BREAKING | Notre Dame Basketball Adds Guard Transfer Trey Wertz
The transfer process is always different than the recruiting process out of high school, but right now, virtually everything is unique.
Unlike a high school prospect steadily climbing up recruiting boards, the transfer process starts in an instant. Trey Wertz’s phone blew up for days after the guard entered his name in the transfer portal last month after two years at Santa Clara.
And with the nation currently paralyzed by COVID-19 concerns, the option of taking visits to some of the schools with strong mutual interest was basically out of the question.
So yeah, Wertz’s second recruiting process was very different from his first.
But in the end, he found a fit he is confident is best for him and the 6-foot-4 North Carolina native just announced his commitment to Notre Dame and head coach Mike Brey.
“I just really love Coach Brey and the staff,” Wertz told Irish Sports Daily after making his decision. “I felt good about what they were preaching to me. I felt really good about their program as well as the academic situation.”
Wertz will likely have to sit out the upcoming season, but will have two years of eligibility remaining starting with the 2021-22 season.
“Coach Brey said he didn’t want to bring me in as just a role player,” Wertz said. “He expects me to come in and make an impact on the team.”
The Charlotte, N.C., native chose Notre Dame over his other finalists; North Carolina, Arizona and Butler. He pointed to the Irish’s style of play as a major reason.
“They like to play three or four guards at a time,” he said. “Playing four around one gives them a lot of room. I agree that that’s probably the best for my game.”
Wertz liked all of the schools on his list and felt all of the styles could fit him.
“There wasn’t a bad option on there,” he said.
The Irish are certainly excited about the addition.
“He’s another handler, good size and length,” one source with knowledge of the situation told ISD. “He can make a shot. Terrific feel. Really blossomed in his two years at Santa Clara.”
Notre Dame’s staff certainly deserves credit in pulling this one off in a matter of weeks under exceptional circumstances.
“This one was different with the virus and everything and not being able to take visits,” Wertz said. “It was hectic for the first 48 hours, but once it settled down, I thought it was pretty good.
“I guess Zoom calls is the big thing now. I did a lot of those and presentations and videos that each staff was able to show me. That was definitely a little different, not being able to see the schools.”
For Notre Dame, it was the second commitment in the span of a week, following the verbal pledge of 2020 forward Tony Sanders Jr.
Wertz was grateful for the opportunities placed in front of him, but excited to have the process finished.
“It was definitely a blessing to have all of those schools be interested and contacting me, but it’s definitely good to have it over with.”