Men's Basketball | 11/23/2018 4:46:00 PM

    WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. – The reloading process is well under way for Ben Howlett as West Liberty's second-year head coach has added three talented high school seniors to the mix for the Hilltoppers' 2019-20 season.
    Owen Hazelbaker, a 6-7 power forward from Johnstown-Monroe High School in Johnstown, Ohio; Bryce Butler, a 6-4 shooting guard from Greater Latrobe High School in Latrobe, Pa.; and Evan Conley, a 6-0 point guard from Fairfield Union High School in Lancaster, Ohio have all signed to take their talents to the next level with the defending Mountain East Conference champions.
    "We're really excited about the addition of these three young men," said Howlett, the reigning MEC Coach of the Year who once again has the Black and Gold leading the nation in scoring and ranked among the nation's Top 10 teams.
    "Their skill sets mesh very well with what we try to accomplish in our program and they share a tremendous work ethic and competitive drive, which is the essence of West Liberty basketball. In addition, all three are just as outstanding in the classroom as they are on the floor. They are a great fit for our university athletically and academically."
    Hazelbaker is a rugged 6-7, 215-pounder who averaged a double-double with 17.7 points and 11.4 rebounds a game as a junior at Johnstown-Monroe last winter. He was a first-team All-Licking County League selection and the LCL Player of the Year along with earning first-team All-District and honorable mention All-Ohio honors.
    Despite his size, Hazelbaker is a gifted 3-point shooter and has the athleticism to guard on the perimeter. Hazelbaker is also an elite student, maintaining a 4.0+ GPA (honors classes) throughout his high school career.
    "Owen definitely has the size and strength to be a significant inside presence for us," Howlett said. "He plays hard and shows a real knack for rebounding the basketball but he's also versatile enough to play inside and out. The sky's the limit for him at West Liberty."
    Butler is a 6-4 shooting guard who is equally comfortable draining a 3-pointer from well beyond the arc or attacking and finishing at the rim. He averaged 20.9 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.1 assists a game at Greater Latrobe last year, highlighted by a career-high 40-point night in a win against Gateway.
    The WPIAL All-Section guard comes from a basketball family. His father, Eric Butler, played at Robert Morris and Eastern Kentucky while older brother Austin Butler was a Patriot League All-Rookie Team selection at NCAA Division I Holy Cross last year and is averaging double-figures for the Crusaders.
    "We're thrilled to have Bryce coming aboard," Howlett said. "His size and versatility are straight out of West Liberty central casting. I'd feel comfortable playing him at any position and I think he's going to have a great career on the hilltop."
    A playmaking point guard, Conley has helped lead Fairfield Union to back-to-back Ohio Division II District championship games – including the school's first-ever District title two years ago. As a junior, he stuffed the stat sheet with 13.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 3.3 steals per game.
    The Falcons have posted a sparkling 42-8 record during Conley's two years with the program. He was an All-Mid-State League pick as a junior and was tabbed for the District 11 All-Star Game. Conley was also named to the MSL All-Academic Team.
    "We identified Evan as a target early on in the recruiting process because he was such a perfect fit," Howlett said. "He has terrific guard skills but his best attribute is how smart he plays the game. He just makes everybody better."
    "I want to wish these guys every bit of success in their final high school basketball season," Howlett said, "but I can't wait to get them up on campus with us."
    Howlett and his No. 9-ranked Hilltoppers (4-1, 2-0) return to the court on Wednesday when they host Urbana in a 7:30 p.m. tipoff at the ASRC.