Santa Clara transfer Trey Wertz has elected to continue his career with Notre Dame Basketball. How will he fit for his final two years with the Irish?
Notre Dame basketball was in need of landing at least one backcourt reinforcement this offseason via the transfer portal and the program was able to do just that. Santa Clara transfer guard Trey Wertz announced his intention to transfer to South Bend on April 11th and he should be an impact player in his new uniform. Wertz is currently a sit-one, play-two addition to Notre Dame’s roster and he should continue to showcase his all-around game with the program.
Wertz is fresh off back-to-back strong seasons with Santa Clara in which he averaged in double-figures as a scorer. Even though his scoring average dipped slightly during this past campaign, the 6-foot-4 guard took massive strides with regard to his efficiency. He significantly cut his turnover rate from his freshman campaign and also buried 40.0% of his 3-point attempts while continuing to be remarkably effective inside the arc.
He definitely showcased his abilities as an all-around contributor on the offensive end of the floor. Wertz plays with excellent pace as a combo guard and finds ways to get to his spots consistently. That much is evident on film and his stats back that up as well. He finished this past season with averages of 11.9 points (.489/.400/.757), 3.5 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game.
He chose to commit to Notre Dame over North Carolina, Arizona, and Butler.
COMMITTED!☘️ #GoIrish pic.twitter.com/O7PVaOpUxQ
— Trey Wertz (@_TDub3) April 11, 2020
It is also important to note that Wertz seems like a perfect fit for South Bend with his intelligence and basketball ability. Notre Dame is well-known as an academic institution and he will be able to succeed in their graduate business program. When it comes to his fit on the court, head coach Mike Brey allows his guards plenty of offensive freedom and Wertz can thrive with his abilities to create for himself as well as dish to open teammates.
Under current transfer rules, Wertz will have to sit out this coming season before finishing with his last two years of eligibility. By the time he is able to take the court in 2021-22, he will be pairing with Prentiss Hubb and Dane Goodwin as key pieces of the backcourt. Additionally, Stanford transfer Cormac Ryan will also have two years of eligibility (he sat out this past season with three years left). That will give Coach Brey an intriguing four-guard lineup that could make some noise in the ACC.
Wertz was excellent at Santa Clara during his freshman season and took a substantial leap during this past campaign. He could easily continue to develop his all-around game and become a star at the high-major level. Wertz has excellent touch around the rim, a deadeye set shot from three, and a whole bag full of scoring moves. It will be fun to watch his development in Coach Brey’s system filled with offensive freedom.
Wertz is ranked as the No. 13 overall sit-out transfer available this offseason by ESPN and as the No. 8 overall by Stadium. It is no secret that he will be a big-time addition to Notre Dame’s future for his final two seasons of eligibility. Wertz is mostly an off-guard but can spend time as a primary ball-handler for stretches as well.