Current, Former Horizon League Players Starring in Summer Leagues

As the summer winds on, current and former Horizon League basketball players are keeping their games sharp in several different summer leagues.

Green Bay’s duo of Keifer Sykes and Alfonzo McKinnie have each taken starring turns in the Chicago Pro-Am League, with the former Marshall High School teammates producing highlight-reel dunks that have received accolades across the internet, the social media world, the media and even SportsCenter.

Sykes, a 2013 All-Horizon League First-Team selection, was first to turn heads. With Derrick Rose, Shawn Marion and Antoine Walker on hand, the 5-foot-11 Sykes caught a lob from the baseline and converted a mammoth dunk over a defender.

A rising junior, Sykes has already scored 874 points in a Green Bay uniform and averaged 15.9 points per game as a sophomore in 2012-13.

After transferring from Eastern Illinois and sitting out last season, McKinnie has yet to score in a Phoenix jersey. However, on Monday night he found himself in the Top 10 plays on ESPN’s SportsCenter after the worldwide leader caught wind of his explosive dunk in the Chicago Pro-Am. The 6-foot-8 McKinnie made a backcut, caught the ball in traffic and finished over four-time NBA All-Star Shawn Marion.



As a sophomore at EIU in 2011-12, McKinnie averaged 10.2 points and seven rebounds per contest while ranking second in the Ohio Valley Conference in field-goal percentage.

Meanwhile, several former Horizon League standouts are competing in the NBA Summer League, with both Eli Holman (Detroit), Cedric Jackson (Cleveland State) and Andrew Smith (Butler) appearing in the Orlando Summer League.

Holman, the 2012 Horizon League Sixth Man of the Year, has appeared in two of the Boston Celtics’ three games, scoring 10 points and pulling down seven rebounds. Holman’s best game came in a 93-63 win over Detroit in which he finished with seven points, six boards and two blocks in 11:09 of court time.

Jackson, who led Cleveland State to the 2009 Horizon League Tournament championship while earning Defensive Player of the Year honors, has played in two of Miami’s three games, starting both. The former Australian Basketball League MVP, Jackson handed out nine assists in his first appearance, a 93-86 win over Brooklyn.

On Tuesday, Jackson had nine assists to go along with eight rebounds and five points in the Heat’s 94-80 victory over Orlando. While he is just 2-for-9 from the field, Jackson has posted 18 assists and 11 boards while running the point for the Heat.

Smith, who was a preseason All-Horizon League pick in 2010-11, appeared in his lone Summer League game on July 8, coming off the bench to play 7:35. In his limited time, Smith grabbed one rebound and tallied a blocked shot, going 2-for-4 from the free-throw line.

Additional players from current Horizon League members who did not play in the conference include Oakland’s Keith Benson (Brooklyn) and Valparaiso’s Ron Howard (Indiana).

With the Las Vegas Summer League set to tip in two days, more Horizon League alums will be in action, including Milwaukee’s Ryan Allen, who will be playing for the Chicago Bulls.

The 36th pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, Horizon League Player of the Year Ray McCallum will likely suit up for Sacramento. On Wednesday, McCallum earned attention with a highlight-reel dunk during the Kings' mini-camp. McCallum will be joined on the Kings by former Detroit teammate Nick Minnerath.

The 2010 Horizon League Preseason Player of the Year, Shelvin Mack, will suit up for Atlanta.

Outside of summer league action, 2012 Horizon League Player of the Year Ryan Broekhoff continues to star for Australia at the World University Games. In the Emerging Boomers’ second game of pool play versus Sweden, Broekhoff posted 11 points in 27 minutes, going 4-for-10 from the floor, grabbing six rebounds in the process.

In the pool play opener, the Valparaiso product had eight points in 20 minutes as the Boomers rolled past the Czech Republic, 85-57. This morning, Broekhoff struggled from the field, going 1-for-9 with a single three-pointer as Australia fell to Canada, 92-83. The Emerging Boomers will meet Team USA on Thursday.

Oakland standout Travis Bader took part in the NIKE Skills Academy in Washington, D.C., June 28-30. The camp featured the top 20 wing players in the country, along with perennial NBA All-Star Kevin Durant. Bader knocked down 139 three-pointers last year, setting a new Oakland record. The sharpshooter enters his senior year 100 shy of matching the NCAA record held by former Duke standout J.J. Redick.

As the action continues, HorizonLeague.com will continue to update fans on the activities of current and former Horizon League players as information becomes available.