Hot board: Potential transfer targets for NC State

NC State might not have an available scholarship, but the Wolfpack have been linked to some transfers, including offering wing Trey Wertz of Santa Clara.

A litany of players who attended high school in North Carolina have entered the transfer portal, with one already having made his college decision — former Raleigh Ravenscroft and Houston Baptist wing Ian DuBose.

Here is a look at some of the players NC State is checking out or could be down the road when the scholarship situation with the roster is clear.

Offers/interest: A reported 40 schools have reached out with NC State and Arizona quickly offering Wertz. He has narrowed his list to NC State, Arizona, Butler, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Stanford, Virginia, Xavier, Vanderbilt.

Stats: Wertz averaged 11.9 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game. He shot 48.9 percent from the field and 40 percent on three-pointers.

The skinny: Santa Clara under former NCSU coach Herb Sendek was humming along for a breakout season thanks to the play of Wertz and sophomore center Guglielmo Caruso. The Broncos were sitting with a 15-3 mark with wins over St. Mary’s, Washington State and California. However, Caruso got injured in late December and didn’t return until Feb. 13. Wertz had some nagging injuries himself, but kept on playing.

Santa Clara finished 20-13 and 6-10 in the WCC. Wertz and junior guard Tahj Eaddy both decided to leave the program. Wertz was originally recruited to Santa Clara by then assistant coach Justin Gainey, a former NC State point guard. Gainey left to join the staff at Arizona before Wertz’s freshman year, but has offered him for the Wildcats.

Wertz is a quality three-point shooter and physically at 6-4 and 185 pounds, compares to former NCSU shooting guard Terry Henderson. He had his “proved he belonged” performance during his freshman year when he lit up USC for 28 points in a 102-92 double overtime win Dec. 18, 2018.

Wertz helped Charlotte (N.C.) Providence Day to a NCISAA 3A state title in 2016 with a stunning win over future Miami Heat star Edrice Adebayo and High Point (N.C.) Christian 67-53. Wertz, who had 25 points in the title game, played with Kansas point guard Devon Dotson, current Boston Celtics power forward Grant Williams and Appalachian State power forward Isaac Johnson.

Wertz’s father, Langston Wertz, is the accomplished prep writer for the Charlotte Observer.

Top 3 statistical games 2019-2020: Wertz had 18 points, nine rebounds and an assist in a 70-62 win over Washington State on Nov. 12.

• Wertz scored a season-high 31 points plus three boards and three assists in a 84-80 win over Pacific on Jan. 18.

• He had 28 points and went 6 of 8 on three-pointers in a 100-71 win over Mississippi Valley State on Dec. 20.

Offers/interest: The 6-4, 200-pound Burton heard from 46 colleges, including NC State, with offers from Xavier, Texas Tech, Seton Hall and Iowa State.

Stats: He averaged 10.3 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.4 assists his sophomore year. Burton shot 44 percent from the field and an improved 38.1 percent on three-pointers.

The skinny: Burton didn’t get the normal exposure most prep players get, due to a knee injury he suffered his junior year, preventing him from playing with Team Loaded NC the summer of 2017.

Burton proved healthy and productive during a dream-like senior year at Charlotte (N.C.) Independence High, leading them to the NCHSAA 4A state title and 31-1 record. Burton earned a spot on the North Carolina Associated Press all-state team and first-team Charlotte Observer after averaging 16.4 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game.

Burton ended up picking Wichita State over Butler, Temple and UMass that spring. He was a two-year starter for the Shockers, who went 23-8 overall and 11-7 in the AAC. However, Burton and seven other scholarship players transferred following the season.

Top 3 statistical games 2019-2020: Burton had 10 points, eight rebounds and five assists in a 73-63 win over VCU on Dec. 21.

• Burton had 16 points, three rebounds and three assists in a 76-67 win over Memphis on Jan. 9.

• He went 4 of 5 on three-pointers en route to a season-high 18 points, six rebounds and five boards in a 103-62 win over Tennessee-Martin on Nov. 16.

Offers/interest: NC State hasn’t reportedly reached out to Murphy yet since he entered the portal this past weekend, but over 20 colleges have expressed interest.

Stats: He averaged 13.7 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game last year. He shot 43.4 percent from the field and 36.8 percent on three-pointers.

The skinny: The 6-8, 200-pound Murphy was always known as a shooter and he remained loyal to Cary (N.C.) Academy and Durham (N.C.) Hurricanes in high school. Murphy picked Rice on Aug. 3, 2017, over offers from Rider, Army, Navy, Tennessee Tech and Presbyterian.

Now Murphy will have his pick of high major schools it appears after developing the last two years under Rice coach Scott Pera, who coached James Harden in high school, and then was an assistant coach at Arizona State under former NCSU head coach Herb Sendek.

Murphy’s father played at East Carolina, and the Murphy family knows NC State signee Josh Hall very well through the Durham Hurricanes organization.

Top 3 statistical games 2019-2020: (Tie) Murphy wore out Middle Tennessee State in a pair of matchups. He went 4 of 9 on three-pointers for 21 points and eight rebounds in a 77-66 win March 1. He also had nearly identical numbers in the first meeting, which was a 91-83 win Feb. 8. He went 4 of 9 on three-pointers for 21 points and nine rebounds.

• Murphy went 6 of 10 from three-point land for 20 points plus two rebounds in a 72-56 road loss at Louisiana Tech on Jan. 16.

Offers/interest: The 6-4, 208-pound Minlend entered his name in the transfer portal as a graduate transfer Tuesday.

Stats: He averaged 14.4 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game this season. He shot 41.6 percent from the field and 30.3 percent on three-pointers.

The skinny: Minlend, the son of former St. John’s forward of the same name, helped the Dons go 22-12 overall and 9-7 in the competitive WCC.

Minlend has scored in double figures all three years, and he’s had his fair share of battles against top-ranked Gonzaga, playing them three times this season. He was held to single digits in just seven games this past season, and proved to be a factor on the boards.

Minlend was a productive player at Concord (N.C.) First Assembly Academy, and then spend a year at Fork Union (Va.) Military Academy. He won the NCISAA 2A state title his senior year, and had a pair of runner-up finishes.

Top 3 statistical games 2019-2020: Minlend had 19 points, seven rebounds and one assist in his last game in a San Francisco uniform — a narrow 81-77 loss to Gonzaga in the WCC Tournament semifinal March 9.

• Minlend went 3 of 5 from three-point land en route to 22 points plus four rebounds in a 71-54 road loss at Gonzaga on Feb. 20.

• He had 18 points, seven rebounds and three assists in a 64-56 loss at Stanford on Dec. 17.

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