David Sloan going to John A Logan College (JUCO)

Wish him the best and hope he it gets him to the next level. Sort of a hard one to figure out from a kid who had multiple high level D1 offers, including Louisville, after his junior year.

Should be a lesson to all out there.........things change.

Best of luck 👍

I'm so glad to see he is headed somewhere to play at the next level with a chance to go higher. Good luck, David!!!!

Realreason said:

 Wish him the best and hope he it gets him to the next level. Sort of a hard one to figure out from a kid who had multiple high level D1 offers, including Louisville, after his junior year.

Should be a lesson to all out there.........things change.

Best of luck 👍

One lesson is that the more schools you go to in high school, the harder it is to get NCAA certified. David was at one school for 2.5 years and then touched 3 different schools in 1.5 years. The more schools, the more difficult it gets with getting through the Clearinghouse and then JUCO becomes the only option left. He will be playing D1 ball when he finishes up there. Also choose your prep schools carefully if you go that route, find one that has had some longevity.

One lesson is that the more schools you go to in high school, the harder it is to get NCAA certified. David was at one school for 2.5 years and then touched 3 different schools in 1.5 years. The more schools, the more difficult it gets with getting through the Clearinghouse and then JUCO becomes the only option left. He will be playing D1 ball when he finishes up there. Also choose your prep schools carefully if you go that route, find one that has had some longevity.

So true. And some kids take advice from adults that have other motives. The place he went in Florida was sketchy.

This is a very solid JUCO.

Much-delayed update on David Sloan...

So Sloan grew up in Louisville, but shortly before the beginning of high school, he moved to Campbellsville where he entered legal the guardianship of Taylor County head coach Richard Gatewood.

In June 2016 many Taylor County fans were surprised to hear that Sloan was departing Taylor County to play for Coach Chris Renner at Louisville Ballard. Shortly after Sloan's announcement, his former legal guardian/Taylor County head basketball coach Richard Gatewood announced he was departing to take the head coaching spot at the ill-fated 22ft Academy prep school in Greenville, SC. 

By the time the 2016-17 school year was under way at Ballard, Sloan had received college offers from the likes of Butler University, Eastern Kentucky University, Iowa State University, Kentucky Wesleyan College, Samford University, Southeast Missouri State University, University of Louisville, University of Memphis, University of Missouri, University of Tennessee, and Western Kentucky University.

In October 2016 after failing to obtain KHSAA transfer eligibility to play basketball at Ballard, Sloan announced he was leaving Louisville for Conrad Academy in Orlando, Florida. Sloan played the majority of that season at Conrad Academy, but then mysteriously disappeared from the team in mid-January 2017 before then reappearing back with Coach Gatewood again, having switched schools to the 22ft Academy in South Carolina.

The 22ft Academy floundered following the 2016-17 school year, with founders Mike & Brenda Rawson being indicted on federal fraud charges late in 2017. The couple, both ex-pats from European countries, are currently facing deportation from the United States after a string of charges surrounding their founding and operation of 22ft Academy.

In May of 2017, David Sloan announced that he would be heading to John A. Logan College, and then he transferred to Kansas State as a junior, and was the first player off the bench for the Wildcats, contributing 171 points in 32 games before the COVID-19 pandemic ended the season. Sloan played the past two seasons at East Tennessee State in the Southern Conference.

As of yesterday, Sloan is entering the NBA 2022 Draft.

Sloan's announcement came with the comment that "the road has been very bumpy." Sounds like an understatement. I can't help but think about the words from Coach Renner in this Jason Frakes pieces about Sloan's ineligibility at Ballard and his transfer to Conrad Academy.

"In a text message to The Courier-Journal, Ballard coach Chris Renner wrote Sloan 'has been let down by many people over the past three years. ...I hope they realize the only one being screwed in this whole situation is a kid that trusted adults to make the right decisions. David is a good kid and has a bright future."

I can't help but think that was a shot being fired directly at Richard Gatewood by Renner. Even though Sloan grew up in Louisville, somehow or another he ended up in Campbellsville, away from his parents, under legal guardianship of Gatewood, his basketball coach, and playing for Gatewood at Taylor County. Then Sloan heads back to Louisville, saying "I'm only a teenager and a missed seeing my parents in the stands and my family." And then somehow or another, even though things are going well for Sloan at his prep school in Florida, he ends up once again lured into playing for Gatewood who is in his own new gig at 22ft Academy. And even though (as has been cited in the multiple suits against 22ft Academy founders Mike & Brenda Rawson) Gatewood was not receiving paycheck after paycheck from 22ft Academy, and even though he has prep students on his basketball team are complaining about housing situations and lack of sufficient food being given to them by the school, Gatewood still somehow gets Sloan to transfer to 22ft Academy two thirds of the way through the basketball season.

I'll tell you one thing, if there's anything that has come about from all of this, it's that if I was a parent, I wouldn't let Richard Gatewood anywhere near my kid - that's for sure.