Dan Werner is back on the market – and N.C. State will get the last shot.
The skilled 6-foot-8 senior forward from New Jersey, who committed and signed with Herb Sendek and the Wolfpack prior to the coaching change, received a conditional release on Wednesday, according to Christian Brothers (N.J.) coach Ed Wicelinski.
``Dan is allowed to be recruited per NCAA regulations,” Wicelinski said. “He’s allowed to take official visits and anyone who’s interested in Danny is allowed to call him now.”
Wicelinski and the Werner family will meet on Wednesday night and try to decide on four schools that could receive official visits since Werner’s lone official visit came to N.C. State prior to his commitment.
It is expected that Notre Dame will be in the foursome. However, Wicelinski said that N.C. State – and AD Lee Fowler in particular – have been extremely helpful throughout the process. In fact, Fowler told Wicelinski around Easter that he favored the coach calling other schools for Werner while the university was in coaching limbo.
``A conditional release basically means that N.C. State will be in last,” Wicelinski said. “I don’t know if it will be Sidney Lowe, because I’m not sure if his requirements (he has yet to earn his degree) will be fulfilled, or it’ll be one of the assistants.”
When Werner inked with N.C. State, he was a little-known recruit who was considered a reach by the Wolfpack staff. However, coming off a stellar senior campaign in which he averaged 21 points and 11 boards for a 27-2 squad, his stock has risen.
Wicelinski said that he’s spoken with Florida, Kentucky, Rutgers, Vanderbilt, Richmond, St. Joseph’s, St. John’s, Pittsburgh, Georgetown and Notre Dame.
``We’re basically going to start the recruiting process over tonight,” he said.