— Story by Taylor Kennedy
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Charleston Catholic basketball rising senior Aiden Satterfield has verbally committed to West Liberty. Satterfield becomes the first commit in the Class of 2021 for the Hilltoppers.
Satterfield, 2020 Class A All-State captain, announced via his Twitter page that he will be heading to the northern panhandle after high school. Satterfield’s ultimate reasoning behind choosing West Liberty was not because of the facilities, instead it was the relationships he had built over time.
Thankful and blessed ! ?? pic.twitter.com/WZtu43Wevh
— Aiden Satterfield (@aidensatt1) September 21, 2020
“They’ve been recruiting me for more than two years now. The relationship I’ve built with the coaching staff is great. I really like those guys. Also, they are one of the best Division II programs in the country year in and year out,” says Satterfield.
Satterfield held two other official offers one being from Mountain East Conference opponent University of Charleston, and the other came from the University of Rio Grande.
Satterfield felt that immediate connection with West Liberty’s coaching staff, which also made his commitment easier.
“I knew once I talked to those guys, they were genuine. They always kept it real with me, and that means a lot to me,” says Satterfield.
Satterfield recalls the first time that he and fourth-year head coach Ben Howlett met, and he felt comfortable around Coach Howlett the moment they met.
“It was great. It was back in January after they had watched the [Wheeling] Central game. I played really well, and Coach Howlett let me know about the program, how they operate, and how I could help,” says Satterfield.
Satterfield still has one more season with the Charleston Catholic Irish, but he and Coach Howlett have discussed how he could make an impact in year one.
“Working as hard as I can. Coach told me nothing will be handed, and that’s just how I want it. I know if I work hard and buy into the system I can help out the team in numerous ways. Not just scoring, but defensively as well. It’ll take time, for sure, but that’s a part of the process,” says Satterfield.
Satterfield helped the Irish capture their first regional championship since 2014, which earned them the No. 2 seed in the Class A state tournament, which was eventually cancelled.
Satterfield led the Irish in scoring last season averaging 19.5 points per game.