As summer comes to a close and with teams working towards the future, specifically next season, this edition of the Starting Five hearkens back to the past and some familiar faces that have given Horizon League fans happy memories over the years, as well as some of those new faces that have cropped up on rosters before school starts back up.
Double Honor for Sykes
When people think of Green Bay basketball in the mid-2010s, Keifer Sykes is the name that should come up first in their heads. And of course they should. The Chicago native collected conference accolades like baseball cards in his four years with the Phoenix, including Freshman of the Year and Player of the Year…twice.
As a pro, Sykes has been practically everywhere around the world and has included stints in Italy, Greece, China and Australia. Stateside, he spent a season in the NBA with the Indiana Pacers, as well as three more with the G League. Needless to say, he’s had a rather prolific pro career in the decade since leaving Green Bay.
So, it should come as no surprise that Sykes will be returning home this upcoming season, as it was announced that he will get his jersey retired on October 11th, when the Phoenix face Bradley in an exhibition. This will also reunite Sykes with his former coach, Brian Wardle, who currently coaches the Braves.
But the jersey retirement isn’t the only news concerning Sykes. He will also come on board with Green Bay and serve as general manager. He will be the second person in the Horizon League to serve in this role, the first of which being Milwaukee assistant Mike Winans, who, it was recently announced, will be serving as Panthers GM.
Changing Places
Technically, Tristan Enaruna was still under a G League contract with the Maine Celtics when he played for the Cavaliers during the NBA Summer League. And after averaging an impressive 13.2 points in the five contests in Las Vegas, Cavs fans, as well as Cleveland State fans alike, were eagerly anticipating Enaruna finding his way back to Cleveland, most likely with the Charge.
So, it came to nobody’s surprise that on August 5th, Enaruna was officially traded from Maine to Cleveland, which CSU scribe Tom Mieskoski located on the G League’s Transactions page. Enaruna himself has been busy on other fronts, as he’s representing the Netherlands in the FINA World Cup 2027 European qualifers. So far, the Dutch have won their initial two games, with Enaruna chipping in 13.5 points, 6.5 boards and 2.5 assists per contest.
Once his travels in Europe wrap up, the ex-Viking will be back in Cleveland, playing in Public Hall. Although the G League schedule has not yet been released, expect to see that come out in the very near future.
Everything Is Local
As Kyle Rossi detailed in the women’s version of the Starting Five, Horizon League commissioner Julie Roe Lach brought up the conference’s media rights deal with ESPN, which expires in 2026. While other options are available and ESPN expanding its partnerships with the NFL and WWE, among others, the Worldwide Leader has kept its focus on retaining its collegiate partnerships. This was evidenced by the recent announcement that ESPN and the Southland Conference would remain together, media-wise, until 2031.
Though national media rights are a primary focal point for the league and fans alike, there’s always been intrigue as to what individual teams would work out with local media outlets. The most recent example of this is Northern Kentucky, which has aired games, as well as the Darrin Horn Coach’s Show, on FanDuel Sports Network.
Last year, another player in the local media game arrived, and given their reach, it could create some new opportunities for some conference schools.
The Rock Entertainment Sports Network, launched in a number of local markets, specifically Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati, with a reach that potentially covers four HL schools: NKU, Cleveland State, Wright State and Youngstown State.
Currently, the network is focused on the Cleveland Charge and Monsters (both owned by RESN’s parent company, along with the Cavs), the Columbus Fury pro volleyball team, the Lake Erie Crushers minor league baseball club and select high school sports in Ohio. It stands to reason, however, that expansion into Division I college sports (RESN has air D3 events previously) is a possibility.
By coincidence, RESN’s new president is Cavs chief information officer Mike Conley, who’s been with the organization for years. It also just so happens that he’s a Cleveland State alum. So perhaps some affinity for his alma mater might sway the network to entertain local Horizon League programming.
Late Registration
With the new school year fast approaching, teams in the Horizon League have, from time to time, surprised us with some late additions coming onto campus in the fall. And for Oakland, which has already been pretty busy cobbling together a non-conference schedule we hope will come out soon, Greg Kampe had one last piece of the roster puzzle that he wanted to put into place.
To do that, Kampe went once again to the juco ranks, a place that he’s found consistent success in previous years. And from those ranks, he secure the 6-9 Indian Hills CC transfer William Kassi.
Listed as a guard, Kassi, a native of France, tallied 7.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game in his two seasons with Indian Hills. His efforts as a freshman, in fact, were good enough to land him as an All-American Honorable Mention in the NJCAA’s Region 11. His height will serve as a complement to Buru Naivalurua, Texas State transfer Nate Deer, and fellow juco transfer Isaac Garrett on the glass.
Green Bay Wasn’t Done Yet, Either
The day before Oakland snagged Kassi, Green Bay secured a new player of its own in the 6-5 Dontrell Hewitt.
Hewitt began his college career at juco Odessa College, where he played alongside Chandler Cuthrell, who spent last season at Purdue Fort Wayne before exiting for Elon. After Odessa, Hewitt, a native of Sacramento, went back to California for a season with D2 Stanislaus State before spending last year at UT Tyler.
In his sole season with the Patriots, Hewitt racked up 15.9 points, 5.3 boards and 2.9 assists per game. He was recognized by the Lone Star Conference as an Honorable Mention All-Conference player. With a roster of larger guards in the 6-4/6-5 range that include redshirt sophomore Mac Wrecke, sophomore CJ O’Hara, Lewis transfer Rob Stroud and Carnegie Mellon transfer Justin Allen, Hewitt’s arrival will provide Phoenix coach Doug Gottlieb with yet another backcourt weapon at his disposal.
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