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Horizon League Basketball: Ranking of 25 best players from last decade (2013-23)

By Joey Loose

Detroit Mercy guard Antoine Davis (0) hugs head coach Mike Davis after coming off the court during the second half against Wright State at Calihan Hall in Detroit on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023.
Detroit Mercy guard Antoine Davis (0) hugs head coach Mike Davis after coming off the court during the second half against Wright State at Calihan Hall in Detroit on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023. /
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Horizon League Basketball Illinois-Chicago Flames forward Dikembe Dixson Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports
Horizon League Basketball Illinois-Chicago Flames forward Dikembe Dixson Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports /

23. Dikembe Dixson

A 6’7 wing from Matewan, West Virginia, Dixson arrived at UIC back in 2015, the same time the program hired Steve McClain as their head coach. The program wasn’t in the best shape at the time of his arrival, and things were rough early, but Dixson would become a major bright spot for the Flames.

Though UIC was dreadful, Dixson had a marvelous freshman campaign, averaging 19.8 points and 7.3 rebounds as the lone bright spot of the season. He even had a career-high 40-point game against Youngstown State. Unfortunately, he’d tear his ACL just ten games into his sophomore season, having averaged more than 20 points a game up to that point. The numbers were less stellar, but Dixson was still very solid as a junior, leading the Flames to a 20-win season and a huge turnaround.

Dixson was a dynamic scorer right off the bat and earned Horizon League Rookie of the Year honors as a result. He was Second Team All-Horizon during that freshman year and likely deserved those honors again, helping get UIC back into the winning column in his following seasons. He’d depart after those three seasons and begin his professional career, though his contributions this decade with the Flames were certainly significant.