It is that time of the year' MARCH MADNESS! And there are plenty of familiar faces that Phenom Hoops has seen over the years now playing on the big stage.' Watching the other night in the First Four, we had a chance to watch our alum DJ Horne, a player that grew up and played in Raleigh (when we first saw him), and is now playing for Arizona State.
Why do we bring him up'
Because there are so many people that could learn from him and his journey.' Coming out of high school, Horne was a name we were familiar with but no one can say that he was recognized as one of the top players in his class.' When we first watched him for Leesville Road, Horne was one that showed glimpses of his scoring ability, displaying a nice all-around game, playing hard on both ends, and bringing maximum effort.
It is what ultimately got him to Illinois State. But the hard work didn't stop there. At Illinois State, he was able to earn his way into a starting role and averaged nearly nine points as a freshman, and then built upon that to average 15ppg as a sophomore. He then got an opportunity to transfer even higher and play in the Pac-12 with Arizona State. During his time, he has racked up over 60 starts and is averaging around 12.5ppg in two years so far. But he has proven to be one of the clear leaders for this team that now finds itself on the big stage.
Horne is a layer that didn't receive all the recognition coming out of high school, but Horne has put in the work, continued to bring that energy, and develop his game. So many players can learn from his story, as it is not how you begin but how you end. And Horne is getting the opportunity to play at the highest of levels and is producing.
Congrats and recognition is deserved his way.