for him.
He spoke with the writers at Busting Brackets about his decision and what exactly he is looking for in a school.
Remember, Wertz is not a graduate transfer, so he will have to sit out a year before he can compete again at another Division I school. If he is impressive enough that he chooses the NBA over his fourth season, Wertz might only end up playing one year at whatever school he transfers to.
It’s also worth nothing that, as far as we know, Ohio State doesn’t currently have another scholarship spot available on its roster. Someone would have to leave (either to the NBA, transfer out, or medically retire) for Wertz to come to the Buckeyes, unless he makes the shocking decision to transfer without a scholarship for a year.
Lastly, keep in mind that we have no idea what the NCAA will do about how this season ended and the COVID-19 response moving forward. Anything and everything could happen–including a short-term raise in scholarship caps, extra years of eligibility granted, or every transfer being given a waiver to not sit out.
There is so much more to this story than just what school Wertz will prefer, and the NCAA’s decisions about virus response will likely affect both his decision and the impact of whatever decision he makes.
Still, as far as Buckeye fans are concerned, it’s nice to be on the short list for now.
