Daniel Hornbuckle
It may have taken six years for Daniel Hornbuckle of Fairbanks to score 1,000 career points, but that only speaks to his stick-to-itiveness to play college basketball.
It’s even more impressive when you remember the 2016 West Valley graduate scored a total of 27 points in 12 games as a UAF freshman and then didn’t play the next two seasons. Then COVID wiped away the momentum he built off a successful sophomore season at Portland Community College, dealing him another setback.
Nevertheless, he kept going and blew by every stop sign until he arrived at Western Washington, where he has flourished as one of the deadliest 3-point bombers in the GNAC.
Hornbuckle drained four 3s and scored 14 points in a 75-61 victory over Simon Fraser over the weekend to help him become the 49th men’s player from the 49th state to reach the 1,000-point career benchmark.
The 6-foot-1 guard has averaged 14.9 points in 68 career college games, including 23 appearances for Portland in the NWAC and 33 at Western Washington, an NCAA Division II team in Bellingham.
With 1,010 points, Hornbuckle is tied with former Hawaii Pacific standout Connor Looney of Palmer on Alaska’s all-time college scoring list. Ranked just ahead of him is former UAA and Drake guard Chris Bryant (1,015) of Metlakatla and former Westminster guard Jarred Laws (1,029) of Anchorage.
Daniel Hornbuckle of Fairbanks is averaging 16.3 points a game this season. Photo by WWU Athletics
Hornbuckle’s doggedness was a pillar of strength that he leaned on during his arduous journey. Same for his lethal jump shot. If there’s one thing you can count on it’s his ability to knock down shots.
At Portland, he finished seventh in the NWAC in scoring (21.3 ppg) and had highs of 34, 32, 30, 29 and 28 (three times). At Western Washington, he’s averaged 14.4 points in a much better league and led the GNAC with 77 3-pointers last season. This year he’s already bagged two 20-burgers and matched his career-high with six 3s in a game.
Hornbuckle has done most of his damage from downtown in his career, with his 167 3s ranking third among active Alaskans.
LET IT FLY
Alaska’s Active Men’s 3PT Leaders
236 – Da’Zhon Wyche (West) UAA
171 – Tobin Karlberg (Grace) Point Loma
167 – Daniel Hornbuckle (West Valley) W. Washington
108 – Wallace Ungwiluk (Gambell) Multnomah
89 – Kamaka Hepa (Barrow) Hawaii