APSU Sports Information
Portsmouth, VA – Not only did Chris Horton‘s play as a senior, in particular his Ohio Valley Conference tournament Most Valuable Player performance, earn him nationwide attention, he also has caught the attention of professional scouts.
The 6-8 Horton has earned an invite to next week’s Portsmouth Invitational Tournament (P.I.T.), which will be played in front of representatives from all 30 NBA teams and from numerous international leagues.
Each year for 64 years the P.I.T. has invited 64 of the best college basketball seniors from across the nation to participate in a four-day, 12-game tournament.
Portsmouth alumni include legends John Stockton, Dennis Rodman, Tim Hardaway and Scottie Pippen, along with many others who have gone on to NBA stardom including current two-time NBA All-Star Jimmy Butler. Generally, the top five players from Portsmouth are invited to the NBA Pre-Draft Camp in May.
Horton completed his Austin Peay career by averaging 18.8 points, shooting 59.9 percent from the floor, and 12.0 rebounds per game—fifth best nationally. Horton led all Division I in offensive rebounding (4.92/game) and was fourth nationally in double-doubles (25), the last coming against Kansas in the NCAA tournament.
Horton got on the P.I.T. selection team radar after his 37-point effort at Lipscomb, in a game which he went 16-of-17 from the floor. But his OVC tourney performance pushed him onto the invite list. He scored 90 points (22.5 ppg) and grabbed 56 rebounds (14.0 rpg) during the four-day event, including a 37-point, 21-rebound effort against Tennessee Tech and a 30-point, 16-rebound performance against Belmont in the tourney semifinals. He suffered a first-half sprained ankle against UT Martin in the championship game, hindering is productivity.
Horton left APSU as only the 13th player in NCAA Division I history with 1,500 points, 1,000 rebounds and 300 blocks for a career.
