SLIPPERY ROCK — Brian Giesler has skills.

During his four years on the basketball court at Slippery Rock High School, he played virtually every position.

He handled the ball and shot it. He hounded it and rebounded it.

It was all in a day's work for the Giesler, a player who defied description — and a set position.

“I like being able to, if there is a bigger guy on me, taking him outside,” Giesler said. “Or, if there is a smaller guy on me, take him inside. I think it helps as an individual standpoint and a team standpoint.”

Giesler's ability to do, well, just about everything made him a hot commodity by college basketball coaches on the recruiting trail during his senior season.

Several school came calling, but one was constantly in the mix: Grove City College.

And that's where Giesler recently decided to play, committing to the Wolverines' program.

“It was the best fit,” Giesler said.

Giesler is surrounded by GCC graduates.

His father, Randy, graduated from the college. So did his high school basketball coach at Slippery Rock, Phil Bushre.

Throw in a healthy amount of interest from the Grove City College coaching staff and the quality of the education offered by the school, and heading the eight miles north up State Route 173 was a no-brainer.

“Academics was definitely a plus, whether I was playing basketball or not,” Giesler said.

Grove City College men's basketball coach Steve Lamie coveted Giesler because of his versatility, and he and his coaching staff made their presence known at many Slippery Rock games this season.

“They must have been at 15 of our games,” Giesler said. “That was definitely a big part of it.”

Giesler scored 1,198 points in his career with the Rockets while filling many roles.

He was a point guard for a time, a power forward, a small forward and shooting guard.

His offseason workouts also were intense.

Giesler intends to work even harder in preparation for his college career.

“I think I have to ramp it up a little bit,” Giesler said. “Everyone else is going to. It's definitely going to be an adjustment period. I probably won't really know until next summer what I really have to do and work on in the offseason. I think I'll be OK, though.”

Lamie recruited hard in Butler County this season.

He landed Mars senior and 2010-11 Butler Eagle Boys Player of the Year Christian Locher and had Seneca Valley senior guard Christian Durbin in his sights.

Getting Giesler was a prize because he can fit into any scheme Lamie can draw up.

“To some extent, I'm not sure anything will change,” Giesler said about his penchant for filling multiple roles. “It may be a little more defined, since we have more big guys than we had in high school and a ton of guard. I'm ready for anything.”