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Amidst Resurgent Year for West Virginia, Chase Harler has been Quietly Productive

WV native and long-time contributor Chase Harler is chipping in everywhere he can.

West Virginia has star-power this year. That is objective fact. Between Oscar Tshiebwe becoming a household name, Miles McBride scoring buckets at will and Derek Culver playing big and mean, the Mountaineers have more than a few players carving out some real estate in the spotlight. Of course, one of the other bylines that have underscored the resurgent season Bob Huggins' guys are currently enjoying is the deep and multiple bench that has bolstered West Virginia's front line. The most veteran member of that bench is West Virginia native Chase Harler. 

The Moundsville native has never been a feature player for West Virginia and, as four year careers go, his has been relatively unremarkable having only averaged 3.4 points and 0.8 assists during his time in the gold and blue. But having been on hand for the Press Virginia days and now acting as the elder statesmen in a locker room full of new blood, Harler is having a quietly impactful season for the 17th-ranked Mountaineers. 

As a snapshot, during West Virginia's upset over then-No. 2 Ohio State, Harler chipped in 10 points, including a pair of three-pointers that ultimately fueled West Virginia's road upset of the Buckeyes. Make no mistake: Harler's not carrying the level of expectations built around scoring points like fellow bench players like Sean McNeil and Taz Sherman. But what Harler lacks in instant offense, he more than makes up for in basketball IQ and toughness. When asked by Mountaineer Maven's own Christopher Hall about his role on this years team, he responded without hesitation: 

I think my defense has improved over the years and I think that's kind of one of my main roles, having to guard the other team's best player.

Indeed, if you roll the tape, Harler is usually presented with some tough match-ups. That's not by accident. Even though he tops out at 6'3", Harler is a smart defender that uses his help well and knows how to stay in front of his man. It's evident that his days of shadowing Jevon Carter and Daxter Miles have paid dividends when you watch him relentlessly pressure dribblers and try to jump the passing lane. 

I try and lead by example. When I get in the game, it's [about] play hard, get stops and get guys in the right spots

Tomorrow, Texas Tech rolls into Morgantown and touts a roster featuring four players averaging double digit points on the season. You can bet good money that at some point, when Huggins starts cycling through his ever-deepening bench, Chase Harler will find himself in a tilt against the likes of Jahmi'us Ramsey or Davide Moretti. With so much young, new-look talent fueling the Mountaineers this season, it's (at minimum) reassuring to have someone as battle-tested as Harler that can enter the game and match will with will. 

As tournament time ebbs nearer and the mettle of Bob Huggins' talented 2019-20 squad is truly tested, the Mountaineers' tournament hopes will start to spring less from tangibles like size and speed and more from the ability to stand strong and player harder than the next guy. 

In that field, Chase Harler already holds a PhD and for the rest of West Virginia's talented and young roster that is learning-on-the-fly- now is the time to pick his brain.