Chase Fischer got away from West Virginia — the state more so than the school … twice — but I’m not sure there was ever mutual interest between the former Ripley star and the Mountaineers.

WVU then landed Chase Connor, who Bob Huggins cannot speak more highly of at this point in his career, particularly because of the way he’s improved and how his future improvements track.

And then last summer, Chase Harler committed to the Mountaineers before his sophomore year at Wheeling Central. Harler’s one of the top scorers and players in the state, and he’s got a shot to finish in the all-time top five in career points, which is pretty good company. He can play, and you can see that for yourself, and he seems like the sort of shot-making 2-guard the offense has needed in the past few years, though he insists he’ll fit on both ends of the floor.

That’s an attitude that should fit in nicely in Morgantown in two years. While Harler opens with No. 1 Wheeling Central against No. 8 Charleston Catholic on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m., his future WVU teammates will be en route to Columbus, Ohio, for the NCAA tournament. The Maroon Knights and Mountaineers could overlap with Friday afternoon games — Central in the Class A semifinals and WVU in its NCAA opener — if the Class A top seed advances.

“Coach Huggins did a great job recruiting,” Harler said. “I think he really got players who wanted to play for him. You can tell how much passion they play with for him, how hard they play for him.

“I think it’s great the way they play,” he said. “I like the up-tempo, get-in-your-face defense.”

Harler said he has gained 20 pounds from last season, going from 160 to nearly 180 pounds. It is hard for him to gain weight during the season, but he said he’ll hit the weights hard again before his senior season.

That’ll make him bigger, stronger, faster and tougher, and he is sure to continue to receive the best of the worst in gymnasiums around the state.

“Some people might take it personal, but I understand those people are just trying to have fun,” Harler said. “I’m in our girls student section yelling, too.”

That said, I want to hang out with Harler if this, from his YouTube page, is legit. It’s Harler and some of his guys dunking on area hoops, and it’s the best and brightest goonery ever. I need the lowered hoops, C.