WHEELING, W.Va. — Wheeling Central High School basketball coach Mel Stephens tabbed his rising junior guard Chase Harler as a player who is ‘beyond his years’ on the court.
Harler on Sunday became the first pledge for West Virginia’s 2016 basketball recruiting class.
“I thought he had D-I potential coming in,” Stephens said. “Last year, he didn’t play like a typical sophomore and he didn’t play the year before like a typical freshman. I think he’s just one of those special talents to come along every so often who has the intangibles that makes you a really good player. He’s the best that we’ve had for a while up here.”
Harler was at WVU over the weekend for a camp when he received the offer and then committed to the Mountaineers.
“He had already received a few offers from some different schools and we had heard that WVU was definitely going to offer him. It just worked out that they made the offer this weekend,” Stephens said. “(Playing for WVU) is something that he’s wanted since he was in grade school. If WVU was going to offer, that was where he was going to go.”
The complete Sportsline interview with Stephens is posted above.
