Louisville native Sloan Thriving
Following a topsy-turvy senior year in which he played at two prep schools following an eligibility issue that drew the concern of Kentucky High School basketball officials (a transfer from Taylor County to Ballard elicited heavy scrutiny), David Sloan is playing his best basketball.
The crafty 6-foot guard is averaging 14.8 points, 9.4 assists, and shooting a scalding 56 percent from the floor at John A. Logan (JUCO). He is one of the nation’s leaders in assists and staking his claim as one of the country’s best guards at the JUCO level.
The Louisville native is shooting 50+ percent from beyond the arc.
Following an illustrious career alongside Quentin Goodin (now at Xavier) at Taylor County High School in Kentucky under head coach Richard Gatewood, Sloan opted to transfer.
Citing a desire to be closer to home and play in front of his family in Louisville, Sloan transferred to Ballard High School.
The move was met with controversy, however, as the KHSAA saw it as a transfer that did not align with their rulebook.
Rather than wait in the wings for a chance to appeal the decision, Sloan transferred to The Conrad Academy in Orlando, Fla., during the fall of the 2016-17 season.
While the prospect of sitting out his entire senior year rattled Sloan, it did nothing to dampen his competitive spirits.
“I prayed on it and God just opened up a door for me,” said Sloan.
“I was very thankful for the opportunity.”
Sloan wasted no time capitalizing on the opportunity. He scored 20 points on seven shots, helping propel Conrad to the championship of the Charlotte Basketball Challenge.
Against a Wesleyan Christian (N.C.) team that featured Jaylen Hoard and Aaron Wiggins, Sloan had a 28-point performance. Against Hillcrest Prep of Arizona, Sloan submitted a game-best 32 points.
He wound up playing the second semester of his senior season at now defunct 22 Feet Academy (S.C.). The opportunity enabled him to be reunited with Gatewood, who coached him since he was a seventh grader and was at one point his legal guardian.
Sloan’s journey has been a well traveled one. While he dealt with bouts of inconsistency, Sloan is proving this season that attention from Florida and Louisville early on in his career was no fluke.