"It's good to feel wanted again."

After spending most of the last two seasons languishing on the bench of the UNC-Charlotte 49'ers, former Cooperstown basketball star Tyler Bertram says he feels wanted again.

More than 20 Division I schools are in contact with Tyler, who announced on Twitter last week he's transferring from tobacco country to someplace closer to home. But like a lot of us these days, Tyler is also feeling not wanted on any college campus as all have been indefinitely closed out of concerns about spreading the coronavirus. And that's leaving him, and other transfers just like him, in limbo.

"I think they're re-evaluating next week if they'll allow visits, but I doubt they'll allow that. So I think these virtual tours and looking up videos on YouTube might be very important," says Bertram, adding that fortunately some of the schools he's considering now are schools he's visited before.

Going through the recruiting process only a couple years ago has also taught him some valuable lessons that will help make his decision a lot easier. But he's in no rush to make it.

"I mean it's only been a week now and I'm just starting to build relationships again with these people," says Bertram, "so I think it'll take more time to decide who I like."

Adding to the feeling of his basketball life being on hold is the fact the former Hawkeye is also recovering from a March 3 shoulder surgery to fix a torn labrum. Bertram says he expects to be at less than full strength until the end of June or early July. As fate would have it, there are no open gyms right now in which to get shots up anyway. So Tyler, who says "who knows how long this will last," is biding his time riding an exercise bike and doing some leg work in his basement to try to stay in shape.

And when he's not working out, the 6-foot 3-inch guard who averaged more than 30 points per game and won back-to-back Section III titles as a sophomore and junior at Cooperstown, will continue fielding calls from coaches. And listening to advice from his former coach and father, David.

"He says if there's a spot you figure out you really want to go to, then go there. But it hasn't been that way yet. I'm just trying to build these relationships and I'm not sure how long that's going to take," Bertram said. "But I think with everything that's going on, I have a little more time than usual."