Ken Horton (basketball)

Kenneth Horton (born July 25, 1989)[1][2] is an American professional basketball player for Fuenlabrada of the Liga ACB. After going undrafted in the 2012 NBA draft he has played for teams in Cyprus, France, Kazakhstan, Italy, and Mexico.

Ken Horton
Horton with Bonn in 2016
No. 33 – Carplus Fuenlabrada
PositionSmall forward
LeagueLiga ACB
Personal information
Born (1989-07-25) July 25, 1989 (age 34)
NationalityAmerican
Listed height2.01 m (6 ft 7 in)
Listed weight99 kg (218 lb)
Career information
High schoolOssining (Ossining, New York)
CollegeCentral Connecticut (2007–2012)
NBA draft2012: undrafted
Playing career2012–present
Career history
2012–2013SOMB
2013Apollon Limassol
2013–2014Huracanes de Tampico
2014–2015Kataja
2015–2016Bayreuth
2016–2017Bonn
2017–2018Élan Béarnais Pau-Orthez
2018–2019Astana
2019–2020Germani Basket Brescia
2020–2022Burgos
2022–2023Beirut Club
2023–presentFuenlabrada
Career highlights and awards

College career edit

Horton attended Ossining High School in Ossining, New York, before enrolling at Central Connecticut State University (CCSU) as a freshman in 2007. In 2007–08, Horton averaged 12.7 points and 5.4 rebounds per game and was named to the All-Northeast Conference (NEC) Rookie Team.[3] He recorded 63 blocks on the season, good for the fourth-most in school history while also becoming the first freshman since 1996–97 to lead the NEC in that category.[3] The following season, Horton was named a Second Team all-conference performer.[3] He led the Blue Devils and was third in the conference with 16.5 points per game while his 5.8 rebounds also topped his team.[3] Due to an injury, he was forced to redshirt (sit out) his junior year in 2009–10.[3]

When Horton returned as a redshirt junior in 2010–11, he proved himself to be the class of the Northeast Conference. He led the league in scoring at 19.5 points per outing, was third in rebounding with 8.9 per game, scored 20+ points 14 times and 30+ points on four occasions.[3] He also led the NEC in double-doubles (12) and accumulated five NEC Player of the Week awards, more than any other player that season.[3] He was named the Northeast Conference Player of the Year, becoming the fifth Blue Devil all-time to earn the award.[3] The Associated Press also named him as an Honorable Mention All-American.[3]

Although Horton's senior season in 2011–12 was statistically comparable to his breakout junior season (19.0 points, 8.9 rebounds per game),[4] he failed to repeat as the conference's player of the year. He did finish his collegiate career, however, as Central Connecticut's all-time men's basketball leading scorer with 1,966 career points.[5]

Professional career edit

Horton was invited to participate in the 2012 Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, an annual event that showcases 64 of the top graduating seniors across the country for NBA scouts.[5] However, he did not get selected in that year's NBA draft. Horton then began to pursue his professional career overseas. His first stop was in France for Stade Olympique Maritime Boulonnais, followed by Cyprus' Apollon Limassol.[6] In the 2013–14 season he played for Huracanes de Tampico in Mexico and for the 2014–15 season he signed with the Finnish club Kataja Basket.[6][7]

Horton played for Élan Béarnais Pau-Orthez in France in the 2017–18 season, during which time he averaged 11.9 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. On September 5, 2018, he signed with Astana of the Kazakhstan Championship.[8]

On June 24, 2019, he signed a 1-year deal with Germani Basket Brescia of the LBA.[9] Horton averaged 11 points and 5 rebounds per game. On August 6, 2020, he signed with San Pablo Burgos of the Liga ACB.[10] With Burgos, he won the 2019–20 Basketball Champions League.[11]

Horton has also played for Beirut Club in Lebanon until February 22, 2023, when he signed with Fuenlabrada of the Liga ACB.[12]

References edit

  1. ^ "Ken Horton Player Profile". RealGM, L.L.C. 2012. Retrieved January 9, 2014.
  2. ^ "Ken Horton / Forward". scoresway.com. Global Sports Media. 2011. Retrieved January 9, 2014.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Ken Horton – CCSU bio". CCSUBlueDevils.com. Central Connecticut State University. 2011. Retrieved January 9, 2014.
  4. ^ "Ken Horton stats". ESPN.com. ESPN Internet Ventures. 2012. Retrieved January 9, 2014.
  5. ^ a b "CCSU's Ken Horton to Attend Portsmouth Invitational". Men's Basketball News. Northeast Conference. April 6, 2012. Retrieved January 9, 2014.
  6. ^ a b "Ken Horton profile". LatinBasket. Eurobasket.com. 2014. Retrieved January 9, 2014.
  7. ^ "Ken Horton heads to Joensuun Kataja Basket". TalkBasket. September 17, 2014. Retrieved January 2, 2015.
  8. ^ "Ken Horton signs with PBC Astana". Sportando. Retrieved September 6, 2018.
  9. ^ Carchia, Emiliano (June 24, 2019). "Germani Brescia signs Ken Horton". Sportando. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
  10. ^ Skerletic, Dario (August 6, 2020). "Ken Horton joins San Pablo Burgos". Sportando. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
  11. ^ "Hereda San Pablo Burgos crowned 2020 Basketball Champions League winners". Basketball Champions League. 4 October 2020. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
  12. ^ "Ken Horton joins Fuenlabrada". Sportando. February 22, 2023. Retrieved February 23, 2023.

External links edit