Will Berg's Journey Through the NCAA Transfer Portal: From Purdue to Wichita State

Will Berg, a 7-foot-2 center originally from Stockholm, Sweden, has navigated a unique path through the landscape of NCAA basketball. From his arrival at Purdue University with national-team experience to his eventual transfer to Wichita State, Berg's journey exemplifies the challenges and opportunities presented by the NCAA transfer portal. This article explores Berg's career, his decision to enter the transfer portal, and his subsequent impact with the Wichita State Shockers.

Early Career and Time at Purdue

Berg entered Purdue as an under-the-radar recruit, committing to the Boilermakers after an official visit and turning down offers from Illinois and Utah State. He brought with him a great deal of confidence, fueled by his experience with the Swedish national team.

2022-23 Season

Berg redshirted during the 2022-23 season, retaining four seasons of eligibility starting in 2023-24.

2023-24 Season

Berg's freshman season saw him appear in 14 games, where he averaged 2.6 points and 1.9 rebounds per game. He demonstrated efficiency, shooting 15-of-20 (.750) from the field, with over half of his field goals coming from dunks. His per-40-minute averages were an impressive 28.3 points and 19.9 rebounds. Notably, eleven of his 26 rebounds were on the offensive end. Some highlights from the season included scoring eight points in just under six minutes against Jacksonville and a combined 11 points and six rebounds in the first two games, played in just over 11 minutes. He also scored seven points with three rebounds in a win over Texas Southern and four points with four rebounds in just over three minutes of action in the NCAA Tournament Second Round win over Utah State.

2024-25 Season

Berg saw action in 22 games with three starts, averaging 1.8 points, 1.3 rebounds, 0.3 assists, and 0.2 blocks per game in approximately six minutes per outing. He shot an impressive 16-of-19 (.842) from the field and 8-of-16 (.500) from the free throw line. His 84.2 percent shooting from the field is the eighth-highest percentage in NCAA history for players with at least 15 field goal attempts. He finished his Purdue career shooting 79.5 percent (31-of-39) from the field, the highest field goal percentage in NCAA history for anyone with at least 35 field goal attempts. Thirteen of his 31 career field goals were dunks. He recorded a season-high seven points with a career-high seven rebounds against Northern Kentucky. Berg also provided a spark in the first half of the NCAA Tournament first-round win over High Point, scoring four points with two rebounds in eight first-half minutes.

The Zach Edey Factor

A significant aspect of Berg's time at Purdue was the daily challenge of practicing against Zach Edey, the two-time National Player of the Year. Berg acknowledged the difficulty, especially as a freshman arriving from overseas. He mentioned that every freshman comes to college thinking they’re going to be a major impact off the get-go. Berg also expressed that it was mutually beneficial for both of them because he thinks he helped Edey too because he didn’t have a lot of 7-foot guys to play against.

Entering the Transfer Portal

Following the 2024-25 season, Berg decided to enter the transfer portal. This decision wasn't entirely unexpected, as his playing time diminished after an initial elevation into the starting lineup due to an injury to Daniel Jacobsen. The presence of other talented players like Trey Kaufman-Renn, Daniel Jacobsen, and Raleigh Burgess also presented challenges to his potential for increased playing time at Purdue.

Finding a New Home: Wichita State

Berg's journey led him to Wichita State, where he joined the Shockers with two years of eligibility remaining. Wichita State's head coach, Paul Mills, emphasized Berg's physicality, ability to finish at the rim, rebounding skills, and perimeter actions with the guards. Mills believed that Berg was a perfect fit.

Impact at Wichita State

Berg quickly became a significant presence for the Shockers, particularly on the interior. There was a three-game stretch where he was a force. He averaged 11.3 points and 9.7 rebounds per contest, helping Wichita State to a 2-1 record in that span. At 7-foot-2, Berg is one of the tallest players in Wichita State history.

Personal Reflections

Berg has been open about his struggles with confidence on the basketball court, even having a tattoo that reads “you vs.” He has said that it’s most often himself that is his biggest enemy. He hopes to repay the coaches’ confidence by working hard and stretching the floor, and by sharing another passion: cooking. He likes seeing how happy people get when he cooks for them.

Read also: Crafting Your NCAA Profile

Berg and Other Former Boilermakers

Will Berg was one of four players from Purdue's roster to enter the NCAA transfer portal. The others were Camden Heide, Myles Colvin, and Brian Waddell. All four found landing spots following their decision to leave West Lafayette.

Performance of Other Former Boilermakers

Camden Heide, Texas (junior): Heide has been in a bit of a slump over the last four games, going scoreless twice and totaling just 14 points across the last four contests. This came immediately after averaging 14 points per game over a three-game stretch from Jan. 28 through Feb. 3. The good news? Texas has won six of its last eight games, putting itself in position to make the NCAA Tournament field.
- Points - 6.7 ppg
- Rebounds - 2.8 rpg
- Assists - 0.7 apg
- Steals - 0.5 spg
- Blocks - 0.2 bpg
- FG% - 54.0% (61-of-113)
- 3-pt FG% - 49.4% (42-of-85)
- FT% - 64.3% (9-of-14)
- Minutes - 23.2 mpg
- Texas record - 17-10 (8-6 in SEC)
Myles Colvin, Wake Forest (junior): Colvin has provided Wake Forest with some consistency, both in scoring and on the glass, this season. He is the team's second-leading scorer and ranks third in rebounds for the year. He helped Wake Forest rattle off three straight wins over Georgia Tech, Stanford and Clemson before falling to Virginia Tech on Saturday. Colvin has also provided the Demon Deacons with strong effort on the defensive end.
- Points - 11.9 ppg
- Rebounds - 4.3 rpg
- Assists - 1.3 apg
- Steals - 1.4 spg
- Blocks - 0.4 bpg
- FG% - 41.5% (100-of-241)
- 3-pt FG% - 35.7% (46-of-129)
- FT% - 86.2% (75-of-87)
- Minutes - 27.4 mpg
- Wake Forest - 14-13 (5-9 in ACC)
Brian Waddell, Bellarmine (senior): Bellarmine has lost its last four games, but Waddell has performed at a high level in that stretch. He is coming off arguably his best performance of the year on Saturday, finishing a game against Lipscomb with 23 points, seven rebounds, three assists and two steals. Waddell has scored in double figures 22 times this season and is statistically the most efficient shooter on the Knights' roster.
- Points - 15.0 ppg
- Rebounds - 4.1 rpg
- Assists - 2.2 apg
- Steals - 0.8 spg
- Blocks - 0.4 bpg
- FG% - 62.7% (163-of-260)
- 3-pt FG% - 40% (22-of-55)
- FT% - 78.9% (71-of-90)
- Minutes - 30.8 mpg
- Bellarmine record - 11-17 (6-10 in A-SUN)

tags: #ncaa #transfer #portal #purdue #will #berg