So, I wasn’t planning to write this edition of the Starting Five like I did last time, but Brian Wilson died last week.
And here we are again…
Just like the last edition of the Starting Five, I lined up the various topics with songs written and performed by Wilson and the Beach Boys. I don’t know why I make such a chore of this, but I suppose it’s a nice exercise to stay sharp over the off-season.
In any event, here’s what’s going on.
Good Vibrations
Horizon League players have historically played key roles in the success of teams overseas. So, it should come as no surprise as those respective seasons wind down to see a few familiar faces. And it also shouldn’t be surprising to hear some of those same names being called out when the post-season hardware is getting doled out.
Let’s start with the EuroLeague, where Oakland’s Kendrick Nunn has been a force of nature for his team Panathinaikos since his signing. The EuroLeague Players Association selected him as their MVP, and Panathinaikos extended his contract, which runs until 2028.
Nunn isn’t the only ex-Horizon Leaguer getting accolades. Grant Basile (who you can read all about in James Moon’s feature this week…if you’re a Patron) has also been busy, leading his team, Cantu, to promotion to Italy’s Serie A league, courtesy of his finals performance that garnered him an MVP for that series. He was also named Domestic Player of the Year (he holds Italian citizenship) and Forward of the Year as well.
Don’t Worry Baby
Just like the torrid pace of play that his system has been known for, IU Indy head coach Ben Howlett is putting that style into building his roster for next season.
As previously reported by our own Chris Schumerth, three of Howlett’s West Liberty players, Kyler D’Augustino, Finely Woodward and John Dragas, were all coming to Indianapolis, as is Reece Hagy, the Air Force Prep player who previously committed to Howlett, and Aiden Miller, who was planning to transfer to the Hilltoppers from Point Park.
Last Wednesday, the Jags made four of the five of those transfers official, with another player, Concord transfer Corey Boston, also in the mix.
Miller’s official transfer, as of publication, had not been announced. But also confirmed, as previously discussed by Howlett and I during last episode, transfers Jaxon Edwards and Micah Davis, as well Class of 2025 recruits Maguire Mitchell and Gabe Stewart, would remain committed amid the coaching changes. Add in the lone holdover from the 2024-25 season, walk-on Ajay Holubar, and IU Indy’s roster stands at 11.
So, for those Jaguar fans that might have been understandably apprehensive about how fast IU Indy would get up to speed after Howlett’s arrival, well, just like the song says…
I Get Around
Former Green Bay golfer George Kneiser’s journey through the pros has been one that wound through Canada and Asia, as well as back in the U.S. as part of the Korn Ferry Tour.
But Kneiser got to live out the dream of any golfer when he qualified for the U.S. Open, which took place at Oakmont Country Club just outside of Pittsburgh. He got through two qualifying stages to hit the bigtime, an was one of only two Wisconsin natives to make it to the second major of the season.
Kneiser’s time at Oakmont was abbreviated, as he missed the cut and, as a result, didn’t get to play during the weekend. He’ll likely head back to the Asian PGA Tour, where he has been competing after completing that tour’s Q School this year.
Wouldn’t It Be Nice
While there hasn’t been a Horizon League player that’s been selected in the NBA Draft since Pat Baldwin, Jr. was picked up by the Golden State Warriors in 2022, teams have regularly brought in ex-Horizon Leaguers for pre-draft workouts.
Teams use these workouts not necessarily to spot sleeper draft picks, but more like to identify players to fill their Summer League and, potentially G League roster spots. The best examples of this from last year were Jack Gohlke and Tristan Enaruna, the latter of which played a significant role for the Maine Celtics, Boston’s G League affiliate, last season.
So, it comes as no surprise that NBA teams and having a look at Horizon League players to fill their needs this summer and perhaps beyond. While it’s not known how many ex-HL players are working out, there’s at least one that we know of: IU Indy’s Paul Zilinskas, who’s attracted the attention of the Memphis Grizzlies.
It makes perfect sense that Zilinskas would get a look by at least one NBA team. As a one of Paul Corsaro’s UIndy transfers to the Jags, Zilinskas was undoubted their focal point on offense, leading the team with 18 points per game.
The 6-6 guard from Kansas by way of Lithuania also possesses a trait widely desired: Excellent three-point shooting. Last year, he shot 41 percent from beyond the arc. Oddly enough, his performance wasn’t enough to garner him All-Horizon League accolades (at least not with the official voters; we selected him on our Second Team). But it appears that this oversight doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things.
If Zilinskas is getting pre-draft workout invites, even though the likelihood of him getting drafts is low, the potential for him to appear in the NBA Summer League games get stronger and stronger by the day.
Be True to Your School
The off-season usually affords coaches and their staffs the opportunity to participate in a wide variety of symposiums and conferences to network and improve their approach to the game. And one of the premier events, the Top Leaders Symposium, held its annual get-together on June 9th, with a select number of assistant coaches from around the country converging on Orlando, FL.
This year, only one Horizon League men’s assistant was a part of this year’s symposium (Purdue Fort Wayne women’s assistant Steve Asher was the other): Milwaukee’s Jake Williams.
Aside from Williams, there were several Horizon League adjacent attendees as well. Eric Haut and Mantoris Robinson, previous HL assistant who are both currently on Jerrod Calhoun’s staff at Utah State, were there, as was Matt Cline, the ex-Cleveland State assistant who followed Dennis Gates to Missouri, and Jay Shunnar, who was on Daniyal Robison’s staff at CSU before he joined him at North Texas.
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