The Road to St. John’s Basketball: Paris Horne Before the Red Storm

Horne, originally from Philadelphia, played his high school ball at Middletown (DE), before spending a year alongside future Red Storm teammate Justin Burrell at Bridgton Academy in Maine.

As is documented during his time at Middletown, the 6’3″ guard’s incredible athleticism has been a part of his game, even before St. John’s.

During his four years with the Red Storm, he was three different, but equally important players.

The publicly soft-spoken Horne broke out during his sophomore season, leading the team in scoring with just over 14 points per game, to go along with 3 rebounds and 2 assists. He played in 34 minutes per game and it seemed the path was paved for Horne to be the star of the program.

As DJ Kennedy emerged the following season as the team’s main scoring option, Horne’s offensive numbers dipped, but his defensive presence did not. While still averaging 9 points and 3 rebounds per game, Horne established himself as the team’s best on-ball defender and the man responsible for guarding the opposition’s best player.

These two player-types (the star, as a sophomore, and the defensive stopper, as a junior) came together to make a third type under Steve Lavin in his senior season and made Horne a multi-faceted guard in 2010-2011.

At times, Horne was the star he was his sophomore season, including a 15 point performance in the Red Storm’s big win over Duke in January, and other times he shined on defense, including a monster block against Davidson in the Holiday Festival to deny a basket at the end of the first half.

According to the school, Horne is one of five recently-graduated St. John’s seniors with “representation,” meaning he will most likely be looking to play professionally. As a defensive specialist, Horne could perhaps work his way onto an NBA roster in the future, but overseas ball may be his best option for now.

His athleticism will work in his favor as he moves forward in his career, and teams are always looking for players with such defensive integrity and tenacity. If he can channel the offensive productivity he had in his sophomore season with the Red Storm, Horne could find his niche and have a specialized and contributing role on a quality team.