LOGAN, W.Va. — One night after becoming the leading scorer in the history of Logan High School basketball, Wildcats’ standout David Early offered his commitment to Marshall.
Early, a 6-foot-4 shooting guard, made the announcement on Twitter.
https://twitter.com/davidearly_30/status/1222504441636630528?s=20
“Marshall is getting a kid who’s as offensively gifted as any player in the state,” Logan head coach Zach Green said. “The style of play that Marshall plays is very conducive to the way he wants to play as well. It’s a great fit for him and great decision for him.”
Early also held Division I offers from West Virginia, Duquesne, Robert Morris and Ohio.
“He’s been involved with the recruiting process since a young age, because at 14 or 15 he had a high measured Division I offer from West Virginia. I always told him to take his time and choose a school where he’d be happy that fits him,” Green said. “Don’t just worry about the size of a school or a team’s wins and losses, but make sure you find somewhere you fit and will be happy. I think he’s done that.”
Early likes the idea of playing in a system that allows for plenty of offensive freedom at Marshall.
“I fit in with their style of play in terms of passing and scoring,” Early said. “I can create for other players.”
In his senior season at Logan, Early is averaging more than 26 points per game. He began the school year at Beckley Prep, and despite playing there early in its season, Early transferred back to Logan — where he spent his first three years in high school.
He was delcared eligible in early December by the West Virginia Secondary School Acitivities Commission.
“This is a big relief to get this off my shoulders so I can finish out this season trying to get a state championship and get ready for college,” Early said.
Logan is currently 9-5, though only three of the five losses are from on-court results. After he enrolled back at Logan, Early was recently ruled to have participated in only 13 practices as opposed to the 14 required to play in games. As a result, the Wildcats were forced to forfeit both wins in the Smoky Mountain Shootout.
Since Logan’s loss to Woodrow Wilson in the Battle of the Armory, Early’s play has helped the Wildcats notch eight straight wins. The streak includes a victory over Chapmanville that stopped the Tigers’ 54-game in-state win streak, along with a win over George Washington.
Just last night, Early scored the game-winning basket in the final seconds to send the Wildcats past Mingo Central, 50-48. His career scoring total at LHS is now 1,935 points — six more than the previous mark held by Paul Williamson.
“The work he’s done speaks for itself,” Green said.
A Class AA second-team all-state selection as a sophomore, Early earned first-team honors in 2019 after averaging 26.2 points and 7.8 rebounds. He surpassed 30 points in eight contests and helped Logan finish 20-5 in the process.
Early is listed at 240 pounds on the school’s official roster and has a stature Green believes will help ease his transition with the Thundering Herd.
“At that level, the physicality is different and the beating a body takes for someone who doesn’t have that kind of size can be tough,” Green said. “That’s a huge plus for him going into his freshman season at Marshall.”
Chapmanville’s Obinna Anochili-Killen, another one of the state’s top recruits, signed with Marshall in November.
“I feel like Obinna and I can do well there,” Early said, “and really make an impact.”