DJ Horne declares for NBA Draft after leading NC State on historic postseason run
N.C. State guard DJ Horne announced on Tuesday his intent to enter the NBA Draft.
His announcement on social media included a simple statement: “The journey continues.”
Horne, from Raleigh, started his career at Illinois State and then transferred to Arizona State. The Wolfpack lured him back to play his final season of college basketball at home. The graduate student played a key piece in the Wolfpack’s ACC championship and NCAA Final Four run.
He finished his collegiate career with the Pack at State Farm Stadium — 26 miles from ASU’s campus in Tempe.
“I think it’s what any father, any parent would hope for their kid,” his father, Lamar Horne said after the team advanced to the ACC title game, “to have an opportunity to play in front of the hometown and be the hometown hero — for lack of a better word — to live out what he set out to do from the very beginning of the season when he committed to the Wolfpack.”
Horne played in 40 games, starting in 36, for N.C. State this season. He averaged 16.9 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. Horne set a single-season record for 3-pointers made (105), which he made at a 40.4% clip.
In the postseason, he averaged 17.4 points per game. He scored 29 against North Carolina in the ACC title game, while adding four rebounds. Horne contributed double figures and five assists against Texas Tech in the NCAA Tournament’s opening round.
His other accomplishments included All-ACC third team honors and All-tournament recognition.
The long, improbable journey of NC State’s DJ Horne, from Cary rec center to Final Four
NC State basketball sets a new standard with ACC title, run to the Final Four
