He proved you wrong. He proved us wrong. He proved them wrong. He proved everyone wrong.
See, Chase Harler WAS a Mountaineer even though the majority of everyone thought he should settle with a smaller school. He played hard and he filled a prominent role during each of his four seasons in the blue and gold, and that’s a really big freakin’ deal for a kid from Marshall County. We knew his name, and we knew what Harler could do if given the chance.
And Bob Huggins, West Virginia’s only Hall of Fame basketball coach, gave Chase the chance and the 6-3 Wheeling Central Catholic alum became a completely separate story away from the scoreboards and the records. Not only did Harler brawl for loose balls and get bloody battling Big 12 blue chippers under the basket night after night after night, but the Moundsville native proved his push to play his beloved game on the Division I level was best for his short-term and long-term futures.
Shoot, Harler even down-on-one-knee proposed to his beloved bride, Lindsey, right there on the Coliseum court on Senior Day back in March 2020.
But now that Harler’s college and professional playing days are behind him – the sharpshooter did compete in The Basketball Tournament for Best Virginia this summer in Wheeling – he’s accepted a position with the Country Roads Trust, the “NIL collective enabling all of the WVY family to actively support West Virginia Student Athletes by cultivating and expanding name, image, and likeness opportunities,” according to the organization’s website.
That means Harler now is throwing figurative elbows for WVU’s hoops program because, as he’ll readily tell you, he’ll forever be a Mountaineer.
Which swish will you forever remember?
I actually have two swishes I will remember forever.
First, one was my junior year versus Kansas at home. We had a rough season, but we played unbelievably that game. I hit a 3 in the beginning in the second half to take the lead. The coliseum went crazy!
The second one was my sophomore year against Kentucky at home. It was the Big 12 vs SEC challenge and College Game Day was in Morgantown. The place was completely sold out. I checked in for Dax Miles Jr. and hit a contested 3-pointer on Hami Diallo (2019 NBA Dunk Contest Champ).
It was one of the loudest times I have heard in the Coliseum.
What are your top three selling points when explaining the NIL (name, image, and likeness) system?
The top three selling points when I meet with businesses and individuals are:
- NIL is not going away – in order for us to be competitive in the Big 12, we have to have access to funds to recruit top talent. We have to adapt, or we will be left behind.
- It can be a win-win! I am not in the business to only collect checks. I want the business/individual to be taken care of. They are spending their hard-earned money to support athletics – I always want to make sure they feel heard about their expectations.
- Anything helps! From $10 to $100,000! Those funds add up. When you get involved, you have “skin in the game.”
Why was it so important for you to be a Mountaineer?
I take pride being from West Virginia, and I have even more pride being from the Ohio Valley. I was a die-hard fan first. I understand how much the teams mean to the people of West Virginia.
The people of West Virginia are hard-working and gritty individuals so when I had the opportunity to be a Mountaineer – I wanted to be someone they could relate to.
What are three reasons why you will forever respect Bob Huggins?
Three reasons why I will forever respect Huggs are:
- He gave a kid from the small town of Moundsville live out his dream.
- Even though there were plenty of very, very difficult times – he made me a man at the end of the day. Pushing through those struggles prepared me for anything life throws at me.
- He taught me what true loyalty was. He will always have his players back.
What is the best tip you can offer to a young basketball player?
The best advice I can give young hooper is – “exposure leads to expansion.”
Do not get caught up in the idea since you are the best player on your high school team that automatically means you will play college basketball. Travel to camps, play AAU, reach out to coaches, etc.
Once I started playing high-level AAU, I knew I needed to work even harder. Being the best player in the Ohio Valley or West Virginia wasn’t enough because there are plenty of great players throughout the country. I never got complacent.
Thanks for another great article Steve, this time about one of our Marshall County boys, Chase Harler. So proud of all of our local young people who are doing so well for themselves.
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