Azusa Pacific University Athletics

THIS YEAR: Sharp-shooting Mike Hornbuckle looks to build on a breakthrough season in which he emerged as a do-everything player and one of the best rookies in the GSAC … Is a tremendous outside shooter who can also create off the dribble … Is one of the Cougars’ best defensive players as well and will often draw the foe’s top scorer … Could push for postseason honors if consistent.

2005: Once he made the adjustment to college ball, enjoyed a fine 2005 freshman season, averaging 8.6 points and 2.7 rebounds while appearing in all 39 games, starting the final 33 … Shot 38% from the arc which translated into 50 treys, second best on the team and best among all GSAC freshmen … Led the Cougars over the final month of the season, averaging a team-high 14 points during the final 13 games while shooting a fine .431 (28-for-65) from the 3-point line … Registered a trio of 20-point games, including back-to-back efforts with 21 vs. Cal Baptist followed by a career-high 26 vs. Point Loma Nazarene … Had 18 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds and 2 steals in his first-ever NAIA Tournament game, a Cougar victory over Houston Baptist … Struggled to score at the outset of the season (just 18 points in the first 9 games) but cracked the starting line-up because of his defensive skill, frustrating many of the opponents’ best scorers (i.e. held the then GSAC’s leading scorer Terrance Johnson of Cal Baptist to just 26 points in 2 games – 9 under his average – on 11-for-28 shooting) … 1 of only 3 freshmen in the past 15 years to earn a starting berth for the Cougars, and all 3 came from Ventura County high schools (Jeff Staniland in 2000 from Ventura High and Brett Michel from Simi Valley High in 2001).

HIGH SCHOOL: Was a 3-time All-CIF and All-Ventura County honoree at Oak Christian High in Westlake Village, Calif. … Named all-state as a junior and senior after combining to average nearly 20 points in 58 games … As a 2004 senior, named National Christian Schools All-American second team and Frontier League MVP after averaging 21.8 points, 7.1 rebounds, 4.8 steals and 4 assists for the 24-5 Lions, topping the league in all 4 categories … Tallied a career-high 51 points, 8 assists and 6 steals in a victory over Malibu High … As a 2003 junior, led Oaks Christian to a 23-4 record and the CIF title after averaging 18 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists … Named 2003 CIF Player of the Year and Frontier League MVP … Scored 39 points in a CIF semifinal victory over St. Joseph’s High of Santa Maria, Calif.

PERSONAL: Born Oct. 9, 1985, in Pomona, Calif., to Mike (institutional broker) and Donna Hornbuckle … Has 2 younger brothers (Matt, a senior hoopster at Oaks Christian High, Keegan) … His dad played basketball at the University of Redlands in the late 1970s … His uncle, Dan Hornbuckle, played baseball at Azusa Pacific, batting a team-high .404 with 11 home runs in 51 games during his 1989 senior season.